The Masters Extends Their Television Coverage by Two Hours: Why Not Even Longer?

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Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne told ESPN that they will be extending the coverage of The Masters an extra hour next year for the first two rounds.  That means we will get two extra hours of the golf season's first major.

My question is: Why not extend it further?

Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that they have extended it an extra hour.  But I want more.

It took years before the brass of Augusta National even started showing the front nine on TV.  For the past few years we've gotten to see the entire third and fourth rounds of the leaders, but that's about it. 

They've started catching on by having internet coverage of "Amen Corner," but it's only for a couple of hours.  Places like Yahoo and even the PGA's official website are showing hours of coverage on their sites before the TV coverage comes on.

I've played golf, albeit poorly, for many years.  I know how long it takes to play, no matter how good or bad you are. 

Three hours isn't enough time to see a full round of golf unless you're playing "speed golf." This fourth hour of TV is a step in the right direction, but I think more is still needed.

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Since the times of the pairings in the first two rounds are all over the place, those of us who have to watch it on TV don't always get to see our favorite golfers.  And if they don't make the cut, we don't get to see them at all. 

While making the cut is in the hands of the players, the amount of TV time they get is not.

We get almost all-day coverage for the other three majors, you'd think that arguably the most popular major would get the same treatment. 

CBS shows half-hour highlights around midnight to try and help us get our fix of the first two rounds of the Masters. 

Really?  

This still baffles me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I know this is a very exclusive tournament and an even more exclusive club to get into.  There are many people of high standing that have never played a round on the course. 

I would think they could make a lot of extra money by airing more hours on television, but maybe its not about money to them. 

I'm not a member of the club, so I obviously don't know the whole story.

Either way, an extra hour per round of my favorite tournament of the year is a good thing.  Let's hope it's a trend that continues over the years.