Masters adds an hour of TV coverage to each weekday round for 2011

The Masters is adding an extra hour of television coverage to each of its weekday rounds next year. Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne said Tuesday that ESPN’s weekday coverage will start at 3:00 p.m. ET, which is an hour earlier. The coverage ends at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Payne also said that British-based Sky Sports will join the BBC as a live broadcaster next year. The Masters will be held April 7-10. Despite the additional hour of coverage on the weekdays, it remains the major championship with the most limited live TV coverage. Sky Sports will broadcast all four rounds of the tournament live, as well as Wednesday's Par-3 Contest, while the BBC will show live coverage over the weekend. "Since our first telecast of the Masters in 1956, we have carefully maintained a tradition of high-quality programming within an appropriate broadcast window," Payne said. "Now, with the proper infrastructure and resources in place, we are confident the additional coverage will meet the high standards of the millions of golf fans who enjoy viewing the Masters each April."