By Ward Clayton
Sports Editor

Because of Saturday's rain delay, CBS Sports was able to give unprecedented coverage to the third round of the Masters Tournament.

The CBS broadcast began at 3:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the final pairing of Vijay Singh and David Duval teed off on the first hole. They were scheduled to begin play at 2 p.m., but a two-hour rain delay pushed that back. The broadcast ran until play was halted at 7:45 p.m., with Singh and Duval in the fairway on No. 15.

The Augusta National Golf Club has been questioned through the years about why the leaders' entire final round isn't shown, such as other major tournaments' full 18-hole coverage. Last year, Augusta National Chairman Hootie Johnson said the club doesn't prohibit CBS from showing the front nine, but the club wants to limit the length of the telecast to no more than three hours because of concerns that viewers will stray from a longer show.

``It was very simple, actually,'' said Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports, on the telecast. ``We always cover the leaders, and when we came on at 3:30, the leaders were on the practice tee. And as always here on Saturday, we cover the tournament until its conclusion.''

During a regular PGA Tour event, CBS would sign off at 6 p.m. from a Saturday round. ``But this is certainly not a normal event,'' he said.

McManus wouldn't call the telecast the longest in CBS's 45-year Masters coverage history, but he said it was ``certainly the longest in recent memory.''

Today's final round is scheduled to be televised from 4 to 7 p.m.