It's not fair, really, and it's not the same for everyone.

It's not fair to a 54-year-old legend such as Ben Crenshaw.

It's not fair to bad-back veterans Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate.

It's not fair to anyone who has to wake up early this morning and play way more golf than they needed to on this Masters Sunday.

And it didn't need to be this way.

With just a little bit of foresight and a little common sense, the third round of the Masters would have been nearly completed as scheduled Saturday.

Neither element was executed.

Augusta National clearly can't control the weather, but it can do just about anything else it wants. With the preponderance of evidence suggesting that Saturday would be marred by foul weather, there should have been no reason for Masters officials not to have decided Friday night to tee off earlier and send players off both sides to work in as much golf as possible Saturday.

"They don't mess around and make a lot of bad decisions here," Mediate, who faces 32 holes today, said during the 4-hour, 18-minute rain delay.

They made a bad decision this time, and it was an unforced error despite a wealth of recent experience with poor weather.

There is no other sports property in the world that is less beholden to TV than the Masters. That's why, twice in the past five years, the Masters went off an hour earlier on Sundays because of potential bad weather that never materialized. That is one of the things that distinguishes the Masters from the other majors.

Ratings might matter to the network, but they don't matter to the golf club. If the final round coverage draws a 4.2 or a 14.2 share, CBS still will broadcast next year and the limited advertising still will include the same sponsors at the same rates.

Why, then, couldn't Augusta National have decided to start earlier Saturday and show whatever happened on a mix of tape delay and live coverage? If they had, most of the field would have finished and only a few players would have a few holes left this morning.

That would have leveled the playing field instead of the leaders facing anywhere from 27 to 32 holes today.

Every decision should be made in the best interests of the tournament and not television. We've always thought the Masters was better than that.

The other governing bodies of U.S.-based majors have been easy targets because of their unabashed allegiance to the almighty television.

The USGA got roundly and rightfully ripped after barely getting the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage finished before dark because of a 49-minute delay caused by forecast thunderstorms.

The PGA of America was justly skewered last year at Baltusrol for refusing to push ahead its final-round tee times in the face of overwhelming expectation for weather delays that forced a Monday conclusion of the PGA Championship.

After what was supposed to be the conclusion of the PGA, it was discussed here about "the evils of television and the greed of men too obstinate (or ignorant) to pay attention to every unfavorable forecast or make any effort whatsoever to finish the PGA Championship on time Sunday."

CBS and the PGA of America conspired to rely on luck when it would have taken such little effort to start the final round earlier - as leader and eventual champion Phil Mickelson himself requested.

Guess what. They'll do the same thing the next time the situation comes up because TV said so.

That should not be the case here. Television is not more important than the tournament, and it never should be.

Players were clearly not happy as they scurried out of their shuttles from the distant reaches of the course and disappeared into the night to get some rest before the early wake-up call. Mickelson didn't even stop to talk after three quick birdies were followed by two quick bogeys in the darkening day before play was suspended.

"Tough day, long day," Couples said after waiting more than eight hours to play five holes. "Basically, all day for one hour of golf. ... In a tournament like this you want to be ready, and a couple of guys were ready."

Said Ernie Els: "What can you do? It's going to be a long day. Lot of concentrating. It's going to be the same for everyone. We'll see who can stick it out longer."

The Masters shouldn't be an endurance test. The golf course is hard enough without making the experience a marathon.

When it's over today, history won't remember what the winner had to go through to get the green jacket.

That's part of the problem. When nobody learns from mistakes in judgment, we are doomed to repeat them.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.