SportsLine wire reports

The Masters has undergone its most dramatic alterations in the 44 years since CBS began televising the tournament. No, Gary McCord still hasn't returned, and fans still won't get a glimpse of the first few holes.

The major changes at Augusta National involve growing a deeper rough, or "second cut" as officials prefer to call it, adding some pine trees and also lengthening the 2nd and 17th holes.

It was done to try to prevent record performances such as the show Tiger Woods put on two years ago when he shot a 270. The changes have been referred to as "Tiger-proofing" the course, and yet McCord still thinks Woods will benefit.

McCord hasn't been to Augusta in five years since being banished from broadcasting the tournament after joking that officials there used "bikini wax" on the greens.

"They have put on the Tiger camouflage," McCord said. "They had to do something or he'll tear up the course every year. Overall scores may go down, but it will still favor the long hitters like Tiger the most."

McCord is tired of getting the same question year after year about his ban, so he instituted something new into his CBS contract: He refuses to work the Masters for the next three years.

CBS claims McCord's amendment doesn't exist, but it's irrelevant. He knows there's a better chance of Arnold Palmer winning this year's Masters than of Augusta National officials allowing McCord to return to the tournament.

"It's up to them, but I don't see anything changing," McCord said. "They don't like my personality. Even with a new chairman, it won't make any difference."

McCord's win at the Toshiba Seniors could lure him out of the booth.(AP)

Jim Nantz, McCord's colleague and the host of the Masters for the 11th straight year, is worried that "Mr. Banishment" may phase out his CBS career now that he finally won his first PGA tournament last month. McCord scored the victory at the Toshiba Senior Classic.

"My fear is that he's going to win so many times that he's going to stay away from CBS," Nantz said.

Nantz, at his best during golf coverage, became agitated when asked about CBS' lack of coverage on the first nine holes. The network is allowed to begin coverage Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT and Sunday at 4 p.m.

"That question gets really tiresome," Nantz said. "It gets misrepresented to the public. We don't just show the back nine - we show whatever is going on at the time we come on."

Usually, CBS shows the fifth or sixth hole upon signing on. However, the network shouldn't have to defend its position.

While the Masters is the only major golf tournament that doesn't show all 18 holes, it is also the lone tournament that shows just four minutes of commercials per hour. Others average about 12-14 minutes of ads an hour.