TNT must think it’s covering the Olympics. For it’s sure not treating the British Open like a real sporting event.

Once again, the braintrust at the network which boasts “We Know Drama” is giving us most of the drama on tape delay. When everyone who really cares already knows what has happened.

This is the 21st century, a time of instant Internet gratification. And TNT keeps deciding it’s not necessary to show the Open as it happens. Tiger Woods seized control of what is shaping up as the second of three majors he’s going to win this year with a first-round 66 that started at 3:20 a.m. on the East Coast, 12:20 p.m. on the West Coast.

By the time, TNT went on the air on the East Coast at 7 a.m., Tiger was almost off the course. By the time TNT went on the air on the West Coast at 7 a.m. PST, Tiger was likely napping back at his hotel.

Sure, the time change isn’t convenient for everyone to watch the Open live here in the states. Our own Tim McDonald cannot make it past 7 p.m. without 12 cups of coffee, three cases of Red Bull and the company of a Santee stripper. Tim last saw 10 p.m. in 1965.

But there are people who would watch the Open live. Especially at 10:30 p.m. on the West Coast, which is when the first golfer teed off in St. Andrews. That’s prime time. And instead everyone has to wait nine hours to see day-old footage.

There are plenty of people (golf nuts, insomniacs, night workers, early risers) who would tune in to the British Open all night. Heck, TravelGolf.com’s Jennifer Mario would have probably purchased Retief Goosen’s 2:14 a.m. EST round on pay-per-view. That’s her version of Showtime at night.

Showing it live wouldn’t stop TNT from doing the same thing it’s already doing now, rebroadcasting it later in the heart on the day. It just would give viewers an option.

Probably expecting a lot to think TNT would care about its viewers. Let’s get the British Open back on a real sports network.

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