FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 10th, 2013
NBC Sports Group Continues Major Championship Coverage with the U.S. Senior Open
NBC’s Gary Koch Competing and Commentating This Week at U.S. Senior Open
First European Tour Event Broadcast on American Network Television this Weekend with the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
PGA TOUR returns to Quad Cities for the John Deere Classic
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park Looks to Make it Four in Row as the LPGA Heads to the “Great White North” for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic
Web.com Tour Begins Race to the Finals with the Utah Championship
U.S. Senior Open
Dates: July 11-14
Venue: Omaha Country Club, Omaha, Neb.
NBC Airtimes (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
GOLF CENTRAL LIVE Airtimes on NBC (Eastern)
Saturday 2:30-3 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 2:30-3 p.m. (Live)
Golf Channel on NBC Broadcast Team:
Dan Hicks (Play by Play)
Johnny Miller (Analyst)
Gary Koch (Tower)
Mark Rolfing (Tower)
Roger Maltbie (On Course)
Notah Begay (On Course)
Broadcast Notes:
NBC Sports Group Teams Up for U.S. Senior Open Coverage – Golf Channel and NBC partner up to provide comprehensive news and tournament coverage of the U.S. Senior Open from Omaha Country Club in Omaha, Neb. NBC will air live coverage from 3-6 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, with each round preceded by a 30-minute GOLF CENTRAL LIVE pre-game show at 2:30 p.m. ET.
NBC’s Gary Koch Competing and Commentating – Golf Channel on NBC analyst Gary Koch, who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, is scheduled to both compete and commentate this week. Koch is a Tower announcer for NBC’s weekend coverage.
Headlining the Field – The field includes Fred Couples, Mark Calcavecchia, John Cook, Fred Funk, Tom Lehman, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie and Golf Channel on NBC analyst Peter Jacobsen.
Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
Dates: July 11-14
Venue: Castle Stuart Golf Links, Inverness, Scotland
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 5:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday 5:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 9:30 a.m.-Noon (Live) Noon-2:30 p.m. (Live on NBC)
Sunday 9:30 a.m.-Noon (Live) / Noon-2:30 p.m. (Live on NBC)
NBC Airtimes (Eastern)
Saturday Noon-2:30 p.m. (Live)
Sunday Noon-2:30 p.m. (Live)
Golf Channel / NBC Broadcast Team:
Mike Ritz (Golf Channel Studio Host)
Dougie Donnelly (Play by Play)
Andrew Cotter (Analyst)
Frank Nobilo (Analyst)
Denis Hutchinson (Tower)
Jay Townsend (On Course)
Ken Brown (On Course)
Broadcast Notes:
First European Tour Event Broadcast on American Network television – The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will be the first European Tour event broadcast on American network television when NBC airs the third and final rounds live from Noon-2:30 p.m. ET.
Headlining the Field – The field includes Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Mateo Manassero, Darren Clarke, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Nicolas Colsaerts, Branden Grace, Paul Lawrie, Alvaro Quiros, Martin Laird, Henrik Stenson, Peter Uihlein, Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjorn, Michael Thompson, David Lynn and George Coetzee.
John Deere Classic
Dates: July 11-14
Venue: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (Golf Channel and CBS Replay)
Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Golf Channel and CBS Replay)
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Brian Hammons (Play by Play)
Curt Byrum (Analyst)
Peter Oosterhuis (Tower)
David Feherty (Tower)
Rich Beem (On Course)
Steve Burkowski (Interviews)
Broadcast Notes:
Featured Groupings – Golf Channel’s featured groupings during Thursday’s tournament coverage include first-time PGA TOUR winners in 2013 Ken Duke, Harris English and Kevin Streelman (1:45 p.m. ET); and Greenbrier Classic champion Jonas Blixt, Nick Watney and Louis Oosthuizen (1:55 p.m. ET). Friday’s featured groupings include defending champion and hometown favorite Zach Johnson, past champion Steve Stricker and Hall-of-Famer Davis Love III (1:45 p.m. ET); and D.A. Points, Keegan Bradley and Charles Howell III.
Headlining the Field – The field includes Steve Stricker, Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley, Nick Watney, Zach Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Ryo Ishikawa, K.J. Choi, Camilo Villegas, Davis Love III, Peter Hanson and Robert Karlsson.
Manulife Financial LPGA Classic
Dates: July 11-14
Venue: Grey Silo Golf Course, Waterloo, Canada
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 12:30 – 2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 2:30-5:30 p.m. (Live) / 1:30-3:30 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 2:30-5:30 p.m. (Live)
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Tom Abbott (Play by Play)
Jane Crafter (Analyst)
Matt Gogel (Tower)
Jerry Foltz (On Course)
Kelli Kuehne (On Course)
Broadcast Notes:
Inbee Park Going for Fourth Consecutive Win – Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park, winner of the last three events on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships, will attempt to become the first player to win four consecutive events on the LPGA Tour since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
Inbee Park One-on-One – Inbee Park and her caddie will be featured during Thursday’s tournament coverage in separate one-on-one interviews conducted this week.
Walk and Talks Featured – Golf Channel’s Jerry Foltz and Kelli Kuehne will conduct interviews with players as they are walking the fairways during all four rounds of coverage.
Headlining the Field – The field includes Inbee Park, Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Jessica Korda, Azahara Munoz, Beatriz Recari, I.K. Kim, Na Yeon Choi, So Yeon Ryu, Natalie Gulbis and Lizette Salas.
Utah Championship
Dates: July 11-14
Venue: Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy Utah
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday 6-8 p.m. (Live)
Friday 6-8 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 7-9 p.m. (Live) / 2-4 a.m. (Replay)
Golf Channel / NBC Broadcast Team:
Whit Watson (Play by Play)
Craig Perks (Analyst)
Phil Blackmar (Tower)
Kay Cockerill (On Course)
Stephanie Sparks (On Course)
Broadcast Notes:
Kay’s Corner – Up Close and Personal with Michael Putnam and Chesson Hadley: Golf Channel’s Kay Cockerill conducted sit down interviews with Web.com Tour professionals Michael Putnam and Chesson Hadley this week that will air during Thursday and Friday’s coverage, respectively. With a victory this week at the Utah Championship, Michael Putnam will earn a battlefield promotion to the PGA TOUR (finished runner-up in 2012).
Oppenheim and Loar to Walk with Golf Channel Course Reporters Thursday – A new feature for Golf Channel.com Web.com Tour coverage, players who finished their rounds earlier in the day return to walk alongside Golf Channel course reporters Kay Cockerill and Stephanie Sparks to add insight about the golf course, how to hit certain shots and how they played certain shots earlier in the day. Thursday’s coverage will feature Rob Oppenheim joining Stephanie Sparks and Ed Loar joining Kay Cockerill following their rounds for the broadcast.
Seventh Annual Mustache Week – For the seventh year in a row, the Utah Championship will feature “Mustache Week.” Former Big Break competitor James Nitties is the defending champion of Mustache Week.
Key Holes at Crunchtime with Phil Blackmar – Golf Channel’s Phil Blackmar will break down the key holes and shots coming down the stretch during Sunday’s final round of coverage.
-NBC Sports Group-
