FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

PGA TOUR Shifts to Tampa, NBC Sports Group Offers 20 Hours of Live Coverage of Valspar Championship

Champions Tour in Primetime on Golf Channel from Southern California for Toshiba Classic: Couples, Watson Featured Group for Round 1 on Friday 

European Tour in Morocco for Trophee Hassan II

ORLANDO, Fla., (March 11, 2014) – Golf Channel and NBC Sports will provide 20 hours of live coverage of the Valspar Championship this week from Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club outside of Tampa, Fla. Golf Channel’s weekend Spotlight coverage will focus on holes 15-17 – which includes the first-two legs of the “Snake Pit” (holes 16-18) – one of the most difficult three-hole closing stretches on the PGA TOUR. The Champions Tour returns after a three-week hiatus with the Toshiba Classic in Southern California, featuring 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and three-time-winning U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples grouped together for Friday’s opening round, airing live in primetime on the East Coast.  The European Tour is in Morocco this week for the Trophee Hassan II, where Marcel Siem will look to defend his 2013 title.

PGA TOUR

Valspar Championship
Dates: March 13-16

Venue: Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla.

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         3-6 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-9:30 p.m. (Replay) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)

Friday              3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday          1-2 p.m. (Live) / 2-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 9:30 p.m-2:30 a.m. (Replay)

Sunday            1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)

Tournament Airtimes On NBC (Eastern):

Saturday          2-6 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            3-6 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Valspar Championship Pro-Am, Airing Wednesday, 5 p.m. ET on Golf Channel: Golf Channel will air the Valspar Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, taking viewers inside the ropes as the players prepare for Thursday’s opening round of the tournament.

Golf Channel’s Spotlight Coverage to Feature Beginning Stretch of Copperhead’s “Snake Pit”: Golf Channel’s Spotlight coverage continues on Saturday and Sunday, complementing NBC’s tournament broadcast. Spotlight will focus on holes 15-17, with the “Snake Pit” beginning on the 16th at Innisbrook’s Copperhead course. Coverage will include Trackman technology on the 16th tee, highlighting player driving stats, and Pro-Tracer technology will also be used within Spotlight coverage to provide viewers with a visual of the flight of the ball once it leaves the clubface. The “Snake Pit” ranked as the sixth-most difficult among closing three-hole stretches on the PGA TOUR last year.

­­­Streelman Defends: Kevin Streelman earned his first career PGA TOUR victory last year, thanks to weekend rounds of 65-67 to finish two shots clear of Boo Weekley.

Headlining the Field: Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Spieth, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Luke Donald, Graham DeLaet, Bill Haas and Harris English.

Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Rich Lerner (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)

Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Gary Koch (NBC)

Tower: Peter Jacobsen / Mark Rolfing

On Course: Roger Maltbie / Notah Begay

Interviews: Steve Sands

Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Whit Watson

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: Frank Nobilo

On Course: Craig Perks

Interviews: Scott McCarron

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Toshiba Classic
Dates: March 14-16

Venue: Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Friday              6:30-9 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-8:30 a.m. (Saturday, Round 1 replay)

Saturday          7-9 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-8:30 a.m. (Sunday, Round 2 replay)

Sunday            7-9 p.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Monday, Final round replay)

Broadcast Notes:

Couples, Watson Grouped Together: 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and three-time U.S. Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples are grouped together for Friday’s opening round, which will air on Golf Channel in primetime on the East Coast.

Frost Defends: David Frost won last year’s event by a comfortable five shots, a wire-to-wire win kick-started by an opening-round 63.

Headlining the Field: Fred Couples, Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry, Colin Montgomerie, Rocco Mediate, Mark O’Meara, Fred Funk, John Cook and Jay Haas.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Bob Papa

Analyst: Lanny Wadkins

Tower: Dave Marr / John Mahaffey

On Course: Billy Ray Brown

EUROPEAN TOUR

Trophee Hassan II
Dates: March 13-16

Venue: Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir, Morocco

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday              9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            2:30-6 a.m. (Tape Delay, Late Saturday night)

Monday           1:30-5 a.m. (Tape Delay, Late Sunday night)

Broadcast Notes:

Siem Defends: Marcel Siem went wire-to-wire last year, capitalizing on an opening-round 64 en route to a three shot victory.

Headlining the Field: Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Chris Wood, Ross Fisher, Shane Lowry, George Coetzee, David Howell, Marcel Siem, Robert Karlsson, Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley.

Tournament Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Dougie Donnelly

Analyst: Warren Humphreys

On Course: Paul Eales

-NBC Sports Group-