McIlroy Tops Four-Member List From Europe’s Victorious Ryder Cup Team in the Field at Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland
Lewis, Park Headline Field at Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic
Tommy Gainey, Gerina Piller, Jerry Rice Headline the Field in Golf Channel’s Inaugural Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation with 40 Former Contestants from Network’s Reality Competition Series
ORLANDO, Fla. (September 30, 2014) – Rory McIlroy is one of four members of the Ryder Cup-winning Team Europe that made the 50 mile drive east from Gleneagles to this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland. The LPGA Tour begins its stretch of international events with the Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic in China. The 81-player field with no cut is the first of seven consecutive events to be played outside of the United States, leading into the season culminating CME Group Tour Championship in Florida at the end of November. Golf Channel kicks off its inaugural Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation, featuring 40 former competitors from the network’s reality competition series who will go head-to-head in full tournament conditions for the first time live on Golf Channel Tuesday-Friday. The field features PGA TOUR winner Tommy Gainey, Solheim Cup veterans Kristy McPherson, Gerina Piller and Ryann O’Toole, as well as Pro Football Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.
EUROPEAN TOU
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Dates: Oct. 2 -5
Venue: St. Andrews Golf Club (Old Course); Carnoustie Golf Links; Kingsbarns Golf Links; Scotland
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 8 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 6:30-8 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 8 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 6:30-8 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 8 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 6:30-8 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-8 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Ryder Cup victors in the field: Coming off their dominant 16 ½ - 11 ½ Ryder Cup victory, four members of Team Europe made the 50 mile trip east to tee it up this week including, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher.
Unique format: The tournament format is modeled after the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am as 168 professionals and 168 amateurs pair up as two-man teams, playing one round each at St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns. A 54-hole cut will include the top-60 professionals and ties and the low 20 two-man teams, with the final round being contested at St. Andrews.
Howell defends: David Howell defeated Peter Uihlein on the second playoff hole to capture his fifth career European Tour victory, and his first since 2006.
Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Victor Dubuisson, Charl Schwartzel, Stephen Gallacher, Ernie Els, Thongchai Jaidee, Francesco Molinari and Joost Luiten.
LPGA TOUR
Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic
Dates: Oct. 2-5
Venue: Pine Valley Golf Club, Beijing, ChinA
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 11 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) / Noon-3 p.m. (Thursday Replay)
Thursday 11 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) / Noon-3 p.m. (Friday Replay)
Friday 11 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) / Noon-3 p.m. (Saturday Replay)
Saturday 11 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) / 12:30-3 p.m. (Sunday Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
LPGA Tour begins international stretch of tournaments: The 81-player field has no cut, and is the first of seven consecutive events to be played outside of the United States. Tour stops in China, Malaysia, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Mexico will lead into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
Feng defends: Shanshan Feng finished one shot ahead of Stacy Lewis in 2013 for her second career LPGA Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, Na Yeon Choi, I.K. Kim, So Yeon Ryu, Beatriz Recari, Belen Mozo, Yani Tseng.
Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Peter Donegan
Analyst: Sandy MacKenzie / Kate Burton
Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation
Dates: Sept. 30 – Oct. 3
Venue: Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters Course)
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Tuesday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Wednesday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
40 former Big Break contestants set to compete in inaugural four-day Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation tournament airing live on Golf Channel: 40 former Big Break competitors will go head-to-head in full tournament conditions for the first time at the inaugural Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation, a four-day invitational tournament airing live on Golf Channel Tuesday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. ET.
Tournament format: Taking place at the Great Waters Course at Reynolds Plantation in Lake Oconee, Ga., the field of 40 (20 men and 20 women) represent 20 seasons of Big Break, including several of the series’ most memorable competitors who are playing on the world’s top professional tours. The four-round tournament will feature a Modified Stableford format for the first two rounds, followed by match play (third round), and concluding with stroke play (final round) to determine the Big Break Invitational Reynolds Plantation champion. Fifteen Big Break champions are entered in the field.
Headlining the field: Tommy Gainey, Gerina Piller, Kristy McPherson, Ryann O’Toole, Tony Finau, Jerry Rice, James Nitties, Sadena Parks, Jackie Stoelting and Mallory Blackwelder.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Tom Abbott
Analyst: Matt Gogel
Analyst/On Course: Paige Mackenzie
On Course: Phil Parkin / Craig Perks / Rich Beem
-NBC Sports Group-