FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 24th, 2015
NBC SPORTS GROUP TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (FEB. 26-MARCH 1)
NBC Sports Group Kicks Off Florida Swing and Six Consecutive Tournament Weeks with 22 Hours of Live Coverage of The Honda Classic
Honda LPGA Thailand Elite Field Boasts
Nine of Top-10 in Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings
Joburg Open First of Three Consecutive European Tour Events in South Africa
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2015) – The PGA TOUR kicks off the Florida Swing this week, with Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC set to televise 22 live hours of The Honda Classic, with NBC Sports Group carrying exclusive coverage of the TOUR’s next six weeks. The field includes 16 of the top-25 players in the world, including World No. 1 Rory McIlroy making his 2015 PGA TOUR debut. Leading Golf Channel on NBC’s weekend coverage will be Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller, who will begin their 16th year as play-by-play announcer and lead analyst, which sets a record in golf for the longest-tenured 18th-hole broadcasting tandem for any network. The LPGA Tour continues the international stretch of its 2015 schedule, with nine of the top-10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in the field for the Honda LPGA Thailand. And the European Tour stages the first of three consecutive events in South Africa with the Joburg Open.
PGA TOUR
The Honda Classic
Dates: Feb. 26-March 1
Venue: PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Kick Off PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing: NBC Sports Group will televise more than 22 hours of live coverage of The Honda Classic on Golf Channel and NBC to kick off the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing. The Honda Classic is the first of six consecutive weeks of PGA TOUR coverage airing exclusively on Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC.
Hicks & Miller Set Record: Leading Golf Channel on NBC’s weekend coverage will be Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller, who will begin their 16th year as play-by-play announcer and lead analyst, which sets a record in golf for the longest-tenured 18th-hole broadcasting tandem for any network.
Golf Channel to air live coverage of McIlroy, Fowler, Kaymer and Mickelson news conferences beginning at Noon ET Wednesday: Golf Channel will air live coverage of player press conferences featuring Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson tomorrow from PGA National beginning at Noon ET.
Golf Channel Weekend Spotlight Coverage Returns, Focusing on “The Bear Trap”:
Golf Channel’s Spotlight Coverage makes its 2015 debut this week, featuring live action of players navigating what has become one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and complementing Golf Channel on NBC’s award-winning traditional coverage. While NBC is on the air live with traditional coverage, Golf Channel also will be on the air live, but focusing on “The Bear Trap,” encompassing Nos. 15-17 on the Jack Nicklaus-designed PGA National Champion Course.
McIlroy makes 2015 PGA TOUR debut: Rory McIlroy – No. 1 ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking – will make his first PGA TOUR start of 2015 this week, teeing it up for the first time since winning the Omega Dubai Desert Classic four weeks ago.
Henley defends: Russell Henley defeated Rory McIlroy, Russell Knox and Ryan Palmer with a birdie on the first playoff hole for his second career PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Billy Horschel, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley.
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing / Notah Begay
Interviews: Steve Sands
Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz
LPGA TOUR
Honda LPGA Thailand
Dates: Feb. 26-March 1
Venue: Siam Country Club Pattaya (Old Course), Chonburi, Thailand
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 1-5 a.m. (Live) / 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 1-5 a.m. (Live) / 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-5 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 1-5 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Elite field: The field includes nine of the top-10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
Nordqvist defends: Anna Nordqvist finished two shots ahead of Inbee Park for her third career LPGA Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Shanshan Feng, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, So Yeon Ryu, Hyo Joo Kim, Karrie Webb, Lexi Thompson and Anna Nordqvist.
Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Peter Donegan
Analyst: Sandra McKenzie / Kate Burton
EUROPEAN TOUR
Joburg Open
Dates: Feb. 26-March 1
Venue: Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club (East & West Courses), Gauteng, South Africa
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 7-9 a.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Tape delay)
Friday 7-9 a.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Tape delay)
Saturday 5:30-9:30 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 5-9:30 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Course configuration: The field will complete one round each on the East and West courses during the first two rounds. Once the cut is made, only the East course will be used for the third and final rounds. This week serves as one of only two events on the European Tour that is played on multiple courses (the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the other).
Coetzee defends: George Coetzee won by three shots for his first career European Tour win.
Headlining the field: Darren Clarke, George Coetzee, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Edoardo Molinari, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Andy Sullivan, Gregory Bourdy, Alex Noren and David Horsey.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Julian Tutt
Analyst: Denis Hutchinson / Warren Humphreys
On Course: Paul Eales
-NBC Sports Group-
