FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 18th, 2015
NBC Sports Group Tournament Airtimes & Notes (March 19-22)
NBC Sports Group to Air More than 24 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
as McIlroy Makes Bay Hill Debut
LPGA Tour Returns to United States for JTBC Founders Cup
Parnevik makes Champions Tour Debut
at Inaugural Tucson Conquistadores Classic
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 18, 2015) – The PGA TOUR wraps up its Florida Swing with the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, as World No. 1 Rory McIlroy makes his first-ever start at the event honoring “The King”. NBC Sports Group will air more than 24 hours of live tournament coverage from Bay Hill Club & Lodge in addition to live coverage of Golf Channel’s signature evening news program – Golf Central – airing from a dedicated set on-site throughout the week. The LPGA Tour returns to the United States with the JTBC Founders Cup in Phoenix, with No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Lydia Ko, headlining the field. And the Champions Tour stages the inaugural Tucson Conquistadores Classic, with Jesper Parnevik making his debut on the 50-and-over circuit.
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Dates: March 19-22
Venue: Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 2:30-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 10 p.m.-3 a.m.
(Replay)
Sunday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 2:30-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 10 p.m.-3 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 2:30-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 2:30-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Golf Central airing on-site from Bay Hill Club & Lodge: Golf Central – Golf Channel’s evening news program – will air from a dedicated set on the driving range at Bay Hill Club & Lodge all week. Beginning Thursday, Golf Central will air pre-and-post-game coverage featuring tournament analysis, feature stories, as well as on-site interviews and reports on the latest storylines surrounding the event.
Golf Central Special – Arnold Palmer press conference airing Wednesday at Noon, ET: Golf Channel will air a special news conference with Arnold Palmer from Bay Hill Club & Lodge, beginning at Noon ET on Wednesday.
Golf Channel weekend Spotlight coverage to focus on Holes 16-18 at Bay Hill: Golf Channel’s weekend Spotlight coverage continues this week, featuring Bay Hill’s closing stretch, Holes 16-18 to complement Golf Channel on NBC’s award-winning coverage. While NBC is on the air live with traditional coverage, Golf Channel also will be on the air live, but focusing on Bay Hill’s final three holes.
Every defends: Matt Every finished one shot ahead of Keegan Bradley for his first career PGA TOUR victory.
Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Billy Horschel, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley, J.B. Holmes and Matt Every.
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Rich Lerner (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: Todd Lewis, Steve Burkowski (Golf Channel) / Steve Sands (NBC)
Essays: Jimmy Roberts
Golf Channel Spotlight Coverage Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Craig Perks
On-Course: Phil Parkin
LPGA TOUR
JTBC Founders Cup
Dates: March 19-22
Venue: Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Ariz.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 6-9 p.m. (Live)
Friday 6-8 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 7-9 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 7-9 p.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Rankin leads list of “2015 Pioneers” to be honored this week: Judy Rankin, lead analyst for Golf Channel’s coverage of the LPGA Tour, leads a list of “2015 Pioneers”, along with Sandra Palmer and Donna Caponi, who will be honored this week for their “trailblazing spirit and exemplary participation in the development of the LPGA Tour and women’s golf.”
“College Day” heightens Thursday’s opening round: Thursday’s opening round at the JTBC Founders Cup will include players donning their school pride (and colors) as a part of “College Day”. Golf Channel also will incorporate several on-air graphics and other dedicated production elements in tribute to the colleges and universities represented by the LPGA Tour players in the field. Golf Channel on-course reporters Jerry Foltz (University of Arizona) and Kay Cockerill (UCLA) also will be participating, wearing their respective university colors.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Hyo-Joo Kim, Karrie Webb, Amy Yang, Paula Creamer, Anna Nordqvist, Na Yeon Choi, Mirim Lee, Jessica Korda and Cheyenne Woods.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Kay Cockerill
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Tucson Conquistadores Classic
Dates: March 20-22
Venue: Omni Tucson National (Catalina Course), Tucson, Ariz.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 8-10 p.m. (Tape delay) / 3-5 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra) / 3-5 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Parnevik making Champions Tour debut: Five-time PGA TOUR winner Jesper Parnevik will make his first start as a member of the Champions Tour.
New event holds PGA TOUR memories for several in the field : The inaugural Tucson Conquistadores Classic will be contested on the Catalina Course at Omni Tucson National, a venue that is familiar for several players in the field this week. Tom Watson, Lee Janzen, Larry Mize and Jeff Sluman each won at the Tucson National course during their respective PGA TOUR careers.
Johnny Miller to be featured during Golf Channel’s opening round telecast as part of “Flashback Friday”: Golf Channel on NBC lead analyst Johnny Miller will be featured as a part of “Flashback Friday” during Golf Channel’s opening round telecast of the Tucson Conquistadors Classic. Over the course of his PGA TOUR career, Miller won three of his 25 official PGA TOUR wins on the Catalina (Tucson National) Course, winning in consecutive years in Tucson from 1974-76. Miller will reminisce about his playing days in Tucson, which include a final-round 61 in 1975, a course record that still stands today.
Headlining the field: Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman, Jay Haas, Lee Janzen, Kirk Triplett, Corey Pavin and Jesper Parnevik.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: John Mahaffey / Dave Marr
On-Course: Billy Ray Brown
-NBC Sports Group-
