FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 8th, 2016
NBC SPORTS GROUP TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (MARCH 10-13): VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP; TRUE THAILAND CLASSIC; WORLD LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP; INVESTEC CUP
Florida Swing Enters Third Leg as Spieth Defends at Valspar Championship
Jimenez Headlines the Field at European Tour’s True Thailand Classic
Mission Hills Stages World Ladies Championship in China
Field of 16 to Compete for Investec Cup on Sunshine Tour
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 8, 2016) – The PGA TOUR stages the third leg of its Florida Swing as World No. 1 Jordan Spieth is set to defend his 2015 title at the Valspar Championship outside of Tampa. Golf Channel and NBC will televise the event – the third in a series of six consecutive weeks of exclusive NBC Sports Group live tournament coverage of the PGA TOUR leading up to the Masters in April. Miguel Angel Jimenez will headline the field at the True Thailand Classic on the European Tour, while the Ladies European Tour heads to China for the World Ladies Championship. And on the Sunshine Tour, a field of 16 will compete in the final event of the season as part of the Chase to the Investec Cup.
PGA TOUR
Valspar Championship
Dates: March 10-13
Venue: Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Last opportunity to qualify for WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin: The top-64 players in the Official World Golf Ranking at the conclusion of the Valspar Championship are eligible to compete in the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, March 23-27.
Morning Drive on-site from Innisbrook: Golf Channel’s daily news program, Morning Drive (10 a.m.-Noon ET Thursday-Sunday), will feature on-site reports Thursday-Sunday from Innisbrook’s Copperhead course. Damon Hack and Paige Mackenzie will provide live updates on location and conduct interviews with players and other guests each day.
Spieth defends: Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair on the third playoff hole to earn his second PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed, Danny Willett, Ernie Els, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas and Martin Kaymer.
Golf Channel / NBC Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Gary Koch (Golf Channel: Thursday-Friday; NBC) / Jerry Foltz (Golf Channel: Saturday-Sunday)
Tower: Peter Jacobsen / Mark Rolfing
On-Course: Notah Begay / David Feherty (Saturday-Sunday) / Billy Ray Brown (Thursday-Friday)
Interviews: Steve Sands
EUROPEAN TOUR
True Thailand Classic
Dates: March 10-13
Venue: Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin, Thailand
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday/Thursday 11 p.m.-1 a.m. & 3-6 a.m. (Live) / 6-10 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 1-3 a.m. (Tape delay) & 3-6 a.m. (Live) / 6-10 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 6-10 a.m. (Tape delay)
Sunday 6-10 a.m. (Tape delay)
Broadcast Notes:
Dodt defends: Andrew Dodt outlasted Scott Hend and Thongchai Jaidee by one stroke for his second career European Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thongchai Jaidee, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kristoffer Broberg, Thomas Pieters, Marcel Siem, Peter Uihlein and Alexander Levy.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Scott Walker
Play by Play: Warren Humphreys
Analyst: Dom Boulet
On-Course: Julian Tutt
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
World Ladies Championship
Dates: March 12-13
Venue: Mission Hills Golf Club (Olazabal Course), Shenzhen, China
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Saturday (Third Round) 1-4 a.m. (Live)
Sunday (Final Round) Midnight-4 a.m. (Live) / 3-6 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Ryu defends: So Yeon Ryu won by a shot over Inbee Park, collectively taking the top-two positions in the event and winning the team championship for the second consecutive year.
SUNSHINE TOUR
Investec Cup
Dates: March 11-12
Venue: Millvale Private Retreat, Koster, South Africa
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday (Third Round) Noon-2 p.m. (Tape delay)
Saturday (Final Round) 3-6 p.m. (Tape delay)
Broadcast Notes:
Field of 16 to compete for Investec Cup: 16 players are set to compete in the final event of the Chase to the Investec Cup on the Sunshine Tour, with a field comprised of the top 16 eligible players atop the Chase to the Investec Cup rankings.
Full field: George Coetzee, Richard Sterne, Dean Burmester, Brandon Stone, Zander Lombard, Justin Walters, Jaco Van Zyl, Vaughn Groenewald, Haydn Porteous, Ross McGowan, Jean Hugo, Anthony Michael, Jacques Blaauw, Mark Williams, Christian Bezuidenhout and Keith Horne.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Denis Hutchinson
Analyst: Ewen Murray
On-Course: Dale Hayes
-NBC Sports Group-
