FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 19th, 2016

GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (APRIL 21-24): VALERO TEXAS OPEN; SWINGING SKIRTS LPGA CLASSIC; BASS PRO SHOPS LEGENDS OF GOLF AT BIG CEDAR LODGE; SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL

Mickelson, DeChambeau Headline Field at Valero Texas Open

World No. 1 Ko Defends Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic

Nicklaus/Player Lead Legends Division at PGA TOUR Champions’
Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge 

Watson Headlines the Field at the Shenzhen International in China

ORLANDO, Fla. (April 19, 2016) – The PGA TOUR returns to the Lone Star state for the Valero Texas Open, as Phil Mickelson headlines the field, along with Bryson DeChambeau, who earned a top-5 finish last week in his first PGA TOUR event competing as a professional. The LPGA Tour is in San Francisco for the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, where world No. 1 Lydia Ko defends. World Golf Hall-of-Famers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player lead the Legends division competing in the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri, where they’ll compete in teams of two. And Bubba Watson headlines the field at the Shenzhen International on the European Tour in China.

PGA TOUR

Valero Texas Open
Dates: April 21-24
Venue: JW Marriott, TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday         3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday              3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday          1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday            1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay)

Broadcast Notes:
Walker defends: Jimmy Walker finished four shots ahead of fellow Texan Jordan Spieth for his fifth PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Branden Grace, Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Ernie Els and Jimmy Walker.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Steve Sands
Analyst: Frank Nobilo
Tower: Matt Gogel / Craig Perks
On-Course: Billy Ray Brown
Interviews: Scott Walker

LPGA TOUR

Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic
Dates: April 21-24
Venue: Lake Merced Golf Club, San Francisco, Calif.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday         6-9 p.m. (Live)
Friday              6-9 p.m. (Live)
Saturday          6-9 p.m. (Live)
Sunday            6-9 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:
Ko defends: Lydia Ko defeated Morgan Pressel with a birdie on the second playoff hole for her seventh LPGA Tour victory.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Sei Young Kim, In Gee Chun, Brooke Henderson, Ha Na Jang, Amy Yang, So Yeon Ryu, Shanshan Feng and Hyo Joo Kim.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Karen Stupples
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Kay Cockerill

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge
Dates: April 22-24
Venues: Buffalo Ridge (Springs Course), Top of the Rock, Ridgedale, Mo.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday              Noon-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 1-3 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday          3-6 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-6 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday            3-6 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-6 a.m. (Monday replay)

Broadcast Notes:
Format: The two-man teams will compete in two separate divisions: Champions and Legends. The Champions Division will compete in a 54-hole tournament and the unofficial Legends division is made up of players 65 years and over, competing in a 45-hole tournament. The Legends division will play Top of the Rock all three days, while the Champions division will rotate between Buffalo Ridge and Top of the Rock.
Andrade/Durant defend: Billy Andrade and Joe Durant finished three shots ahead of Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam for their first career respective PGA TOUR Champions victories.
Notable Champions Division Teams: Tom Lehman/Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara/Colin Montgomerie, Davis Love III/Scott Verplank, Tom Watson/Andy North, Peter Jacobsen/Jay Haas
Notable Legends Division Teams: Jack Nicklaus/Gary Player, Tony Jacklin/David Graham, Lee Trevino/Mike Hill, Bob Murphy/Jim Colbert.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: John Mahaffey / Dave Marr
On-Course: Phil Blackmar

EUROPEAN TOUR

Shenzhen International
Dates: April 21-24
Venue: Genzon Golf Club (A Course), Shenzhen, China

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday         12:30-2:30 a.m. (Tape delay) / 2:30-5:30 a.m. (Live) / 6-10 a.m. (Replay)
Friday              6-10 a.m. (Tape delay)
Saturday          6-10 a.m. (Tape delay)
Sunday            6-10 a.m. (Tape delay)

Broadcast Notes:
Aphibarnrat defends: Kiradech Aphibarnrat outlasted Haotong Li with a birdie on the first playoff hole for his second career European Tour win.
Headlining the field: Bubba Watson, Victor Dubuisson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thorbjorn Olesen, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Gary Stal, Kristoffer Broberg, Marcel Siem and Mikko Ilonen.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Dougie Donnelly
Analyst: Dom Boulet
On-Course: Julian Tutt

-NBC Sports Group-