FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 9th, 2016

NBC OLYMPICS & GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (AUGUST 11-14): MEN’S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION; JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

Golf Returns to the Olympic Games for the First Time Since 1904, with the Men’s Competition (August 11-14) Airing Exclusively on Golf Channel

PGA TOUR Stages John Deere Classic in Illinois, as Past Champs Johnson, Stricker Headline the Field

ORLANDO, Fla. (August 9, 2016) – Golf will return as an Olympic sport this week for the first time since 1904, when the men’s Olympics golf competition gets underway Thursday from the newly constructed Olympic Golf Course in Rio. The field of 60 players represent 34 different nations across six continents, featuring Americans: Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar, along with Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Danny Willett (Great Britain), Sergio Garcia (Spain) and Emiliano Grillo (Argentina). The PGA TOUR is in Illinois this week for the John Deere Classic, where past champions Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker headline the field.

2016 RIO OLYMPICS
Men’s Olympic Golf Competition
Dates: August 11-14
Venue: Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday         6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Replay)
Friday              6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday          6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday            6 a.m.-3 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (Replay)

Broadcast Notes:
Golf Central Live From the Olympics offers wraparound news, features and analysis: Golf Channel will provide wraparound news coverage, features and analysis immediately prior to and following live coverage of competition play through Golf Central Live From the Olympics. Rich Lerner will host coverage from Rio’s Olympics Golf Course and will be joined by Nick Faldo, as well as Golf Channel’s roster of analysts taking part in the network’s live coverage of the Olympics. Golf Channel insider Rex Hoggard and reporter Todd Lewis also will provide daily reports and offer interviews with Olympic golfers on-site.
Frank Nobilo’s Tee-to-Greens prepare viewers for new venue: Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo walks viewers through the newly constructed Olympic Golf Course (designed by Gil Hanse) through his signature Tee-to-Greens features. Nobilo details which holes will likely prove pivotal as players compete for their chance to win an Olympic medal.
Golf makes historic return to the Olympics: Golf’s return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years also marks a milestone for Golf Channel, becoming the first single-sport cable network to provide live coverage of its sport’s Olympic competition. Golf Channel will feature more than 130 live hours of Olympics programming, and nearly 300 hours in total. Similar to NBC Sports’ all-encompassing coverage of marquee events like the Ryder Cup, NBC Olympics’ live coverage of the men’s and women’s competitions in Rio will begin with the opening tee shot and continue until the medals are awarded. NBC will feature live look-ins, highlights and updates on the golf competition throughout the Games. All Olympic competition, including golf, will be live streamed on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, (Powered by Playmaker Media), both of which require authentication.
Format: The Olympic golf competition will consist of 60 players on both the men’s and women’s (August 17-20) side, competing in a 72-hole stroke play competition based on world golf rankings. The top-15 players in the official world golf rankings are eligible, with a maximum of four players allowed from a given nation. Outside of the top-15, each nation is allowed a maximum of two players (based on world ranking). If a country has already qualified two or more players within the top-15, additional athletes are not eligible.
Headlining the field: Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Bubba Watson (United States), Rickie Fowler (United States), Danny Willett (Great Britain), Patrick Reed (United States), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Matt Kuchar (United States) and Emiliano Grillo (Argentina).

NBC Olympics Broadcast Team
Play by Play:   Terry Gannon / Steve Sands
Analyst:           Johnny Miller / Nick Faldo
Tower:             David Feherty / Peter Jacobsen
On Course:      Roger Maltbie / Curt Byrum / David Feherty
Interviews:      Todd Lewis

PGA TOUR

John Deere Classic
Dates: August 11-14
Venue: TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday         5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Friday              5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday          8-11 p.m. (Third Round Replay)
Sunday            7-10 p.m. (Final Round Replay)

Broadcast Notes:
Tournament exemptions feature top collegiate performers: The John Deere Classic traditionally offers sponsor’s exemptions to top colleague players, and this year’s recipients include 2016 NCAA Division I individual champion Aaron Wise (Oregon), Arizona State standout and recently turned tour professional, Jon Rahm, and Lee McCoy, a two-time First Team All-American at Georgia. Other college standouts in the field include Jordan Niebrugge (Oklahoma State), Charlie Danielson (Illinois) and Robby Shelton (Alabama).
Headlining the field: Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, Daniel Summerhays, Jon Rahm, Aaron Wise, Patrick Rodgers, Matt Jones, Lee McCoy, Robby Shelton and Retief Goosen.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play:   Whit Watson
Analyst:           Lanny Wadkins
Tower:             Jim Gallagher Jr. / Matt Gogel
On Course:      Craig Perks
Interviews:      Scott Walker

-NBC Sports Group-