FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 15th, 2016
GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (NOV. 16-20): EMIRATES AUSTRALIAN OPEN; DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP; CME GROUP TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP; RSM CLASSIC
Spieth, Scott & Long Drive Champ Sadlowski Headline Field at Emirates Australian Open in Primetime, Kicking Off The 146TH Open Qualifying Series
McIlroy, Stenson Among Top-60 in Race to Dubai Standings at DP World Tour Championship, Culminating European Tour’s Final Series in Dubai
Ko, Jutanugarn Lead Top-72 in Race to CME Globe Standings at CME Group Tour Championship in Naples
Johnson, Snedeker Headline Field at RSM Classic in Georgia
ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2016) – World No. 5 Jordan Spieth will make his return to competition this week for the first time since the Ryder Cup, in hopes of claiming his second Emirates Australian Open title in a three year span. Two-time World Long Drive champion Jamie Sadlowski also is in the field, and the tournament serves as the first of 11 professional tour events that make up The Open Qualifying Series for 2017. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 4 Henrik Stenson lead the field at the DP World Tour Championship, the culminating event of the European Tour season as part of the Final Series and Race to Dubai. Stenson and McIlroy, along with Alex Noren and Danny Willett are the only four players in the field with a mathematical chance of winning the Race to Dubai, which will split a $5 million bonus pool among the top-10 in the final standings at week’s end. The LPGA Tour season also will conclude this week with the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples. A total of nine players have a mathematical chance to win the Race to the CME Globe, including Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson, each of whom would automatically win with a victory this week. And the PGA TOUR is on St. Simons Island in Georgia for the RSM Classic as Kevin Kisner defends following his inaugural PGA TOUR victory in last year’s event.
PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA
Emirates Australian Open
Dates: Nov. 16-19
Venue: Royal Sydney Golf Club (Championship Course), Sydney, Australia
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 8 p.m.-1 a.m. (Live)
Thursday 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Live)
Friday 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Australian Open kicks off The Open Qualifying Series for 2017: The Australian Open is the first of 11 professional tour events in 10 countries that will comprise The Open Qualifying Series for 2017. A total of 44 places in the field of 156 for The Open will be determined via The Open Qualifying Series. Golf Channel’s coverage of The Open Qualifying Series begins this week, and concludes with the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on the European Tour and the John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR, July 13-16, 2017.
2014 Australian Open champ Spieth competing for first time since Ryder Cup: World No. 5 Jordan Spieth will tee it up for the first time in six weeks dating back to the Ryder Cup. Spieth is hoping to claim his second victory at this event, after winning the 2014 Australian Open.
Long Drive champion Sadlowski in the field: Two-time World Long Drive champion Jamie Sadlowski is in the field this week in Sydney, continuing his pursuit of becoming a regular touring professional. Sadlowski missed the cut in the NSW Open last week in Australia, leading up to his start this week.
Australian Open begins three-week stretch of high profile events in Australia: This is the first of three consecutive weeks of high profile events to be played in Australia, along with next week’s World Cup of Golf at Kingston Heath Golf Club, and the Australian PGA Championship in two weeks, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour.
Headlining the field: Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Jamie Sadlowski, Jhonattan Vegas, Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Chalmers, Jarrod Lyle, Rod Pampling, Aaron Baddeley and Cameron Davis.
EUROPEAN TOUR
DP World Tour Championship
Dates: Nov. 17-20
Venue: Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 3-8 a.m. (Live) / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-8 a.m. (Live) / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 3-8 a.m. (Live) / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 2:30-7:30 a.m. (Live) / 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
McIlroy, Stenson lead field that includes top-60 in Race to Dubai standings: World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 4 Henrik Stenson lead a field that encompasses the top-60 players in the current Race to Dubai standings competing in the European Tour’s season finale. The top-10 in the Race to Dubai after this week will split a $5 million bonus pool with the winner receiving $1.25 million.
Four players with a mathematical chance to claim season-long Race to Dubai title: Four players have a mathematical chance of winning the Race to Dubai at week’s end: Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Alex Noren, and Rory McIlroy. Winning scenarios for each of the four include: McIlroy (needs to win and have Stenson finish outside of the top-45, Willett outside of the top-5, and Noren outside of the top-2); Noren (needs to win and have Stenson finish outside of the top-2, or a runner up finish and Stenson finish outside of the top-8 and Willett outside of the top-2); Willett (a win, or a runner up and Stenson finishing outside of the top-2 and Noren not winning, or a third and Stenson finishing outside of the top-9, or a fourth and Stenson finishing outside of the top-30.)
Headlining the field: Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Alex Noren, Rory McIlroy, Tyrell Hatton, Branden Grace, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Louis Oosthuizen, Chris Wood and Thorbjorn Olesen.
LPGA TOUR
CME Group Tour Championship
Dates: Nov. 17-20
Venue: Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday 4:30-6:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Sunday 1-4 p.m. (Live, Airing on ABC)
Broadcast Notes:
Ko, Jutanugarn lead top-72 in Race to CME Globe standings: The top-two players in the world – Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn – lead a field that features the top-72 players (and ties) on the Race to the CME Globe points list, plus any player (both members and non-members) who won a tournament this season.
Nine players with a mathematical chance of winning Race to CME Globe: The top-three players in the standings (Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson) will automatically win the Race to the CME Globe with a victory this week. In all, the top-nine players in the point standings have a mathematical chance of winning the Race to the CME Globe based upon where they and the other players among the top-nine finish this week. Those additional six players include: Ha Na Jang, Sei Young Kim, Shanshan Feng, Minjee Lee, In Geen Chun and Haru Nomura.
Kerr defends: Cristie Kerr finished one stroke ahead of Gerina Piller and Ha Na Jang to earn her 18th career LPGA Tour win.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, Brooke Henderson, Ha Na Jang, Sei Young Kim, Shanshan Feng, Minjee Lee, In Gee Chun and Haru Nomura.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples
Interviews: Lisa Cornwell
PGA TOUR
RSM Classic
Dates: Nov. 17-20
Venue: Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside & Plantation Courses), St. Simons Island, Ga.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-9 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-9 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-9 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Live) / 5:30-8:30 p.m. (Replay)
Format: The field will play one round on each of the Seaside and Plantation courses on Thursday and Friday and following the cut, the third and final rounds will be contested on the Seaside course Saturday and Sunday.
Kisner defends: Kevin Kisner finished six shots ahead of the field to claim his first PGA TOUR victory.
Headlining the field: Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Bill Haas, Kevin Kisner, Ian Poulter, Bryson DeChambeau, and Davis Love III.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Rich Lerner
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Matt Gogel
On Course: Craig Perks / Phil Blackmar
-NBC Sports Group-
