FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 27th, 2017
GOLF CHANNEL TO AIR MORE THAN 40 HOURS OF TOURNAMENT AND NEWS COVERAGE OF THE ANA INSPIRATION, GOLF’S FIRST MAJOR OF 2017
Mike Tirico and Judy Rankin to Reunite in ANA Inspiration Broadcast Booth for First Time in a Decade
“A chance to work with Judy Rankin again completely makes this one of the events I’m looking forward to the most this year.” – Mike Tirico
“This golf tournament itself is so special to everyone involved in women’s golf. We have a great old cast and new cast of characters. I think it couldn’t be a more fun week.” – Judy Rankin
ORLANDO, Fla., (March 27, 2017) – Golf Channel will deliver more than 40 hours of comprehensive news and tournament coverage of golf’s first major championship of 2017, the ANA Inspiration, this week in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Defending champion Lydia Ko headlines a field of 107 of the world’s best female golfers this week, the strongest field to date in 2017.
20 HOURS OF TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: Golf Channel will air 20 hours of live tournament coverage of the ANA Inspiration from Mission Hills Country Club Thursday-Sunday, March 30-April 2. Coverage includes a one-hour, pro-am special on Wednesday; 12 combined hours of early round coverage on Thursday and Friday – featuring two broadcast windows each day to show the morning and afternoon waves; and a combined eight hours of live tournament coverage in primetime Saturday and Sunday.
WRAPAROUND NEWS COVERAGE: Golf Central, the network’s flagship news program, will provide wraparound news coverage of the ANA Inspiration throughout the week, highlighted by pre tournament news conferences on Tuesday (2-3 p.m. ET) and Wednesday (5-6 p.m. ET) from the media center at Mission Hills Country Club. Golf Central also will preview and recap live tournament coverage each day with expanded news shows, including two-hour pre-game shows on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.-Noon ET. Morning Drive, Golf Channel’s daily news and lifestyle show, also will expand to three hours on Thursday and Friday (7-10 am ET) with news, highlights and analysis.
BROADCAST TEAM: Mike Tirico and Hall-of-Famer Judy Rankin will reunite to call the action from the broadcast booth at the ANA Inspiration. Tirico, who joined NBC Sports in 2016, hosted the ANA Inspiration (formerly Kraft Nabisco Championship) with Rankin from 1997-2006. Joining them will be tower analyst Tom Abbott and course reporters Kay Cockerill, Jerry Foltz and Karen Stupples, who also will rotate in as booth analyst during Thursday and Friday coverage. Lisa Cornwell will conduct interviews and report for Golf Central, and Jane Crafter will serve as a studio analyst from Golf Channel’s headquarters in Orlando, Fla.
Golf Channel / ANA Inspiration Live Tournament Airtimes (all times Eastern)
Wednesday (Pro-Am Show) 11 p.m. – Midnight
Thursday Noon-4 p.m. / 7-9 p.m.
Friday Noon-4 p.m. / 7-9 p.m.
Saturday 5-9 p.m.
Sunday 5-9 p.m.
DIGITAL COVERAGE: Golf Channel Digital will cover the ANA Inspiration throughout the week with news, highlights and analysis clips from Golf Channel’s news programs – Golf Central and Morning Drive – as well as highlights from live tournament coverage. GolfChannel.com senior writer Randall Mell will report on-site at Mission Hills throughout the week with daily blogs, features and columns.
STREAMING ON GOLF CHANNEL DIGITAL: All the news and tournament action surrounding the ANA Inspiration can be accessed at any time on any mobile device and online via Golf Channel Digital.
-NBC Sports Group-
