FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 28th, 2017

“GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE MASTERS” HEADLINES NEARLY 90 HOURS OF NEWS, FEATURES, & MASTERS- THEMED PROGRAMMING ON GOLF CHANNEL, APRIL 2-9

Past Masters Champions, Including Nicklaus, Floyd and Crenshaw
Expected to Join Golf Central Live From the Masters in Augusta

Multiple Features to Recount Tiger Woods’ Epic ‘97 Masters Win 20 Years Ago 

Masters Week on Golf Channel to Kick Off with 2017 Drive, Chip & Putt
National Finals from Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 2  

‘Jack’, the Three-Night Television Event on Record 18-time Major Champion
Jack Nicklaus, Airs Sunday-Tuesday, April 9-11 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 28, 2017) –Masters week on Golf Channel will officially kick off on Sunday, April 2, with live coverage of the 2017 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals, featuring junior golfers from across the U.S. and Canada making up the 80 finalists in the field gathering at Augusta National Golf Club. On Monday, April 3, Golf Channel will commence its nearly 90 hours of live news and Masters-themed programming, led by the network’s signature Golf Central Live From the Masters news coverage, focusing on emerging storylines, analysis, features and guest interviews throughout the week surrounding the first men’s major of 2017. Notable guests expected to appear currently include past Masters champions Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw and Raymond Floyd.

Anchoring Golf Central Live From the Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club will be Mike Tirico, Rich Lerner and Steve Sands, alongside Brandel Chamblee, David Duval, Colin Montgomerie, Frank Nobilo, Notah Begay, Mark Rolfing, and John Feinstein. Todd Lewis will offer on-site reports, and conduct interviews with those in the field, while Tim Rosaforte and Rex Hoggard will offer insider perspective. Ryan Burr will anchor the network’s live coverage from Golf Channel’s World Headquarters in Orlando, and will be joined by Golf Channel analyst Arron Oberholser.

Series of Masters Week Features led by Reflection on Woods’ Historic ‘97 Masters Win
Coverage from Augusta National Golf Club throughout the week will be complemented by a number of dedicated feature stories on Golf Central Live From the Masters, which will be led by a series of features commemorating the 20-year anniversary of Tiger Woods record 12-stroke victory at the Masters in 1997:

  • Recapping Woods’ Historic Feat – Mike Tirico will chronicle the lead-up to Woods’ historic win, beginning with his initial struggles on the opening nine holes on Thursday (4-over- par, 40) before experiencing a dramatic turnaround, and ultimately setting a tournament record at 18-under to become the youngest winner (21) in Masters history.
  • The Beginning of a New Era in the Game – David Feherty and Rich Lerner will delve into the social and economic impact of Woods’ win – and subsequent wins – not only in the game of golf, but also in sports.
  • Reflections from Others in the Field – Jimmy Roberts will share the stories of players who were in the field during the 1997 Masters, along with today’s current top players, who watched the victory on television as children.

Spieth’s Undoing in Attempt to Defend – Despite his best efforts to put it behind him, the golf media and fans of the game won’t soon forget Jordan Spieth’s unraveling in the final round at the 2016 Masters. Todd Lewis looks back on Spieth’s attempt to claim a second green jacket in as many years, and looks back on similar collapses, including interviews with Rory McIlroy, Greg Norman and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry.

Jones and MacKenzie – Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie are as synonymous with Augusta National Golf Club as the green jacket in which the winner adorns each April. Matt Ginella sets out to determine when and where they first came into contact, and how the two would combine to lay the groundwork – literally – for a place that would evolve into golf’s most revered venue.

Masters Champion Danny Willett – Tim Rosaforte recaps the surprising Sunday charge of Danny Willet at the 2016 Masters that ultimately led to the Englishman claiming his first green jacket. Willett also reflects on the most memorable day of his golf career, and offer perspective into his emotions and thoughts down the stretch during the second nine of the final round.

Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals: Sunday, April 2
Coverage of the 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship National Finals will kick off at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 2, airing live from Augusta National Golf Club. In partnership with the Masters Tournament, PGA of America and USGA, the youth golf initiative highlights the 40 boys and 40 girls having advanced from more than 250 local events spread throughout all 50 U.S. states, 50 sub-regional events, and a culmination of 10 regional qualifiers.

Golf Channel – in its fourth year of televising live coverage of the National Finals – also will showcase a series of high-quality features introducing viewers to competitors across the eight respective age groups (Boys/Girls 7-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15). Rich Lerner will handle play-by-play with Peter Jacobsen serving as lead analyst. Reporting from the Tournament Practice Area and alongside the 18th green will be Michael Breed, Paige Mackenzie and Charlie Rymer, and Steve Sands will conduct interviews. Golf Channel also will dedicate pre- and post-event coverage on its daily news shows, Golf Central and Morning Drive, and on Golf Channel Digital.

‘Jack,’ a 3-Part Film on 18-Time Major Champ Jack Nicklaus, Premieres Sunday, April 9
Jack, a three-night television event capturing the comprehensive story of record 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, will premiere Sunday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET and continue Monday-Tuesday, April 10-11 at 9 p.m. ET. Presented with limited commercial interruption by Nationwide, Jack will feature a collection of nearly 100 interviews, including appearances from Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush, along with other sport “Greats of All-Time” such as Bill Belichick, Roger Federer, Wayne Gretzky, Richard Petty, Jerry Rice, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan, Annika Sorenstam and Kelly Slater.

Narrated by Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actor Tom Selleck, Jack utilizes accounts from Nicklaus gathered over the past 18 months during numerous sit-downs at his South Florida home, and showcases an unprecedented video collection of rarely seen broadcast footage from his record 18 major championship victories. Jack blends recollections from Nicklaus, as well as his playing competitors, family members, sports legends, business partners and childhood friends.

Morning Drive
Morning Drive will kick off each day of Masters week with the latest news and commentary. Gary Williams, Chris DiMarco, Charlie Rymer and Matt Ginella will report live from Augusta National, while John Cook, Damon Hack, Cara Robinson and Lauren Thompson will cover the latest news from Studio AP at Golf Channel’s World Headquarters in Orlando. Morning Drive also will welcome a number of guests throughout the week to help viewers prepare for the first men’s major of the year.

International Masters Week Programming
Golf Channel will produce live international Masters news programming from its Orlando World Headquarters in both Japanese and Mandarin. The shows will feature live reports and custom content from Augusta throughout the week. These productions will complement the international distribution of Golf Central Live From the Masters, which is distributed to markets within Golf Channel’s worldwide footprint of nearly 500 million viewers in 78 countries and nine languages around the world.

The Golf Fix, PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center: Monday, April 3
The Golf Fix will air on Monday, April 3 at 6 p.m. ET, where host Michael Breed will draw on his experience as an assistant pro at Augusta National to teach viewers how to attack the most difficult shots on the course. Breed also will focus on scenarios players will encounter around the greens throughout the week, led by a visual demonstration for how to putt on fast, undulating greens. The episode also will take a closer look at the trend being set by some of the top players in the world, opting to shorten their driver to achieve more accuracy.

At 11:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 3, a new episode of PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center will include past Masters champions as guests, with Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam joining host Dave Marr. Couples will explain to Marr why he thinks he could contend at Augusta this year; Langer and Olazabal discuss their strategy in competing at Augusta and Woosnam provides pitching tips from inside 25 yards.

Golf Channel Digital Coverage
Golf Channel Digital will feature expanded coverage of the men’s first major championship, with Jay Coffin, Rex Hoggard, Ryan Lavner and Randall Mell reporting from on-site at Augusta National beginning with pre-event coverage on Saturday, April 1 and continuing through Sunday, April 9. Starting Thursday, April 6, Golf Channel Digital will feature a live blog beginning at 7 a.m. ET through the conclusion of play each day with up-to-the-minute analysis and reaction to the latest news. Daily podcasts also will be featured beginning Thursday, offering a wider spectrum on the day’s top storylines.

Chantel McCabe, George Savaricas, Jim Gallagher, Jr., Tripp Isenhour and Arron Oberholser will provide previews, analysis and news coverage throughout the week via Golf Channel Digital, originating from Golf Channel’s headquarters in Orlando, Fla., including “Instant Analysis” online once tournament play begins.

Masters Week Programming Air Times (All Times EST):

Sunday, April 2
7-8 a.m.                       Morning Drive
8 a.m.-1 p.m.               Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals

Monday, April 3
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive
9 a.m.-2 p.m.               Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals (Replay)
2-5 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters
5-6 p.m.                       Masters Highlights: 2016 (Danny Willett)
6-7 p.m.                       The Golf Fix
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters
11:30 p.m.                   PGA TOUR Champions Learning Center

Tuesday, April 4
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive
9 a.m.-5 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
5-6 p.m.                       Masters Highlights: 1992 (Fred Couples)
6-7 p.m.                       Masters Highlights: 1997 (Tiger Woods)
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters

Wednesday, April 5
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive
9 a.m.-3 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
5-6 p.m.                       Masters Highlights: 2010 (Phil Mickelson)
6-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters

Thursday, April 6
6-8 a.m.                       Morning Drive
8 a.m.-3 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
7:30-9:30 p.m.             Golf Central Live From the Masters

Friday, April 7
6-8 a.m.                       Morning Drive
8 a.m.-3 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
7:30-9:30 p.m.             Golf Central Live From the Masters

Saturday, April 8
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive
9 a.m.-3 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters

Sunday, April 9
7-9 a.m.                       Morning Drive
9 a.m.-2 p.m.               Golf Central Live From the Masters
7-9 p.m.                       Golf Central Live From the Masters
9-10 p.m.                     ‘Jack’

Monday, April 10
9-10 p.m.                     ‘Jack’

Tuesday, April 11
9-10 p.m.                     ‘Jack’

-NBC Sports Group-