FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 29th, 2017
NBC SPORTS GROUP TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (MARCH 30-APRIL 2): ANA INSPIRATION; SHELL HOUSTON OPEN; MISSISSIPPI GULF RESORT CLASSIC; DRIVE CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS
Top Players in the World Convene for 1st Major of 2017 at the ANA
Inspiration in Southern California, airing Live on Golf Channel in Primetime;
Tirico Returns to Familiar Play-by-Play Role at Event for 1st Time Since 2006
Stenson, Spieth, Scott, Fowler Headline Field at Shell Houston Open –
Airing on Golf Channel, NBC – in Final Preparation Ahead of the Masters
Jimenez Defends at Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic
Augusta National Hosts 80 Finalists for 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt National
Finals, Airing Live on Golf Channel, Sunday, April 2 at 8 a.m. ET
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 29, 2017) – The first major of the 2017 golf season kicks off on Thursday with the ANA Inspiration in southern California. Defending champion and current world No. 1 Lydia Ko leads a field that includes 28 of the top-30 players in the world. Mike Tirico, who joined NBC Sports Group in 2016, will return to Mission Hills Country Club for the first time in more than 10 years. Tirico will join Judy Rankin in the 18th tower to conduct play-by-play, after previously hosting the ANA Inspiration (formerly Kraft Nabisco Championship) with Rankin from 1997-2006. Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler lead the field at the Shell Houston Open, and are among the group of 29 players competing this week whom have received an invitation to play in the Masters next week. Golf Channel and NBC will combine to air exclusive live tournament coverage Thursday-Sunday. On the PGA TOUR Champions, Miguel Angel Jimenez is set to defend his 2016 title at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, beginning Friday. And on Sunday beginning at 8 a.m. ET, Golf Channel will showcase 40 boys and 40 girls making up an exceptional field of junior golfers from across the U.S. and Canada at the 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals from Augusta National Golf Club.
LPGA TOUR
ANA Inspiration
Dates: March 30-April 2
Venue: Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore Tournament Course), Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday Noon-4 p.m.; 7-9 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday Noon-4 p.m.; 7-9 p.m. (Live) / 2:30-5:30 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 5-9 p.m. (Live) / 1-5 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 5-9 p.m. (Live) / 1-5 a.m. (Monday replay)
Golf Central Pre and Post Round Coverage on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 10 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 9-9:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday 10 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 9-9:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday Noon-1 p.m. (Live) / 9-10 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 9-10 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Tirico returning to familiar role: Mike Tirico, who joined NBC Sports Group in 2016, will return to Mission Hills for the first time in more than 10 years. Tirico will join Judy Rankin in the 18th tower to conduct play-by-play, after previously hosting the ANA Inspiration (formerly Kraft Nabisco Championship) with Rankin from 1997-2006.
20 Hours of live tournament coverage: Golf Channel will air 20 hours of live tournament coverage Thursday-Sunday. Coverage includes 12 combined hours of early round coverage on Thursday and Friday – featuring two telecast 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 will provide wraparound news coverage of the ANA Inspiration throughout the week, highlighted by a pre-tournament news conference on Wednesday (5-6 p.m. ET) from the media center. Golf Central also will preview and recap live tournament action each day with expanded news coverage, including two-hour pre-game shows on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m.-Noon ET. Morning Drive also will expand to three hours on Thursday and Friday (7-10 a.m. ET) with news, highlights and analysis.
Strong field: Defending champion and world No. 1 Lydia Ko leads an elite field that encompasses 28 of the top-30 players in the world, along with six amateurs, including 14-year old Lucy Li, winner of the ANA Junior Inspiration.
Ko defends: Lydia Ko finished one shot ahead of Charley Hull and In Gee Chun to claim her 12th LPGA win.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, So Yeon Ryu, In Gee Chun, Shanshan Feng, Ha Na Jang, Inbee Park, Amy Yang, Lexi Thompson, Sei Young Kim and Anna Nordqvist.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Mike Tirico
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples / Kay Cockerill
Interviews: Lisa Cornwell
PGA TOUR
Shell Houston Open
Dates: March 30-April 2
Venue: Golf Club of Houston, Humble, Texas
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. (Live)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Final preparation ahead of the Masters: The field features four of the top-10 players in the world in Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler. In total, the field includes 29 of the 94 invitees to next week’s Masters.
Herman defends: Jim Herman finished one stroke ahead of Henrik Stenson to earn his first career PGA TOUR victory.
Headlining the field: Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Jimmy Walker, Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau.
NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Curt Byrum (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
Tower: Gary Koch / Justin Leonard / Todd Lewis (Weekend, Golf Channel)
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Notah Begay / Billy Ray Brown
Interviews: Todd Lewis / Steve Burkowski (Weekend, Golf Channel)
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic
Dates: March 31-April 2
Venue: Fallen Oak Golf Club, Biloxi, Miss.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 9:30-11:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 4-6 p.m. (Live Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Saturday 3-5 p.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 3-5 p.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Jimenez defends: Miguel Angel Jimenez finished two shots ahead of Scott Dunlap to earn his third PGA TOUR Champions win.
Headlining the field: Bernhard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Steve Stricker, David Toms, Jose Maria Olazabal, Scott McCarron, Jerry Kelly, John Daly, Jay Haas and Woody Austin.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: John Mahaffey / Dave Marr
On-Course: John Cook
Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals
Date: April 2
Venue: Augusta National Golf Club
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live) / 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Field: 40 boys and 40 girls make up the exceptional field of junior golfers, 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.
Coverage: Golf Channel – in its fourth year of televising live coverage of the National Finals – will highlight the skills of all 80 finalists, which will be complemented by 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).
Format: Competitors will participate in three respective skills: the Drive, Chip and Putt, with champions in each skill awarded across the eight age groups, along with the recognition of an overall champion from each group. Driving will be contested from Augusta National’s Tournament Practice Area, with players hitting two drives, and the longer of the two (provided it is in bounds) will be counted for score. Chipping, (also conducted from the Tournament Practice Area) will include two chips and be calculated based on cumulative proximity to the hole. And putting, which will be staged on Augusta National’s 18th green, will be measured based on finalists’ cumulative proximity to the hole from two different putting distances.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Rich Lerner
Analyst: Peter Jacobsen
On-Course: Michael Breed / Paige Mackenzie / Charlie Rymer
Interviews: Steve Sands
-NBC Sports Group-
