FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018

Golf Channel Tournament Airtimes and Notes (Oct. 3-7): UL International Crown, Safeway Open, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Women’s Golf Takes Center Stage in Primetime This Week with the UL International Crown Biennial Match-Play Competition

Mickelson Headlines Field as the 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season Kicks Off at the Safeway Open

European Tour Returns to the Home of Golf for Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 3, 2018) – Women’s golf will take center stage starting tonight in primetime with the UL International Crown biennial match play competition, featuring 32 players representing eight countries battling to be crowned the best women’s golf nation. The 2018-19 PGA TOUR wraparound season begins this week in Napa, Calif., with the Safeway Open, where Phil Mickelson headlines the field. The European Tour returns to the Home of Golf this week with the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, taking place at the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

 

LPGA TOUR

UL International Crown

Dates: Oct. 3-6

Venue: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, Incheon, South Korea

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Wednesday     8 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) / Noon-4:30 p.m. (Thursday replay)

Thursday         9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) / Noon-5 p.m. (Friday replay)

Friday              9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) / Noon-5 p.m. (Saturday replay)

Saturday          9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) / 12:30- 5 p.m. (Sunday replay)

Golf Central Coverage on Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):

Wednesday     7:30-8 p.m. (Live)

Thursday         8:30-9 p.m. (Live)

Friday              8:30-9 p.m. (Live)

Saturday          8:30-9 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Eight Countries, 32 Players represented: The UL International Crown will feature eight countries competing in four days of head-to-head competition: Australia, Chinese Taipei, England, Japan, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Thailand and the United States. Four players will represent each country in the competition, who qualified based on the Rolex Women’s Rankings at the conclusion of the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Countries and Players:

No. 1 Republic of Korea – Sung Hyun Park, So Yeon Ryu, In-Kyung Kim, In Gee Chun
No. 2 United States – Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie
No. 3 Japan – Nasa Hataoka, Misuzu Narita, Mamiko Higa, Ayako Uehara
No. 4 England – Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Bronte Law
No. 5 Australia – Minjee Lee, Katherine Kirk, Sarah Jane Smith, Su Oh
No. 6 Thailand – Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Pornanong Phatlum, Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong
No. 7 Sweden – Anna Nordqvist, Pernilla Lindberg, Madelene Sagstrom, Caroline Hedwall
No. 8 Chinese Taipei – Teresa Lu, Wei-Ling Hsu, Phoebe Yao, Candie Kung

United States defends: The United States (Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Gerina Piller and Cristie Kerr) captured the 2016 UL International Crown at the Merit Club outside of Chicago.

Expanded Social Media Coverage: Golf Channel’s social media host Alexandra O’Laughlin will be contributing on-site throughout the week in South Korea for Golf Channel’s social media platforms.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Host: Mike Ritz

Play-by-Play: Tom Abbott / Peter Donegan

Analysts: Karen Stupples / Kate Burton

Tower: Alison Whitaker

On-Course: Kay Cockerill, Jerry Foltz, Dom Boulet

 

PGA TOUR

Safeway Open

Dates: Oct. 4-7

Venue: Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course), Napa, Calif.

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         5:30-8:30 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Replay)

Friday              5:30-8:30 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday          5:30-8:30 p.m. (Live) / 3-6 a.m. (Replay)

Sunday            5:30-8:30 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)

Golf Central Coverage on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         4:30-5:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday              5-5:30 p.m. (Live

Saturday          5-5:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            5-5:30 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

2018-19 PGA TOUR season kicks off: This week marks the first of 46 official events during the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season, with eight of those events being played in 2018.

Steele defends: Brendan Steele defeated Tony Finau in 2017 by two strokes to win back-to-back titles at the Safeway Open.

Headlining the field: Phil Mickelson, Patrick Cantlay, Fred Couples, Russell Knox, Anirban Lahiri, Hunter Mahan, Maverick McNealy, Mark Mulder, Patrick Rodgers, Sam Saunders, Brandt Snedeker, Brendan Steele, Peter Uihein, Danny Willett.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Play-by-Play: Terry Gannon

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: Matt Gogel / Steve Sands

On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Craig Perks

Interviews: George Savaricas

 

EUROPEAN TOUR

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Dates: Oct. 4-7

Venue: Old Course at St. Andrews; Carnoustie Golf Links; Kingsbarns Golf Links, Scotland, United Kingdom

Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         8 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Friday              8 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Saturday          8 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Sunday            7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Event format: 168 professionals and 168 amateurs pair up as two-man teams, playing one round each at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. A 54-hole cut will take place with the low 60 professionals (and ties) and the low 20 teams advancing to compete in a final round at St. Andrews.

Hatton defends: Tyrrell Hatton defeated Ross Fisher by three strokes to successfully defend his title in 2017.

Headlining the field: Zac Blair, Ernie Els, Tony Finau, Tommy Fleetwood, Padraig Harrington, Tyrrell Hatton, Trevor Immelman, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Chase Koepka, Matt Kucher, Paul McGinley, Thorbjorn Olesen, Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Pieters, Brandon Stone, Norman Xiong.

Notable amateurs in the field: Hugh Grant, Ronan Keating, Wladimir Klitschko, Huey Lewis, Tico Torres

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Dougie Donnelly

Analyst: Ken Brown / Mark James

Tower: Sam Torrance

On-Course: Jay Townsend

-NBC Sports Group-