FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 5th, 2019

GOLF CHANNEL TO TELEVISE NEARLY 20 HOURS OF COVERAGE OF THE WESTERN INTERCOLLEGIATE PRESENTED BY TOPGOLF, MONDAY-WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15-17

Taking Place at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Western Intercollegiate Presented by Topgolf One of the Longest-Running Collegiate Events in the U.S.

Headlined by World’s Top-Ranked Amateur Justin Suh (USC) and No. 4 Collin Morikawa (California); 13-Team Field to Compete in Prestigious 54-Hole Event

ORLANDO, Fla., (April 4, 2019) – GOLF Channel today announced its coverage plans for the Western Intercollegiate presented by Topgolf – one of the longest-running men’s collegiate golf championships in the country – dedicating nearly 20 hours of tournament coverage Monday-Wednesday, April 15-17. Taking place at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif., the 13-team field competing in the 54-hole stroke play event will feature two of world’s top-ranked amateurs: No. 1 Justin Suh (USC) and No. 4 Collin Morikawa (University of California).

“The Western Intercollegiate has such a storied history in Northern California, and to be a part of the team broadcasting this championship on GOLF Channel and showcasing the hidden gem that is Pasatiempo Golf Club to a worldwide audience is as good as it gets for me,” said Arron Oberholser, GOLF Channel analyst and San Josè State alumnus. “I look forward to joining my GOLF Channel colleagues in kicking off our college golf swing heading into the NCAA Golf Championships.”

Hosted by San Josè State University, the 73rd Western Intercollegiate kicks off GOLF Channel’s six weeks of college golf coverage culminating with the NCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships in May. In total, combined with this week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the East Lake Cup collegiate match play championship in October, GOLF Channel is airing more than 50 hours of college and amateur golf coverage in 2019, the most of any television network.

GOLF Channel’s live tournament coverage of the Western Intercollegiate – a 54-hole stroke play team and individual championship – will air in primetime Monday and Tuesday, April 15-16, from 7-10 p.m. ET and on Wednesday, April 17 from 4-7 p.m. ET.

WORLD’S TOP-RANKED AMATEUR JUSTIN SUH (USC) HEADLINES ELITE 13-TEAM FIELD
The Western Intercollegiate, entering its 73rd year and one of the premier events on the spring golf calendar, will be the final regular season event for the 13-team field prior to the start of conference championships. Boasting the world’s top-ranked amateur Justin Suh (USC) and the world’s fourth-ranked amateur, Collin Morikawa (California), the field features four teams currently ranked in the top-20 nationally: USC (6), California (11), Stanford (16) and Pepperdine (18).

The 2019 Western Intercollegiate presented by Topgolf field:

University of Arizona
University of California
University of California-Irvine
Colorado State University
University of Hawaii
University of Oregon
Pepperdine University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
University of Southern California
Stanford University
University of Texas-El Paso
University of Washington

The individual medalist at the Western Intercollegiate receives the coveted blue jacket, honoring legendary Pasatiempo Golf Club course designer Alister MacKenzie, also the designer of Augusta National Golf Club.

The tournament’s rich history features past champions Johnny Miller, Mark O’Meara, Peter Jacobsen, and San José State alums Ken Venturi, Arron Oberholser and Mark Lye. Recent individual champions include Norman Xiong (2018), Justin Suh (2017), Maverick McNealy (2016), Scottie Scheffler (2015) and Patrick Rodgers (2012). In total, players who have competed in the Western Intercollegiate account for more than 350 PGA TOUR victories and 39 major championships, including past participants Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Steve Stricker, Roger Maltbie and Duffy Waldorf.

GOLF CHANNEL COVERAGE AND BROADCAST TEAM
GOLF Channel will televise nine hours of live tournament coverage April 15-17, with replays in primetime on the West Coast. Golf Central, the network’s daily news program, will provide wraparound news coverage of the tournament, complemented by digital and social media coverage. Bob Papa and Curt Byrum will call the action from the broadcast booth. Steve Burkowski will report from an on-course tower, with Billy Ray Brown and 1996 Western Intercollegiate champion Arron Oberholser reporting from the course.

GOLF Channel / Western Intercollegiate Coverage (all times ET)
Monday, April 15 Round 1, Stroke Play 7-10 p.m. (Live) / Midnight – 3 a.m. (Replay)
Tuesday, April 16 Round 2, Stroke Play 7-10 p.m. (Live) / 1-4 a.m. (Replay)
Wednesday, April 17 Final Round, Stroke Play 4-7 p.m. (Live) / Midnight-3 a.m. (Replay)

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE
Golf Channel’s on-site social media coverage will include dedicated Facebook Live activations, as well as Instagram and Twitter content via the network’s social media handles. Social media correspondent Nikki Bondura (Nikki B.) will contribute to the network’s social media channels with live activations on-site with on-air personalities and players in the field. GOLF Channel also will integrate social media into Western Intercollegiate live tournament coverage. Fans also can stay connected with the championship on social media using the hashtag #WesternIntercollegiate.

News and tournament coverage of the Western Intercollegiate will be streamed live via GOLF Channel Digital. GOLF Channel associate editor and college writer Brentley Romine will report on-site from Pasatiempo Golf Club with daily reports, blogs and columns for Golf Channel Digital, with senior writer Ryan Lavner contributing to Golf Central’s wraparound news coverage. Complete information on the Western Intercollegiate can be found on the tournament website here.

GOLF Channel is the television home for college golf, including the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Golf National Championships, the East Lake Cup Collegiate Match Play Championship and the Western Intercollegiate presented by Topgolf. The network has provided live coverage of the men’s national championships since 2014 and the women’s national championships since 2015, which now are hosted at the same venue in consecutive weeks in May. GOLF Channel also presents the East Lake Cup, a three-day fall championship that invites the eight semifinalists from the previous NCAA men’s and women’s golf championships. The East Lake Cup is hosted at historic East Lake Cup Golf in Atlanta, Ga., and benefits the East Lake Foundation. In addition, GOLF Channel deploys its comprehensive portfolio of news, digital and social media coverage year-round in covering collegiate golf, including specials for regional and national qualifying and on-site and wraparound news from golf’s biggest college events.

Also in 2019, GOLF Channel will premiere season two of Driven, a four-part documentary series that will follow the journeys of the University of Alabama men’s golf team and their “Iron Bowl” rivalry with Auburn University as they look to return to the NCAA Golf National Championships in May. The documentary also will follow reigning NCAA national champions Oklahoma State Cowboys as they look to defend their 2018 title. Season two of Driven is co-executive produced by PGA TOUR superstars Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas.