FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 19th, 2014
NBC Sports Group Showcasing ‘The King’ with Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard
LPGA Tour Makes 2014 Domestic Debut in Phoenix with JTBC Founders Cup
Champions Tour Heads South for Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Presented by C Spire
ORLANDO, Fla., (March 19, 2014) – Golf Channel and NBC Sports will provide 23 combined hours of live tournament coverage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard this week from Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel’s signature news program, Golf Central also will be produced in front of a live audience throughout the week from Bay Hill’s driving range, offering insight leading in and out of live tournament coverage on Golf Channel. Golf Channel’s weekend Spotlight coverage will highlight Bay Hill’s closing stretch (holes 16-18). The LPGA Tour begins its domestic schedule of the 2014 season with the JTBC Founders Cup in Arizona, with a field that includes the top-12 players in the Rolex World Golf Rankings. The Champions Tour heads south for the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Presented by C Spire, with Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie teeing it up in the event for the first time. Three-time PGA TOUR winner Jeff Maggert also makes his debut on the over-50 circuit this week.
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard
Dates: March 20-23
Venue: Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Saturday 12:30-2 p.m. (Live) / 2-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 9:30 p.m-3 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 12:30-2 p.m. (Live) / 2-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes On NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 2-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 2-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
NBC Sports Group Rolling Out Comprehensive Coverage in Honor of ‘The King’: NBC Sports Group will dedicate more than 40 total hours of news and tournament action, including 23 live hours of combined tournament coverage on NBC and Golf Channel.
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard Live News Conference Schedule on Golf Channel (Wednesday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET): Golf Channel will televise player news conferences from Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Wednesday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Golf Central Reporting Live and On-Site from Bay Hill: The network’s signature news program, Golf Central, will air live from the driving range at Bay Hill throughout the week, covering the latest tournament storylines leading in and out of live golf coverage. Golf Central also will provide special features on Arnold Palmer, kicking off Golf Channel’s celebration on the life and career of the network’s co-founder. The focus on ‘The King’ will culminate with Arnie, a special three-night documentary premiering on Sunday night of The Masters, April 13-15.
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard Pro-Am, Wednesday, 5 p.m. ET on Golf Channel: Golf Channel will air this week’s pro-am on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, giving viewers an early look at the Arnold Palmer redesign before tournament play begins on Thursday.
Golf Channel Weekend Spotlight Coverage: Bay Hill’s final three holes will be the focus of this weekend’s Golf Channel Spotlight coverage, including the signature 18th, one of the more dramatic finishing holes on TOUR with its trademark kidney-shaped green fronted by rocks and water.
Headlining the Field: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Graeme McDowell, Bubba Watson, Brandt Snedeker, Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson and Harris English.
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Rich Lerner (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen
On Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing / Notah Begay
Interviews: Steve Sands
Essays: Jimmy Roberts
Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Randy Moss
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Craig Perks
On Course: Scott McCarron
Interviews: Todd Lewis
Golf Central Broadcast Team:
Early week
Host : Lisa Cornwell
Analyst: Tripp Isenhour
Thursday-Sunday
Host: Kelly Tilghman
Analyst: Brandel Chamblee / Arron Oberholser
LPGA TOUR
JTBC Founders Cup
Dates: March 20-23
Venue: Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Ariz.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 6:30-9 p.m. (Live) / 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Replay, Friday)
Friday 6:30-9 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 7-9 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 7-9 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Return to the States: The LPGA Tour will kick off the domestic leg of its 2014 schedule this week in Phoenix after staging events in the Bahamas, Australia, Thailand and Singapore. The tournament honors the original 13 founders of the Tour, and raises money for the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program.
Lincicome Joins the Booth for “Twitter Time”: Golf Channel will bring back “Twitter Time” this week, where LPGA players will step into the broadcast booth during Friday’s second round coverage to take over the LPGA’s Twitter handle. Brittany Lincicome will join the booth this week, and fans are encouraged to tweet questions at Brittany for her to answer on air, using #LPGAonGC.
Ko Featured in Rookie Spotlight: During each week’s telecast, Golf Channel will feature a sit-down interview with an LPGA Tour rookie to get her perspective of life on the Tour. Lydia Ko will be the featured rookie spotlight this week.
Elite Field: The field this week includes each of the top-12 players in the Rolex World Golf Rankings, as well as all four winners thus far on the 2014 season.
Lewis Defends: Stacy Lewis won by three shots over Ai Miyazato last year thanks to nine final-round birdies en route to her seventh career LPGA victory which, at the time vaulted her to World No. 1 in the Rolex World Golf Rankings.
Headlining the Field: Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen, Na Yeon Choi, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie, Lexi Thompson and Brittany Lincicome.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On Course: Kay Cockerill / Jerry Foltz
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic presented by C Spire
Dates: March 21-23
Venue: Fallen Oak Golf Course, Saucier, Miss.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-2:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-5:30 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 5-7 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-5:30 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Faldo, Montgomerie to Play Event for First Time: Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie are in the field this week, each competing at Fallen Oak Golf Course for the first time.
Maggert Makes Champions Tour Debut: Three-time PGA TOUR winner Jeff Maggert makes his Champions Tour debut this week, after turning 50 years old in February.
Allen Defends: Michael Allen finished one shot ahead of Bernhard Langer in 2013 for his fourth Champions Tour victory, after finishing runner-up to Fred Couples at this event in 2012.
Headlining the Field: Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, John Cook, Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Jeff Maggert and Michael Allen.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: Dave Marr / John Mahaffey
On Course: Billy Ray Brown
