FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 20th, 2014
McIlroy Headlines BMW PGA Championship from Wentworth Club
Golf Channel to Offer Inaugural Coverage of the
NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships from Prairie Dunes in Kansas
Champions Tour Holds 2nd Major in as Many Weeks with
Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid
PGA TOUR Remains in Texas for Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
LPGA Tour in Alabama for the Airbus LPGA Classic
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 20, 2014) – Rory McIlroy headlines a strong field at the BMW PGA Championship from historic Wentworth Club in England. Golf Channel will dedicate 24 hours of live tournament coverage to the European Tour event. The NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships will kick off next week from Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. with Golf Channel’s inaugural coverage of the event. In addition to live, on-site wraparound news coverage, Golf Channel will feature final round coverage of the individual stroke play competition on Monday, May 26, followed by the team match play competition on Tuesday, May 27 and Wednesday May 28. The Champions Tour is in Michigan for the Senior PGA Championship, the second major championship in as many weeks for the over-50 circuit. The PGA TOUR is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the second straight week for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The LPGA Tour moves to Alabama for the Airbus LPGA Classic presented by JTBC, featuring seven of the top-10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
EUROPEAN TOUR
BMW PGA Championship
Dates: May 22-25
Venue: Wentworth Club, Surrey, England
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 5 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Friday 5 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Saturday 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-4 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-4 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Exemptions at Stake: The winner this week will earn an exemption into next month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst if not already in the field, along with an exemption into the next three Open Championships.
Manassero Defends: Matteo Manassero outlasted Simon Khan and Marc Warren last year on the fourth playoff hole to earn his fourth career European Tour victory
Headlining the Field: Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood, Jonas Blixt, Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Matteo Manassero.
Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Steve Sands
Analyst: Frank Nobilo / Matt Gogel
On Course: Phil Parkin / Jay Townsend
NCAA
NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships
Dates: May 26-28
Venue: Prairie Dunes Country Club, Hutchinson, Kan.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Monday, May 26 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Tuesday, May 27 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Wednesday, May 28 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Golf Central (on-site) Airtimes (Eastern):
Sunday, May 25 6-7 p.m. (Live)
Monday, May 26 3-5 p.m. (Live, Pre Game) / 8-9 p.m. (Live, Post Game)
Tuesday, May 27 3-5 p.m. (Live, Pre Game) / 8-9 p.m. (Live, Post Game)
Wednesday, May 28 1-5 p.m. (Live, Pre Game) / 8-9 p.m. (Live, Post Game)
Broadcast Notes:
Golf Channel Offers Inaugural Tournament Coverage: Golf Channel will provide live coverage of the final round of the individual stroke play competition on Monday, May 26, followed by the match play competition for the team championship on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27 and 28. Bob Papa and Lanny Wadkins (Wake Forest University, 3-time NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships participant) will host Golf Channel’s tournament coverage, and Curt Byrum (University of New Mexico, participant in 1979 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships) will report from an on-course tower. Billy Ray Brown (University of Houston, 1982 NCAA Division I Individual national champion and member of 3-time NCAA Division I team national champions) will report from the course, and Steve Burkowski will conduct player interviews.
Golf Central Live From Prairie Dunes: Beginning Sunday, May 25, Golf Central will air from a dedicated set at Prairie Dunes Country Club, delivering wraparound coverage before and after tournament play. Kelly Tilghman (Duke University, 2-time NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships participant), Charlie Rymer (Georgia Tech, 4-time NCAA Men’s Golf Championships participant), Holly Sonders (Michigan State University, 2007 Big Ten Champions) and Golf Channel’s college insider Steve Burkowski will anchor the network’s news coverage, with highlights, interviews, analysis and special features. Buddy Alexander – recently retired long-tenured golf coach at the University of Florida – also will provide analysis as a part of the news coverage. An expanded Golf Central on Wednesday (1-5 p.m. ET) will lead into the match play finals.
Teams in the Field: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, California, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Illinois, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Purdue, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, UAB, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington.
Individuals in the Field: Ricardo Gouveia (Central Florida), Marco Iten (Austin Peay), Denny McCarthy (Virginia), Taylor Pendrith (Kent State), Chris Robb (Chattanooga) and Cyrus Stewart (Wake Forest).
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: Curt Byrum
On Course: Billy Ray Brown
Interviews: Steve Burkowski
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid
Dates: May 22-25
Venue: The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Mich.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday Noon-3 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday Noon-3 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes On NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Double Dip: The Champions Tour heads to Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. for the second major championship is as many weeks.
Ames’ Debut: Four-time PGA TOUR winner Stephen Ames makes his Champions Tour debut this week after turning 50 last month.
Idoki Defends: Kohki Idoki became the first male Japanese golfer to win a major championship on any Tour after winning last year’s event at Bellerive in St. Louis.
Headlining the Field: Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman, Jay Haas, John Cook, Rocco Mediate, Stephen Ames and Kohki Idoki.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Dave Marr (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Gary Koch
On Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing / Bill Kratzert
Interviews / Essays: Jimmy Roberts
PGA TOUR
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Dates: May 22-25
Venue: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 7-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Weekley Defends: Boo Weekley finished one stroke ahead of Matt Kuchar in 2013 to claim his third PGA TOUR victory, his first in more than five years.
Headlining the Field: Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Brian Hammons
Analyst: Nick Faldo
Tower: Peter Oosterhuis
On Course: Rich Beem / David Feherty
Interviews: Scott Walker
LPGA TOUR
Airbus LPGA Classic presented by JTBC
Dates: May 22-25
Venue: RTJ Golf Trail (Crossings Course), Magnolia Grove, Mobile, Ala.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 6:30-9 p.m. (Tape Delay) / 5-7:30 p.m. (Live Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday 6:30-9 p.m. (Tape Delay) / 5-7:30 p.m. (Live Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Stupples Slated as Golf Channel Lead Analyst for the First Time: This week Karen Stupples will serve as lead analyst in the broadcast booth for Golf Channel’s LPGA Tour coverage for the first time.
Inbee Park Featured in Caddie Knows Best: Inbee Park will join her caddie Brad Beecher during Thursday’s tournament telecast for ‘Caddie knows Best’ – a segment where players and caddies test the knowledge that they share.
Johnson Defends: Jennifer Johnson claimed her first LPGA Tour win last year, finishing one shot ahead of Pornanong Phatlum and Jessica Korda after making birdie on four of her final six holes down the stretch in the final round.
Headlining the Field: Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie, Karrie Webb, Na Yeon Choi, Paula Creamer, Jessica Korda, Stacy Lewis and Jennifer Johnson.
Welch Competing on Sponsor’s Exemption: Kim Welch, winner of Golf Channel’s Big Break Ka’anapali, is in the field this week competing on a tournament sponsor’s exemption.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Karen Stupples
Tower: Tom Abbott
On Course: Jerry Foltz / Juli Inkster
-NBC Sports Group-
