FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 15th, 2014
GOLF CHANNEL TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (OCTOBER 15-19)
Horschel to Make First Start Since Winning FedEx Cup at This Week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas
McDowell Defends at Volvo World Match Play Championship
Montgomerie Headlines the Field at
Greater Hickory Kia Classic at Rock Barn
Wie, Park Headline the Field at
LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship in South Korea
Jimenez Defends at Hong Kong Open
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2014) – Reigning FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel returns for the first time since earning the $10 million season-long prize for this week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Along with Horschel, Webb Simpson headlines the field as the defending champion after finishing six shots clear of the field last year. On the European Tour, seven of the 16 players competing in the Volvo World Match Play Championship this week participated in last month’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. The field is divided into four “pods” of four, with each person competing in a match play format against the other three players in their “pod” over the course of the first three days. The top two performers from each pod will advance to the quarterfinal matches on Saturday, and the semifinal and championship matches will be contested on Sunday. The Greater Hickory Kia Classic at Rock Barn is the second-to-last event on the Champions Tour schedule prior to the season-culminating Schwab Cup Championship. This week serves as the penultimate opportunity for players try to position themselves within the top-30 of the Schwab Cup point standings. Michelle Wie and Inbee Park headline the field at the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship in South Korea, while Miguel Angel Jimenez will attempt to win the Hong Kong Open for a third consecutive year.
PGA TOUR
Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
Dates: Oct. 16-19
Venue: TPC Summerlin Course, Las Vegas, Nev.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Horschel returns: The PGA TOUR’s 2013-14 FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel will make his first tournament start this week since capturing the season-long points race at East Lake Golf Club during the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola last month.
Shriners Pro-Am airing on Golf Channel on Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET: Golf Channel televise the tournament’s Pro-Am on Wednesday, at 9 p.m. ET, showcasing the tournament field as they make their final preparations for Thursday’s opening round of play.
Simpson defends: Webb Simpson finished six shots clear of the field in 2013, earning his fourth PGA TOUR victory in the process.
Headlining the field: Billy Horschel, Jimmy Walker, Brandt Snedeker, Webb Simpson, Hideki Matsuyama, Sang-Moon Bae, Erik Compton, Vijay Singh, Nick Watney and Jarrod Lyle.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Peter Jacobsen
Tower: Peter Oosterhuis / Matt Gogel
On Course: Phil Parkin / Scott McCarron
Interviews: Todd Lewis
EUROPEAN TOUR
Volvo World Match Play Championship
Dates: Oct. 15-19
Venue: London Golf Club, Kent, England
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 9 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Thursday 6:30-11:30 a.m. (Live)
Friday 6:30-11:30 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 6:30-11:30 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-7 a.m. / 7:30-11:30 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Tournament format: The 16-player field is split into four groups of four, each person competing against the other three players in their “pod” over the course of the first three days. The top two players from each pod will advance to the quarterfinal matches on Saturday, and the semifinal and championship matches will be contested on Sunday.
McDowell defends: Graeme McDowell defeated Thongchai Jaidee 2&1 in the championship match at last year’s event in Bulgaria for his eighth career European Tour win.
Tournament field:Thomas Bjorn, Jonas Blixt, Paul Casey, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Stephen Gallacher, Mikko Ilonen, Thongchai Jaidee, Pablo Larrzazabal, Alexander Levy, Shane Lowry, Joost Luiten, Graeme McDowell, Francesco Molinari, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Mike Ritz
Play by Play: Dominik Holyer
Analyst: Tony Johnstone / Sam Torrance
On Course: Jay Townsend / Paul Eales
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Greater Hickory Kia Classic at Rock Barn
Dates: Oct. 17-19
Venue: Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, N.C.
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 2:30-5 p.m. (Live) / 3-5:30 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 2:30-5 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 2:30-5 p.m. (Live) / 2:30-5 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Two events remain in race for Charles Schwab Cup: There are two events remaining on the Champions Tour schedule prior to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Players hoping to qualify for the season-culminating event will need to position themselves within the top-30 of the Schwab Cup point standings over the course of the final two events on the schedule leading into the Schwab Cup Championship. Current Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer is not in the field this week.
Allen defends: Last year, Michael Allen outlasted Olin Browne on the first playoff hole to earn his fifth career Champions Tour win.
Headlining the field: Colin Montgomerie, Kenny Perry, Kirk Triplett, Corey Pavin, John Cook, Rocco Mediate, Mark Calcavecchia, David Frost, Jay Haas, Fred Funk and Lee Janzen.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Brian Hammons
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: Dave Marr / John Mahaffey
On Course: Billy Ray Brown
LPGA TOUR
LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship
Dates: Oct. 15-18
Venue: Sky 72 Golf Club (Ocean Course), Incheon, South Korea
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Thursday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Friday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Change in tournament format: This week is the first time that the event will be contested as a 72-hole event, as it was previously played as a 54-hole event. The field is made up of 78 players with no cut.
Yang defends: Amy Yang defeated Hee Kyung Seo with a birdie on the first playoff hole for her first LPGA Tour victory in last year’s event.
Headlining the field: Michelle Wie, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, Lydia Ko, Na Yeon Choi, Lexi Thompson, So Yeon Ryu, Paula Creamer, Anna Nordqvist and Amy Yang.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Lisa Cornwell
Play by Play: Peter Donegan
Analyst: Sandy Mackenzie
On Course: Karen Stupples
EUROPEAN TOUR / ASIAN TOUR
Hong Kong Open
Dates: Oct. 16-19
Venue: Hong Kong Golf Club, New Territories Fanling, Hong Kong
Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Friday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Saturday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Sunday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Broadcast Notes:
Jimenez goes for Hong Kong Open-triple: Miguel Angel Jimenez outlasted Stuart Manley and Prom Meesawat with a birdie on the first playoff hole to successfully defend his title, earning his 20th career European Tour victory in the process, and breaking his pre-existing record as the oldest champion in European Tour history.
Headlining the field: Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Nicolas Colsaerts, Rich Beem, Y.E. Yang, Peter Uihlein, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thomas Levet, David Lipsky and Tom Lewis.
-NBC Sports Group-
