FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

NBC SPORTS GROUP TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES & NOTES (MARCH 4-8)

NBC Sports Group to Air 27 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship

PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open to Air in Primetime on Golf Channel

Ko Headlines the Field at the HSBC Women’s Champions, Featuring 19 of Top-20 Players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings

Aiken Defends at the Africa Open

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 3, 2015) – The PGA TOUR continues its Florida Swing in Miami this week when NBC Sports Group will dedicate more than 27 hours of live tournament coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy headlines an elite field of 74 players, including each of the top-50 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Golf Central, Golf Channel’s evening news program, will air on-site from Trump National Doral, beginning on Thursday. The PGA TOUR also stages the Puerto Rico Open this week, airing in primetime on Golf Channel. The LPGA concludes its stretch of international events before returning to the United States with the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore. The field includes 19 of the top-20 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, including World No. 1 Lydia Ko, who is coming off a victory at the New Zealand Women’s Open. And on the European Tour, Thomas Aiken defends at the Africa Open.

 

PGA TOUR

WGC-Cadillac Championship

Dates: March 5-8

Venue: Trump National Doral (Blue Monster), Miami, Fla.

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         1-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)

Friday              1-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday         Noon-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)

Sunday            1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-6 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 11 p.m.-5 a.m. (Replay)

Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):

Saturday          3-6 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            3-7 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Golf Channel, NBC airing 27 hours of live tournament coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship: NBC Sports Group will televise more than 27 hours of live coverage of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Golf Channel and NBC. Golf Channel will air early round coverage on Thursday-Friday, and lead-in coverage on Saturday-Sunday ahead of Golf Channel on NBC’s third and final round broadcasts.

Golf Channel weekend Spotlight Coverage continues, focusing on Holes 15-18: Golf Channel’s Spotlight Coverage continues this week, and will feature the closing stretch of Trump National Doral, Holes 15-18 to complement Golf Channel on NBC’s award-winning coverage. While NBC is on the air live with traditional coverage, Golf Channel also will be on the air live, but focusing on Doral’s final four holes.

Golf Channel to air McIlroy, Scott and Reed news conferences beginning at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday: Golf Channel will air player press conferences featuring Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Patrick Reed tomorrow from Trump National Doral beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

Golf Central airing on-site from Trump National Doral: Beginning Thursday afternoon, Golf Central – Golf Channel’s evening news program – will air from a dedicated set on the 9th hole at Trump National Doral. Rich Lerner will serve as the host, and will be joined by analysts Brandel Chamblee, Curt Byrum (Thursday-Friday), and Frank Nobilo (Saturday-Sunday), along with Todd Lewis, who will report on-site throughout the week.

Elite global field: The first of four WGC events in 2015 features a 74-player field which includes each of the top-50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, and representatives from 20 different countries around the world.

Reed defends: Patrick Reed finished one shot clear of Jamie Donaldson and Bubba Watson for his third career PGA TOUR victory.

Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Martin Kaymer and Rickie Fowler.

Golf Channel / NBC Sports Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Terry Gannon (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

Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: John Swantek

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: Tom Abbott

On-Course: Billy Ray Brown

 

PGA TOUR

Puerto Rico Open
Dates: March 5-8

Venue: Trump International Golf Club Puerto Rico (Championship Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         6-8:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4:30 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Friday              6-8:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-4:30 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Saturday          6-9 p.m. (Tape delay) / 1-4 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Sunday            7-10 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-5 p.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Broadcast Notes:

Hadley defends: Chesson Hadley finished two shots ahead of Danny Lee for his first career PGA TOUR win, and finished as the only rookie to win during the 2013-14 PGA TOUR season.

Headlining the field: Peter Uihlein, Brendon de Jonge, Zac Blair, Will Mackenzie, Jeff Overton, Boo Weekley, Max Homa, John Daly, Jarrod Lyle, David Duval, Lee Janzen and Chesson Hadley.

Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Brian Hammons

Analyst: Jim Gallagher Jr.

Tower: Phil Blackmar

On Course: Jerry Foltz / Kay Cockerill

 

LPGA TOUR

HSBC Women’s Champions
Dates: March 4-8

Venue: Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course), Sentosa, Singapore

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Wednesday     11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)

Friday              4:30-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)

Saturday          4:30-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)

Sunday            5-7:30 a.m. (Tape delay)

Live Stream Airtimes on Golf Live Extra:

Wednesday     11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Thursday         11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Friday              11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Saturday          11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live streaming on Golf Live Extra)

Broadcast Notes:

Standout field caps final international stop on LPGA Tour schedule before returning to U.S. : The 63-player field features each of the top-10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and 19 of the top-20. The 72-hole event has no cut, and serves as the final stop of the international stretch on the 2015 LPGA Tour schedule before returning to the United States for the JTBC Founders Cup in Arizona in two weeks.

Creamer defends: Paula Creamer defeated Azahara Munoz on the second playoff hole with a 75-foot eagle putt for her 10th career LPGA Tour win.

Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Shanshan Feng, Suzann Pettersen, Michelle Wie, Hyo-Joo Kim, So Yeon Ryu, Karrie Webb, Amy Yang and Paula Creamer.

Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Peter Donegan

Analyst: Sandra McKenzie / Kate Burton

 

EUROPEAN TOUR

Africa Open
Dates: March 5-8

Venue: East London Golf Club, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)

Friday              7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)

Saturday          7:30-9:30 a.m. (Live)

Sunday            7:30-10:30 a.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Aiken defends: Thomas Aiken defeated Oliver Fisher on the first playoff hole for his third career European Tour win.

Headlining the field: Darren Clarke, Andy Sullivan, Oliver Wilson, Matthew Fitzpatrick, David Howell, Gregory Bourdy, George Coetzee, David Horsey and Jeev Milkha Singh.

Golf Channel Broadcast Team:

Studio Host: Mike Ritz

Play by Play: Dominik Holyer

Analyst: Denis Hutchinson / Warren Humphreys

On Course: Jay Townsend

-NBC Sports Group-