FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 11th, 2015
GOLF CHANNEL BEGINS 25 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF LIVE TOURNAMENT GOLF ON THURSDAY, MAY 14
25 Days of Live Golf Includes More Than 200 Hours of Live Tournament Programming Across Five Professional Tours and NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships
#Watch25 Sweepstakes Gives Viewers Chance to Win Daily Prizes via Social Media
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 11, 2015) – Golf Channel is expanding upon golf’s traditional Thursday through Sunday tournament schedule by adding early week Monday through Wednesday live tournament play, which will translate into 25 Days of Live Golf for viewers, beginning Thursday, May 14 and continuing through Sunday, June 7. In total, the 25 straight days of live golf will include more than 200 hours of live tournament coverage of the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, European Tour, Champions Tour, Ladies European Tour and the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Golf Championships.
“Our 25 Days of Live Golf capitalizes on creative opportunities to showcase our partners’ live events during the days of the week when tournament golf isn’t traditionally played,” said Tom Knapp, Golf Channel senior vice president, programming. “The willingness of our partners to consider innovative scenarios where they can take center stage helps to increase awareness of their events and provides Golf Channel’s audience live tournament coverage every day of the week.”
Viewers will have an opportunity to win prizes via social media during Golf Channel’s 25 Days of Live Golf through the #Watch25 sweepstakes. Starting on the first of the 25 consecutive days of live golf, Thursday, May 14, Golf Channel’s tournament on-air teams will pose a daily trivia question asking viewers to tweet their answer using the hashtag #Watch25Sweeps. One winner will be selected each day, and will receive prizes, including free rounds of golf courtesy of GolfNow. Viewers can follow @GolfChannel on Twitter, which will feature the daily opportunities to win the #Watch25 Sweepstakes.
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY COVERAGE DURING 25 DAYS OF LIVE GOLF:
NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships (25 live hours): Golf Channel will dedicate 25 combined live hours to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships, being contested at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. The Women’s Championships will air Monday-Wednesday, May 25-27, while the Men’s Championship will air the following week, Monday-Wednesday, June 1-3. In addition, Golf Central will feature nearly 25 hours of combined pre-and post-event news coverage produced on location, as well as daily news updates on Morning Drive and online at GolfChannel.com.
Ladies European Tour (9 live hours): The Turkish Airlines Ladies Open being contested on the Ladies European Tour will help bridge the opening week of 25 days with coverage airing Monday-Wednesday, May 18-20.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY PROFESSIONAL TOUR COVERAGE DURING 25 DAYS OF LIVE GOLF:
PGA TOUR (41 live hours): Wells Fargo Championship (May 14-17, Charlotte, N.C.); Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (May 21-24, Fort Worth, Texas); AT&T Byron Nelson Championship (May 28-31, Irving, Texas); the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance (June 4-7, Dublin, Ohio).
LPGA Tour (22.5 live hours): Kingsmill Championship (May 14-17, Williamsburg, Va.); ShopRite LPGA Classic (May 29-31, Galloway, N.J.); Manulife LPGA Classic (June 4-7, Cambridge, Ont., Canada).
European Tour (84.5 live hours): Open de España (May 14-17, Barcelona, Spain); BMW PGA Championship (May 21-24, Surrey, England); Dubai Duty Free Irish Open (May 28-31, Northern Ireland); Nordea Masters (June 4-7, Malmo, Sweden).
Champions Tour (19 live hours) – including two Major Championships: Regions Tradition (*Major* May 14-17, Shoal Creek, Ala.); Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid (*Major* May 21-24, French Lick, Ind.); Principal Charity Classic (June 5-7, Des Moines, Ia.)
STREAMING ON GOLF LIVE EXTRA:
All tournament action surrounding 25 Days of Live Golf can be accessed at any time on any mobile device and online through Golf Channel’s Golf Live Extra.
Golf Channel’s “25 Days of Live Golf” Tournament Airtimes (all times ET):
Thursday, May 14
Open de España European Tour 5:30-7:30 a.m.; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Regions Tradition Champions Tour 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Wells Fargo Championship PGA TOUR 3-7 p.m.
Friday, May 15
Open de España European Tour 5:30-7:30 a.m.; 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Regions Tradition Champions Tour 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Wells Fargo Championship PGA TOUR 3-7 p.m.
Saturday, May 16
Open de España European Tour 7:30-11:30 a.m.
Wells Fargo Championship PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
Regions Tradition Champions Tour 3-5 p.m.
Kingsmill Championship LPGA Tour 5-7 p.m.
Sunday, May 17
Open de España European Tour 7:30-11:30 a.m.
Wells Fargo Championship PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
Regions Tradition Champions Tour 3-5 p.m.
Kingsmill Championship LPGA Tour 5-7 p.m.
Monday, May 18
Turkish Airlines Ladies Open Ladies European Tour 8-11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 19
Turkish Airlines Ladies Open Ladies European Tour 7-10 a.m.
Wednesday, May 20
Turkish Airlines Ladies Open Ladies European Tour 7-10 a.m.
Thursday, May 21
BMW PGA Championship European Tour 5 a.m.-1 p.m.
Senior PGA Championship Champions Tour 1-4 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Invitational PGA TOUR 4-7 p.m.
Friday, May 22
BMW PGA Championship European Tour 5 a.m.-1 p.m.
Senior PGA Championship Champions Tour 1-4 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Invitational PGA TOUR 4-7 p.m.
Saturday, May 23
BMW PGA Championship European Tour 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Invitational PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24
BMW PGA Championship European Tour 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Crowne Plaza Invitational PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
Senior PGA Championship Champions Tour 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Monday, May 25
Women’s Golf Championships NCAA 4-7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26
Women’s Golf Championships NCAA 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 3:30-7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27
Women’s Golf Championships NCAA 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, May 28
Dubai Duty Free Irish Open European Tour 3-8 a.m.; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
AT&T Byron Nelson PGA TOUR 4-7 p.m.
Friday, May 29
Dubai Duty Free Irish Open European Tour 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
ShopRite LPGA Classic LPGA Tour 1-3:30 p.m.
AT&T Byron Nelson PGA TOUR 4-7 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
Dubai Duty Free Irish Open European Tour 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
AT&T Byron Nelson PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
ShopRite LPGA Classic LPGA Tour 3-6 p.m.
Sunday, May 31
Dubai Duty Free Irish Open European Tour 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
AT&T Byron Nelson PGA TOUR 1-2:30 p.m.
ShopRite LPGA Classic LPGA Tour 3-6 p.m.
Monday, June 1
Men’s Golf Championships NCAA 4-7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 2
Men’s Golf Championships NCAA 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 3:30-7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 3
Men’s Golf Championships NCAA 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, June 4
Nordea Masters European Tour 5-7 a.m.; 9 a.m.-Noon
Manulife LPGA Classic LPGA Tour Noon-2 p.m.
the Memorial Tournament PGA TOUR 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday, June 5
Nordea Masters European Tour 5-7 a.m.; 9 a.m.-Noon
Manulife LPGA Classic LPGA Tour Noon-2 p.m.
the Memorial Tournament PGA TOUR 2:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 6
Nordea Masters European Tour 7:30-11:30 a.m.
the Memorial Tournament PGA TOUR 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Manulife LPGA Classic LPGA Tour 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Principal Charity Classic Champions Tour 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 7
Nordea Masters European Tour 7-11:30 a.m.
the Memorial Tournament PGA TOUR Noon-2 p.m.
Manulife LPGA Classic LPGA Tour 2-5 p.m.
Principal Charity Classic Champions Tour 5-7 p.m.
-NBC Sports Group-
