FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

NBC SPORTS GROUP PRIMED FOR NEXT LPGA MAJOR WITH NEWLY MINTED KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, JUNE 8-14, AT NEW YORK’S WESTCHESTER COUNTRY CLUB

Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC to Air 12 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage, Supplemented by Dedicated News, Analysis, Highlights and Player Interviews on Golf Central and Morning Drive Throughout the Week

Condoleezza Rice and Duke Energy President and CEO Lynn Good to Keynote KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit On Site during Championship Week, Featuring Accomplished Leaders Inspiring Women; Streaming Live Wednesday, June 10, on Golf Live Extra

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 2, 2015) – NBC Sports Group’s news and tournament coverage of the LPGA’s newly minted KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will headline more than 38 hours of programming dedicated to the second women’s major championship of 2015 – including 12 hours of live championship coverage – on Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC, beginning Monday, June 8, just outside New York City at Westchester Country Club.

The PGA of America and KPMG have joined forces with the LPGA Tour to create a world-class major championship that will not only sustain the 60-year legacy of the former LPGA Championship, but also provide a platform to inspire the next-generation of women leaders and a charitable initiative to inspire future generations of leaders. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will feature a $3.5 million purse, among the highest in women’s golf. A highlight of the week’s activities surrounding the championship will be the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, gathering some of the biggest names in business, politics, sports and media.

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Broadcast Team

The broadcast team for Golf Channel’s early round live championship coverage on Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12, will feature Terry Gannon providing play-by-play commentary and LPGA Hall-of-Famer Judy Rankin – a two-time runner-up at this major championship – as lead analyst. Tom Abbott will be in a tower position, with Kay Cockerill and Roger Maltbie reporting from the course. Maltbie will be walking the same golf course from his Westchester Classic victory on the PGA TOUR 30 years ago. Steve Sands will conduct player interviews.

Golf Channel on NBC’s weekend coverage of the third and final rounds will feature a trio in the 18th tower, including play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks and analysts Gary Koch and LPGA Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam, a three-time winner of this championship. Abbott, Maltbie, Cockerill and Sands will extend their early round roles, and will be joined by Jimmy Roberts, who will be presenting his signature video essays. Roberts grew up in Westchester and has been a member of Westchester Country Club for 20 years. As a young reporter in 1974, he covered the Westchester Classic, which was won by his Golf Channel on NBC colleague Johnny Miller.

Twenty-nine-time Emmy Award-winner Tommy Roy will produce coverage for both Golf Channel and Golf Channel on NBC. Golf Channel Executive Producer Molly Solomon, a 10-time Emmy Award winner, will oversee Golf Channel’s news programming during the week, via Golf Central and Morning Drive.

Morning Drive and Golf Central Lead News Coverage

Momentum of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be carried throughout the week by Golf Channel’s signature news programs – Morning Drive and Golf Central – which will lead the way with comprehensive news coverage, analysis, player interviews and highlights. Morning Drive’s Cara Robinson and Jerry Foltz will help start each day with the latest golf news, providing multiple daily updates from Westchester Country Club. In addition to daily shows, Golf Central will present special player news conference shows at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 9, and 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 10. Kelly Tilghman, Brandel Chamblee and LPGA major champion Karen Stupples, along with reporter Lisa Cornwell, will host Golf Central from Westchester Country Club beginning Wednesday.

KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit

Golf Central also will offer news coverage of the inaugural KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, which will be hosted on-site on Wednesday, June 10, and assemble accomplished leaders in sports, business, politics and media to inspire the next generation of women leaders. Condoleezza Rice and Duke Energy President and CEO Lynn Good will keynote the gathering, which also will include Solomon and former NBC Sports and Olympics executive Dick Ebersol discussing mentorship and Sorenstam contributing to the “Achieving Your Personal Best: A Conversation with Women in Sports” panel. The summit will be streamed live from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET on Golf Live Extra and via CNBC.com.

The Golf Fix

2012 PGA Teacher of the Year Michael Breed will host The Golf Fix from Westchester Country Club on Monday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, welcoming top LPGA players and PGA club professionals who will provide tips for playing better golf.

Digital Content

GolfChannel.com writer Randall Mell will be reporting from Westchester Country Club and posting features throughout the week. The site also will feature exclusive video updates daily throughout the week from the network’s digital studio, as well as segments from Golf Central and Morning Drive.

Streaming on Golf Live Extra/NBC Sports Live Extra

All the news and championship action surrounding the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship can be accessed at any time on any mobile device and online through the help of Golf Channel’s Golf Live Extra. Fans also can stream Golf Channel on NBC coverage of live golf with NBC Sports Live Extra.

Golf Channel/NBC Live Championship Airtimes (all times Eastern):

Thursday, June 11                   Round 1                      1-4 p.m.                       Golf Channel

Friday, June 12                       Round 2                      1-4 p.m.                       Golf Channel

Saturday, June 13                   Round 3                      3-6 p.m.                       Golf Channel on NBC

Sunday, June 14                      Final Round                3-6 p.m.                       Golf Channel on NBC

**KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit will be streamed live on Golf Live Extra on Wednesday, June 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. **

-NBC Sports Group-

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Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 13 languages around the world. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s highest-quality news, instruction and original content. Golf Channel’s digital platforms, headed by GolfChannel.com, are the leading golf destinations on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Live Extra and select programming is simulcast via SiriusXM’s PGA TOUR Radio. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, a golf course ratings and review portal for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of  Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.