FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 9th, 2015
NBC Sports Group Airtimes & Notes (June 11-14)
Newly-Minted KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Plays Host to Second Major of LPGA Season
Third Major on Champions Tour Schedule Features New Venue
Outside of Boston at Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship
Mickelson, Johnson Headline the Field at FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis
European Tour in Austria for Lyoness Open
Web.com Tour in Ohio for Rust-Oleum Championship
ORLANDO, Fla. (June 9, 2015) – The PGA of America and LPGA Tour are operating in partnership this week to stage the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside of New York City for the second major on the 2015 LPGA schedule. World No. 1 Lydia Ko headlines the field, attempting to win her first Major Championship. Golf Channel will televise the opening rounds Thursday-Friday, and NBC will air third and final rounds Saturday-Sunday. In addition to live tournament coverage, Golf Central will air on-site from Westchester Country Club, and will feature live player news conferences leading into Thursday’s opening round. The inaugural KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit also will stream on Golf Live Extra on Wednesday. The Champions Tour is outside of Boston for its third major of the season, at the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, where Bernhard Langer will defend. The PGA TOUR is in Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Classic, with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson headlining the field in the final event leading into next week’s U.S. Open. The European Tour is in Austria for the Lyoness Open, while the Web.com Tour shifts to Ohio for the Rust-Oleum Championship.
LPGA TOUR
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Dates: June 11-14
Venue: Westchester Country Club (West Course), Harrison, N.Y.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 1-4 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday 1-4 p.m. (Live) / 12:30-3:30 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
New stage: This is the 61st edition of the second oldest major championship in women’s golf, but it is the first year that the tournament is being operated by the PGA of America in partnership with the LPGA Tour. The $3.5 million purse also has increased by more than 50% ($2.25 million in 2014). Westchester Country Club also hosts the event for the first time, having previously hosted a PGA TOUR event from 1963-2007 as well as the 2011 Senior Players Championship.
Golf Central and Morning Drive on-site presence at Westchester Country Club: Emerging storylines and analysis of the event will be featured throughout the week by Golf Channel’s signature news programs Morning Drive and Golf Central. Kelly Tilghman, Brandel Chamblee, LPGA major champion Karen Stupples, along with reporter Lisa Cornwell will host Golf Central on-site from Westchester Country Club beginning Wednesday, while Cara Robinson and Jerry Foltz will provide live reports from the course on Morning Drive throughout the week.
Golf Central Special – player news conferences tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET: In addition to daily shows, Golf Central will air a player news conference show, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Women’s Leadership Summit on Wednesday, streaming on Golf Live Extra: Golf Central also will offer news coverage of the inaugural KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, which will be hosted on-site at Westchester Country Club on Wednesday. The Summit will feature prominent 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 Golf Channel Executive Producer Molly Solomon and former NBC Sports and Olympics Executive Dick Ebersol discussing mentorship, and World Golf Hall-of-Famer Annika 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.
Park defends: Inbee Park defeated Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first playoff hole to earn her 11th career LPGA TOUR victory.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Hyo Joo Kim, Suzann Pettersen, Shanshan Feng, So Yeon Ryu, Anna Nordqvist, Cristie Kerr and Brittany Lincicome.
Golf Channel / NBC Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Judy Rankin (Golf Channel) / Gary Koch (NBC) / Annika Sorenstam
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Kay Cockerill
Interviews: Steve Sands
Essays: Jimmy Roberts (NBC)
Golf Central Broadcast Team:
Host: Kelly Tilghman
Analyst: Brandel Chamblee / Karen Stupples / Judy Rankin (weekend Golf Central Pre-Game)
Reporter: Lisa Cornwell
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship
Dates: June 11-14
Venue: Belmont Country Club, Belmont, Mass.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-5 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live) / 3:30-5:30 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
New venue: This is the 33rd edition of the event, and the first time being held at Belmont Country Club. The course previously hosted the 1916 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1937 Belmont Match Play on the PGA TOUR (won by Byron Nelson).
Langer defends: Bernhard Langer defeated Jeff Sluman on the second playoff hole for his 21st Champions Tour win.
Headlining the field: Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer, Kenny Perry, Jesper Parnevik, Rocco Mediate, Corey Pavin, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Kirk Triplett and Mark Calcavecchia.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: John Mahaffey / Dave Marr
On-Course: Billy Ray Brown / Jim Gallagher Jr.
Interviews: Tim Rosaforte
PGA TOUR
FedEx St. Jude Classic
Dates: June 11-14
Venue: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 4-7 p.m. (Live) / 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1-2:30 p.m. (Live) / Midnight-3 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Crane defends: Ben Crane finished one shot ahead of Troy Merritt for his fifth career PGA TOUR win.
NCAA Individual National Champion DeChambeau in the field: Bryson DeChambeau of Southern Methodist University – who won the NCAA Individual National Championship last week – is in the field and making his PGA TOUR debut.
Headlining the field: Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka, Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Patrick Rodgers and Ben Crane.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Brian Hammons
Analyst: Frank Nobilo
Tower: Curt Byrum / Rich Beem
On-Course: Phil Parkin
EUROPEAN TOUR
Lyoness Open
Dates: June 11-14
Venue: Diamond Country Club (Diamond Course), Atzenbrugg, Austria
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 5-7 a.m. (Live) / 9 a.m.-Noon (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday 5-7 a.m. (Live) / 9 a.m.-Noon (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday 7-11 (Live)
Sunday 6:30-11 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Lundberg defends: Mikael Lundberg defeated Bern Wiesberger with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win his third career European Tour victory.
Headlining the Field: Bernd Wiesberger, Gary Stal, Richie Ramsay, Matteo Manassero, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Jeev Milka Singh and Sepp Straka.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Studio Host: Grant Boone
Play by Play: Dominik Holyer
Analyst: Tony Johnstone
On-Course: Julian Tutt
WEB.COM TOUR
Rust-Oleum Championship
Dates: June 11-14
Venue: Lakewood Country Club, Westlake, Ohio
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 7-9 p.m. (Tape delay) / 3:30-5:30 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday 7-9 p.m. (Tape delay) / 3:30-5:30 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday 6-8 p.m. (Tape delay) / 4-6 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Sunday 6-8 p.m. (Tape delay) / 3:30-5:30 p.m. (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Broadcast Notes:
Headlining the Field: Tyler Aldridge, Matthew Goggin, Oliver Goss, Todd Hamilton, Tim Herron, Smylie Kaufman, Patton Kizzire, Kelly Kraft, Andrew Landry and Peter Malnati.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Craig Perks
Tower: Steve Burkowski
On-Course: Phil Blackmar / Jane Crafter
-NBC Sports Group-