FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 5th, 2016
GOLF CHANNEL AND NBC SHINE SPOTLIGHT ON TPC SAWGRASS FOR THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
More than 80 Hours of Live Television Devoted to the PGA TOUR’s Marquee Event Featuring the Year’s Top Field of Players, May 9-15
22 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage, Highlighted by One of Golf Channel and NBC’s Most Technologically Advanced Productions
ORLANDO, Fla. (May 5, 2016) – The dramatic setting of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and its famous 17th hole will provide the backdrop for THE PLAYERS Championship, headlining more than 80 hours of combined live programming on Golf Channel and NBC, May 9-15.
Boasting the strongest field of the year competing on one of the world’s most iconic golf courses, THE PLAYERS Championship is one of the most-anticipated tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule. A combined 22 hours of live golf coverage will air on both Golf Channel and NBC, which will be blanketed by more than 60 live hours of comprehensive golf news, analysis and feature programming with Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS and Morning Drive.
BROADCAST TEAM: NBC’s live tournament coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship will be anchored by Dan Hicks and Hall-of-Famer Johnny Miller. Terry Gannon and Hall-of-Famer Sir Nick Faldo will host early round coverage on Golf Channel, with Hicks and Miller contributing. The remainder of the broadcast team for all four rounds will include Gary Koch (17th hole) and Peter Jacobsen (15th hole) in tower positions; David Feherty, Roger Maltbie, and Mark Rolfing walking the course; Todd Lewis and Steve Sands conducting interviews; and Jimmy Roberts providing features and essays. Feherty and Rolfing also will rotate with Koch and Jacobsen in the towers for Golf Channel’s coverage on Thursday and Friday.
Ryan Burr, Rich Lerner and Kelly Tilghman will anchor Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS coverage from TPC Sawgrass and will be joined by analysts Notah Begay, Brandel Chamblee, 1999 PLAYERS Champion David Duval, Tripp Isenhour, Frank Nobilo and Arron Oberholser. They will be joined by a team of Golf Channel reporters and contributors, including Steve Burkowski, Lewis, Rex Hoggard, John Feinstein, Tim Rosaforte and Ken Schofield. Lisa Cornwell and George Savaricas will provide updates from Golf Channel’s World Headquarters in Orlando.
SPECIAL PRODUCTION ELEMENTS: All angles of the famous par-3, 17th hole and its island green will be covered by NBC’s production team with a total of nine high-definition cameras, including a microscopic lens embedded in the lip of the small bunker fronting the green, in place. Returning is the popular “Supra Cam,” a cable-suspended camera system that will fly over the body of water between the 16th and 17th greens. Golf Channel and NBC also will implement ProTracer technology on the driving range at TPC Sawgrass and on several holes throughout the course. On the par-3 17th hole, ProTracer also will track reverse flight of the tee shots from a unique angle behind the 17th green.
A camera crane operator will be stationed 150 feet in the air above the tree line showing unique shots of the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. Another camera operator will be ferried to the small island near the 17th green, where he is marooned for approximately eight hours during live coverage, capturing player reactions from this unique angle.
Golf Channel and NBC also will continue the use of its wind-direction technology to track the wind conditions throughout the course, including tracking conditions both on the tee box and high above the par-3 17th hole. The technology was first introduced during the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing earlier this year.
MORNING DRIVE: Morning Drive will have a live presence on site at the TPC Sawgrass driving range beginning Tuesday with analysis, guests and features exclusive to the show. Morning Drive will begin each day with the latest news from THE PLAYERS Championship with John Cook, Matt Ginella, Damon Hack, Cara Robinson and Charlie Rymer hosting on-site.
THE GOLF FIX: Airing Monday at 6 p.m. ET, host Michael Breed will play the closing holes at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass (holes 16-18) teaching the shots the pros will hit at THE PLAYERS Championship. Breed will show viewers how to hit a draw off the 16th tee, how to hit it close on the island green on 17 and how to conquer the water off the tee on 18.
FEATURES: Throughout the week within Live From THE PLAYERS, Golf Channel’s features will include:
- 2015 PLAYERS Championship Recap – 2015 PLAYERS champion Rickie Fowler discusses his unforgettable final round last year and how the biggest win of his career has taken him from a popular yet unproven player to a confident, verified star on the PGA TOUR.
- Club Donation – After winning THE PLAYERS Championship, the champion donates one of his clubs back to TPC Sawgrass who puts it on display. Matt Ginella takes a look at which clubs former winners picked to donate and why.
- What’s in a “Team” – While golf is an individual sport, players like Jordan Spieth often use the words “we” and “team.” This feature will take a close examination at the growing trend of players and their “teams” on the PGA TOUR.
- The Mental Pressure of the Closing Holes at TPC Sawgrass – Rich Lerner sits down with the game’s preeminent mental coaches and several players to discuss the mental grind the players go through on the finishing stretch of holes at THE PLAYERS Championship.
DIGITAL CONTENT: Golf Channel Digital will feature expanded editorial content during THE PLAYERS Championship week, with up-to-the-minute blogs and fan interaction, including:
- News & Features – GolfChannel.com writers Will Gray, Rex Hoggard, Ryan Lavner, and Randall Mell will report from TPC Sawgrass throughout the week.
- Exclusive Video Content – GolfChannel.com will provide video updates daily throughout the week from the network’s digital studio in Orlando, as well as segments from Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS and Morning Drive news coverage.
STREAMING ON GOLF LIVE EXTRA/NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: All the news and tournament action surrounding THE PLAYERS 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 NBC Sports’ coverage of live golf with NBC Sports Live Extra.
Golf Channel/NBC programming from THE PLAYERS Championship, May 9-15 (all times Eastern):
Monday, May 9
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
The Golf Fix 6-7 p.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 7-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 10
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-5 pm. / 7-9 p.m.
Wednesday, May 11
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. / 7-9 p.m.
Thursday, May 12
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
THE PLAYERS Championship (Round 1) 1-7 p.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 7-9 p.m.
Friday, May 13
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
THE PLAYERS Championship (Round 2) 1-7 p.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 7-9 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
THE PLAYERS Championship (Round 3) 2-7 p.m. (NBC)
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 7-9 p.m.
Sunday, May 15
Morning Drive 7-9 a.m.
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
THE PLAYERS Championship (Final Round) 2-7 p.m. (NBC)
Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS 7-9 p.m.
-NBC Sports Group-
