2016 World Long Drive Championship Under the Lights in Primetime Tonight and Wednesday
2016-17 PGA TOUR Season Kicks off in California at Safeway Open
Former World No. 1 Luke Donald Hosts British Masters
Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak to Make Final LPGA Start in South Korea at LPGA KEB – HanaBank Championship
Final Opportunity to Qualify for Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs at SAS Championship in North Carolina
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2016) – The field is set for the remaining 16 competitors at the 2016 World Long Drive Championship, with live coverage airing back-to-back nights in primetime and under the lights on Golf Channel tonight and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. The field is competing for a $260,000 purse, with $125,000 awarded to the eventual champion. The winner also will receive a customized championship belt, built by the renowned Orange County Choppers. The PGA TOUR kicks off its 2016-17 wraparound season this week in Napa, Calif., with the Safeway Open, where Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar headline the field. The European Tour is in England for the British Masters, hosted by former World No. 1 Luke Donald. The PGA TOUR Champions hosts its final regular season event for the 2016 season this week at the SAS Championship, where the leading 72 players on the money list at the end of the week will advance to the three-event Charles Schwab Cup playoffs. The LPGA Tour is in South Korea this week for the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, where Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak will make her final start in her native country.
WORLD LONG DRIVE
World Long Drive Championship
Dates: Oct. 11-12
Venue WinStar Resort & Casino, Thackerville, Okla.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Tuesday 8-10 p.m. ET (Live) / 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Wednesday 8-10 p.m. ET (Live) / 11 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Format: Beginning with a field of 80 players, the field has been narrowed to 16 for Tuesday’s round, which will be narrowed to the final 8 for Wednesday’s coverage of the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matches.
The purse: The field is competing for a $260,000 purse, with $125,000 awarded to the eventual champion. Additionally, the winner will receive a customized Championship belt, built by renowned Orange County Choppers.
Burke defends: Two-time winner (2013, 2015) and defending champion Tim Burke has advanced to compete in the round of 16 matchups on Tuesday.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Bob Papa
Analysts: Michael Breed, Art Sellinger
Interviews: Jerry Foltz
PGA TOUR
Safeway Open
Dates: Oct. 13-16
Venue: Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course)
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 4-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 4-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
2016-17 season kicks off: This week marks the first of 47 official events during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season, with seven of those events being played in 2016.
Napa, Calif., resident Johnny Miller to contribute to Golf Channel’s event coverage: Napa resident and Golf Channel on NBC analyst Johnny Miller will make multiple appearances during Golf Channel’s telecasts of the Safeway Open this week.
Safeway Open Pro-Am airing Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET: On Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will air the Safeway Open Pro-Am, as players make their final preparations ahead of Thursday’s opening round.
Headlining the field: Phil Mickelson, Wesley Bryan, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, Emiliano Grillo, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Na, John Rahm, Patrick Rodgers, Ollie Schniederjans and Justin Thomas
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Terry Gannon
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Steve Sands
Tower: Matt Gogel
On Course: John Cook
On Course: Roger Maltbie
Interviews: Todd Lewis / Tim Rosaforte
EUROPEAN TOUR
British Masters
Dates: Oct. 13-16
Venue: The Grove – Chandler’s Cross, England
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern)
Thursday 4:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday 4:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 7 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Sunday 7 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Fitzpatrick defends: Matthew Fitzpatrick defeated Shane Lowry, Soren Kjeldsen and Fabrizio Zanotti by two strokes in 2015 to earn his first career European Tour win.
Luke Donald hosts: Former World No. 1 Luke Donald is serving as tournament host for the British Masters.
European Ryder Cup Team Members Headline Field: Five members of the European Ryder Cup team are in the field, along with Hall of Famer Jose Maria Olazabal, who is making his first competitive start since the 2015 Masters.
Headlining the field: Luke Donald, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Trevor Immelman, Andrew Johnston, Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Alex Noren, Jose Maria Olazabal, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett and Chris Wood.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Play by Play: Dominik Holyer
Analysts: Warren Humphreys, Sam Torrance, Tony Johnstone
On Course: Jay Townsend
LPGA TOUR
LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship
Dates: Oct. 13-16
Venue: Sky 72 Golf Club (Ocean Course) – Incheon, South Korea
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 12:30-3 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Thursday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Friday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Thompson defends: Lexi Thompson defeated Yani Tseng and Sung Hyun Park by one stroke to earn her sixth career LPGA win in 2015.
Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak to Make Final LPGA Start in Korea – Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak, who paved the way for future Korean born players on the LPGA Tour by becoming the first Korean born player to win on Tour at the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open, will make her final LPGA start in her home country this week before retiring from competitive golf.
Headlining the field: Se Ri Pak, In Gee Chun, Shanshan Feng, Brooke Henderson, Ha Na Jang, Ariya Juganugarn, Cristie Kerr, In-Kyung Kim, Sei Young Kim, Lydia Ko, Haru Nomura, Anna Nordqvist, Suzann Pettersen, Gerina Piller, Lexi Thompson, Amy Yang.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
SAS Championship
Dates: Oct. 14-16
Venues: Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 1:30-4 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 2:30-5 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 2:30-5 p.m. (Live) / 1-3 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Final Regular Season Event for 2016 PGA TOUR Champions Season: The SAS Championship is the final regular season event for the 2016 season. The leading 72 players on the money list at the end of the week will advance to the inaugural three-event Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
Wildcard Weekend: One player who finishes in the top-10 this week but finishes outside the top-72 on the season-long money list will qualify for the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
Headlining the field: Woody Austin, Brad Faxon, Jay Haas, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Rocco Mediate, Colin Montgomerie, Jesper Parnevik, Craig Parry, Hal Sutton, Ian Woosnam.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Lanny Wadkins
Tower: John Mahaffey / Dave Marr
On-Course: Billy Ray Brown
-NBC Sports Group-