FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 16th, 2020
NBC SPORTS GROUP KICKS OFF FIRST OF 33 LPGA TOUR EVENTS IN 2020 WITH DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Four of Five Majors, Summer Olympics in Tokyo and UL International Crown Contribute to Most Number of Events and Hours of Women’s Golf in a Single Year Ever
Hall-of-Famer Judy Rankin Returns for 10th Season as GOLF Channel’s LPGA Tour Lead Analyst, 36th Overall
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 15, 2020 – 2020 will feature the most number of hours and events ever dedicated to women’s golf across NBC Sports, headlined by a global schedule of 33 LPGA Tour events that includes live coverage of four of five major championships and the biennial UL International Crown team competition.
With the addition of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, NBC Sports will produce more than 500 tournament hours of women’s golf coverage in 2020, the most hours and events ever dedicated to the women’s game in a single year.
“As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the LPGA Tour, I can’t help but wonder what our 13 Founders would think to hear that women’s golf will see more than 500 hours of television coverage, distributed to over 160 countries,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “Without GOLF Channel and NBC, our long-time and trusted partners, we would not have the opportunity to share the inspiring stories of our athletes. 2020 is going to be a record-setting year from the LPGA Tour in terms of purse, TV and Members connected to our brand. I can’t wait for our fans around the world to see it all unfold.”
“With the LPGA Tour, four of five majors, Tokyo Olympics and the UL International Crown airing across NBC Sports, we are the television home for women’s golf,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer, GOLF Channel and NBC Olympics. “In 2020, we’ll deliver our most hours ever dedicated to the women’s game and elevate the LPGA Tour’s stars as they travel the globe on this international tour.”
DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS KICKS OFF 2020 SEASON
The 2020 LPGA Tour season kicks off Thursday in Orlando, Fla., with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America. The winner’s-only event features 26 LPGA Tour winners from the past two seasons, joined by 49 celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment. GOLF Channel will air live coverage Thursday and Friday (Noon-3 p.m. ET). Weekend coverage will air on GOLF Channel from 2-3 p.m. ET, continuing on NBC from 3-5 p.m. ET.
For the second consecutive year, NBC will bookend the LPGA Tour season, beginning this week with coverage from the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and concluding in November with live coverage of the CME Group Tour Championship.
Paige Mackenzie will serve as lead analyst for live tournament coverage of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, joined by Grant Boone as play-by-play host. Tom Abbott will serve as a hole announcer with Jerry Foltz and Karen Stupples reporting from the course. Damon Hack will conduct interviews with celebrities and players during the tournament telecasts.
FOUR OF FIVE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS AND UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN HEADLINE SUMMER STRETCH
NBC Sports Group will air coverage from 33 LPGA Tour events in 2020, headlined by live coverage of four of the five major championships: the ANA Inspiration (March 30-April 5); the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (June 25-28); The Evian Championship (July 22-26); and the AIG Women’s British Open (Aug. 20-23).
In August, women’s golf will take center stage across NBC Sports during a four-week stretch featuring the Summer Olympics, AIG Women’s British Open and UL International Crown. Kicking off August will be the return of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The world’s top players will convene upon Kasumigaseki Country Club, with GOLF Channel and NBC airing comprehensive coverage of the women’s golf competition, Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 5-8. The LPGA Tour will then head to Scotland for two weeks, with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and the AIG Women’s British Open – the latter taking place at historic Royal Troon Golf Club – culminating with the biennial UL International Crown team competition taking place in England.
HALL-OF-FAMER JUDY RANKIN RETURNS FOR 10TH SEASON AS GOLF CHANNEL ANALYST; 36TH YEAR IN TELEVISION
Hall-of-Famer and 26-time LPGA Tour winner Judy Rankin returns for her 10th season as GOLF Channel’s lead LPGA Tour analyst, and 36th season overall in television. Rankin will join play-by-play host Grant Boone at the newly minted Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio (Jan. 23-26), taking place in Boca Raton, Fla., her first of 13 events in the broadcast booth.
Stupples and Mackenzie will rotate with Rankin as lead LPGA Tour analysts in 2020. Boone, Terry Gannon and Whit Watson will serve as play-by-play hosts, joined by Tom Abbott, Kay Cockerill, Foltz, and Jim Gallagher, Jr as hole announcers and course reporters throughout the season.
NCAA WOMEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS AND AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR SHOWCASE FUTURE STARS OF WOMEN’S GOLF
Also in 2020, GOLF Channel and NBC will shine a spotlight on women’s golf future stars with live coverage of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships (May 25-28) from Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and the second- annual Augusta National Women’s Amateur, taking place at historic Augusta National Golf Club (April 1-4).
NBC Sports Group 2020 LPGA Tour Schedule
| Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions | Jan. 16-19 | GOLF/NBC |
| Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio | Jan. 23-26 | GOLF |
| ISPS Handa Vic Open | Feb. 5-8 | GOLF |
| ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open | Feb. 12-15 | GOLF |
| Honda LPGA Thailand | Feb. 19-22 | GOLF |
| HSBC Women’s World Championship | Feb. 26-29 | GOLF |
| Blue Bay LPGA | March 4-8 | GOLF |
| Founders Cup | March 19-22 | GOLF |
| Kia Classic | March 26-29 | GOLF |
| ANA Inspiration | April 2-5 | GOLF |
| LOTTE Championship | April 15-18 | GOLF |
| HUGEL-AIR Premia LA Open | April 23-26 | GOLF |
| LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship | April 30-May 3 | GOLF |
| Pelican Women’s Championship | May 14-17 | GOLF |
| Pure Silk Championship | May 21-24 | GOLF |
| ShopRite LPGA Classic | May 29-31 | GOLF |
| Meijer LPGA Classic | June 11-14 | GOLF |
| Walmart NW Arkansas Championship | June 19-21 | GOLF |
| KPMG Women’s PGA Championship | June 25-28 | GOLF/NBC |
| Marathon Classic | July 9-11 | GOLF |
| Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational | July 15-17 | GOLF |
| Evian Championship | July 23-26 | GOLF/CNBC |
| Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open | Aug. 13-16 | GOLF |
| AIG Women’s British Open | Aug. 20-23 | GOLF/NBC |
| UL International Crown | Aug. 27-30 | GOLF |
| CP Women’s Open | Sept. 3-6 | GOLF |
| Cambia Portland Classic | Sept. 10-13 | GOLF |
| Volunteers of America Classic | Oct. 1-4 | GOLF |
| Buick LPGA Shanghai | Oct. 15-18 | GOLF |
| BMW Ladies Championship | Oct. 22-25 | GOLF |
| Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA | Oct. 29-Nov. 1 | GOLF |
| TOTO Japan Classic | Nov. 5-7 | GOLF |
| CME Group Tour Championship | Nov. 19-22 | GOLF/NBC |
