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HORSE RACING’S 1/ST RACING TOUR CONTINUES WITH FLORIDA DERBY LIVE THIS SATURDAY AT 6 P.M. ET ON CNBC AND PEACOCK

March 29, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Saturday Marks Five Weeks to the “Run for the Roses” on Saturday, May 6

Hall of Famer and Three-Time Florida Derby Winner Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss Join Host Ahmed Fareed to Anchor Coverage

Florida Derby Marks Second of Three Consecutive Saturday Afternoons with Kentucky Derby Prep Races Across NBC, CNBC and Peacock

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 29, 2023 – NBC Sports presents live coverage of the $1 million Florida Derby (G1), a key prep race ahead of the 149th Kentucky Derby, as part of the 1/ST RACING TOUR this Saturday, April 1, live at 6 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock from 1/ST’s Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

2023 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Forte, who currently sits fourth in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings, is the ⅘ morning-line favorite in the 1 ⅛-mile Florida Derby and looks to capture his fourth Grade 1 stakes race.

The Florida Derby will award a total of 200 Kentucky Derby qualification points, with 100 going to the winner of the race.

Ahmed Fareed hosts Saturday’s coverage alongside analysts Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey who has won the Florida Derby three times, and Randy Moss.

The Florida Derby marks the second of three consecutive Saturday afternoons with Kentucky Derby prep races coverage across NBC, CNBC and Peacock, continuing with the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 8 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

NBC SPORTS AND HORSE RACING

NBC Sports is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP & 1/ST 

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core.  The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class horse racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horse racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: Horse Racing, NBC, Uncategorized

MANCHESTER CITY HOST LIVERPOOL THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 1, AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON PEACOCK

March 29, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

First-Place Arsenal Host Leeds United Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on USA Network and Universo

Third-Place Manchester United Visit Fifth-Place Newcastle Sunday, Apr. 2, at 11:30 a.m. ET on USA Network and Telemundo

Goal Rush Whip-Around Show Streams Live on Peacock this Saturday During 10 a.m. ET Multi-Match Window

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 29, 2023 – Second-place Manchester City host Liverpool this Saturday, Apr. 1, at 7:30 a.m. ET on Peacock, highlighting Premier League action across NBC Sports this weekend.

In their most recent Premier League match on Mar. 11, Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace, 1-0, behind a penalty from Erling Haaland, who leads the PL with 28 goals. City are unbeaten in their past six PL matches and are eight points behind first-place Arsenal with one fewer match played. Liverpool lost to Bournemouth, 1-0, on Mar. 11. Peter Drury and Graeme Le Saux will call the match live from the Etihad Stadium. Peacock will also present the match live in Spanish.

Coverage this weekend begins with Premier League Mornings Saturday at 7 a.m. ET on Peacock leading into Manchester City-Liverpool. Five matches will be presented live Saturday at 10 a.m. ET: first-place Arsenal v. Leeds United (USA Network, Universo), Bournemouth v. Fulham (Peacock), Brighton & Hove Albion v. Brentford (Peacock), Crystal Palace v. Leicester City (Peacock), and Nottingham Forest v. Wolverhampton Wanderers (Peacock). The Goal Rush whip-around show will stream live on Peacock at 10 a.m. ET, providing viewers the most compelling action in real time and on replay so they won’t miss a single goal or key play.

At 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Christian Pulisic and Chelsea host Aston Villa on USA Network and Universo.

On Sunday, Premier League Mornings begins at 8 a.m. ET on USA Network, followed by Southampton visiting West Ham at 9 a.m. ET (USA Network) in matchup between two clubs in the relegation zone. Then at 11:30 a.m. ET, third-place Manchester United visit fifth-place Newcastle on USA Network and Telemundo. Drury and Le Saux will call the match live from St. James’ Park.

This weekend’s action concludes Monday, Apr. 3, with fourth-place Tottenham visiting Everton at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and Universo, followed by Goal Zone at 5 p.m. ET (USA Network).

Rebecca Lowe hosts Saturday and Sunday Premier League Mornings, Premier League Live and Goal Zone shows alongside former Premier League player Robbie Mustoe and former USMNT and Premier League player Tim Howard. Paul Burmeister hosts Monday’s shows alongside Mustoe and former Premier League player Danny Higginbotham.

This season, Peacock will once again stream all games airing on the NBC broadcast network live. In addition, Peacock will feature studio shows, full match replays and the Premier League TV channel. All matchdays and windows exclusively on Peacock will feature NBC Sports’ Premier League studio coverage.

THE 2 ROBBIES PODCAST

Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe discuss and dissect the top Premier League storylines after every matchweek on “The 2 Robbies” podcast. On the most recent episode, Earle and Mustoe discuss Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, the relegation picture, and more. “The 2 Robbies” podcast is available anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Click here to listen to the podcast or click here to watch on YouTube.

NBC SPORTS PUB PASS

For commercial establishments looking to show Premier League, they can get the NBC Sports Pub Pass, the new customizable platform specifically for the retail pub/restaurant market in the USA. The NBC Sports Pub Pass offers Pubs, Bars, Clubs and Restaurants and commercial establishments nationwide all the Premier League matches and programming specifically for commercial establishments – Live, Commercial-Free and On-Demand. To subscribe or to find out more information about the NBC Sports Pub Pass go to https://www.nbcpubpass.com/.

STREAMING ON PEACOCK

Peacock’s expansive programming features live sports coverage including Premier League, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Sunday Night Football, Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, SuperMotocross World Championship, golf, Olympic sports, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.

To learn more about how to watch Premier League on Peacock and how to sign up visit peacocktv.com/sports/premier-league.

Premier League games on NBC and USA Network will be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.

Following is NBC Sports’ schedule for this week’s Premier League coverage (all times ET, subject to change):

Date Time (ET) Match Platform
Sat., Apr. 1 7 a.m. Premier League Mornings Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 7:30 a.m. Manchester City v. Liverpool Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 9:30 a.m. Premier League Live USA Network
Sat., Apr. 1 10 a.m. Arsenal v. Leeds United USA Network, Universo
Sat., Apr. 1 10 a.m. Bournemouth v. Fulham Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 10 a.m. Brighton & Hove Albion v. Brentford Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 10 a.m. Crystal Palace v. Leicester City Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 10 a.m. Nottingham Forest v. Wolverhampton Wanderers Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 Noon Premier League Live USA Network, Peacock
Sat., Apr. 1 12:30 p.m. Chelsea v. Aston Villa USA Network, Universo
Sat., Apr. 1 2:30 p.m. Goal Zone USA Network
Sun., Apr. 2 8 a.m. Premier League Mornings USA Network
Sun., Apr. 2 9 a.m. West Ham v. Southampton USA Network
Sun., Apr. 2 11 a.m. Premier League Live USA Network
Sun., Apr. 2 11:30 a.m. Newcastle v. Manchester United USA Network, Telemundo
Sun., Apr. 2 1:30 p.m. Goal Zone USA Network
Mon., Apr. 3 2 p.m. Premier League Live USA Network
Mon., Apr. 3 3 p.m. Everton v. Tottenham USA Network, Universo
Mon., Apr. 3 5 p.m. Goal Zone USA Network

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: NBC, Premier League, Soccer, Uncategorized

2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON CONTINUES FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH THE PPG 375 THIS SUNDAY AT 12 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK

March 29, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Peacock to Stream Exclusive Live Coverage of INDYCAR Practices and Qualifying From Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday

MotoGP Argentine Grand Prix Presented Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on CNBC

New Dale Jr. Download Featuring Chip Ganassi Streams Tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 29, 2023 – The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season continues with live coverage of the PPG 375 from Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth this Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The race marks the second of seven races airing on NBC to begin the season. Peacock is the streaming home of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, presenting all races, qualifying and practices this season.

Reigning and two-time INDYCAR champion Will Power is part of a star-studded group of drivers in the series’ paddock that includes six-time champion Scott Dixon, two-time champion Josef Newgarden, four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves, and Pato O’Ward, among others. Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Marcus Ericsson took the checkered flag at the season opener Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, with O’Ward and Dixon rounding out the podium.

Newgarden looks to win his third career race at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend and defend his 2022 victory, where he made a thrilling last-lap pass on Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin to earn the win.

Live coverage of qualifying and practice sessions from Texas on Saturday will stream exclusively on Peacock. For more information about Peacock’s comprehensive streaming coverage of the 2023 INDYCAR season and how to sign up, click here.

NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR commentary team of Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Townsend Bell (analyst) and James Hinchcliffe (analyst) will call the race. Marty Snider and Dave Burns will provide reports from pit road.

Coverage airing on NBC will also stream live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

BROADCAST TEAM

  • Play by Play: Leigh Diffey
  • Analysts: Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe
  • Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Dave Burns

HOW TO WATCH

  • TV – NBC
  • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Date Coverage Platform(s) Time (ET)
Sat., April 1 PPG 375 – Practice 1 Peacock 9 a.m.
  PPG 375 – Qualifying Peacock 12:15 p.m.
  PPG 375 – Practice 2 Peacock 1:45 p.m.
Sun., April 2 PPG 375 NBC, Peacock 12 p.m.

MOTOGP: ARGENTINE GRAND PRIX

The second stop of the 2023 MotoGP season is the Argentine Grand Prix from Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on CNBC. Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia began the season with a victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix last weekend with Maverick Vinales finishing in second.

Live and on-demand coverage of all races will be available to stream on MotoGP VideoPass, in addition to every session of MotoGP, Moto2™ and Moto3™, and races and qualifying for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship. For more details, click here or visit MotoGP.TV. NBC Sports’ complete schedule can be found here.

THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD

The latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download features Chip Ganassi tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET on Peacock. As CEO of Chip Ganassi Racing, he has been a team owner overseeing 21 championships and more than 240 victories across INDYCAR, NASCAR, and IMSA. Weekly and on-demand episodes of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast will stream exclusively on the platform, taking viewers table-side for unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight from Dale Jr.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: IndyCar, motogp, Motorsports, NBC, Uncategorized

AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS NEARLY 40 HOURS OF LIVE GOLF COVERAGE ACROSS NBC, PEACOCK AND GOLF CHANNEL THIS WEEK

March 29, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open Live Coverage From TPC San Antonio Begins Thursday at 4 p.m. ET on Peacock and GOLF Channel

Live Coverage of Augusta National Women’s Amateur Begins Today From Champions Retreat Golf Club in Georgia at 1:30 p.m. ET on Peacock and GOLF Channel

LPGA Tour Season Continues at DIO Implant LA Open From Palos Verdes Golf Club in California; Live Coverage Begins Thursday in Primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel

Live Coverage of Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals Begins Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and GOLF Channel

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 29, 2023 – NBC Sports presents nearly 40 hours of live golf coverage across NBC, Peacock and GOLF Channel this week, highlighted by the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open.

AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR

72 of the world’s top female amateurs are scheduled to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this week. The first two rounds will be played at Champions Retreat Golf Club before the leading 30 players and ties compete in the final round at Augusta National Golf Club for the title. Provided she remains an amateur, the winner will get spots into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2023 AIG Women’s Open. Reigning champion Anna Davis looks to defend her title this week.

Live coverage gets underway today and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET on Peacock and GOLF Channel – the first time that GOLF Channel will air coverage of the first two rounds at Champions Retreat. The final round at Augusta National will be presented on NBC and Peacock on Sunday at Noon ET. Click here for more details.

NBC, GOLF Channel & Peacock Broadcast Team

    • Host/Play by Play: Mike Tirico / Cara Banks
    • Analyst: Morgan Pressel
    • Holes: Paige Mackenzie / Steve Burkowski
    • On-Course: Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay
    • Interviews: Cara Banks

 

How To Watch – Wednesday, March 29 – Saturday, April 1 (all times ET)

    • TV – NBC, GOLF Channel
    • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day NBC/Peacock GOLF Channel/Peacock
Wednesday   1:30-3:30 p.m.
Thursday   1:30-3:30 p.m.
Saturday 12-3:30 p.m.

 

Notable Players This Week

    • Anna Davis
    • Ingrid Lindblad
    • Latanna Stone
    • Rose Zhang
    • Jensen Castle
    • Tsubasa Kajitani
    • Emilia Migliaccio

 

PGA TOUR: VALERO TEXAS OPEN

The PGA TOUR stays in Texas this weekend at the Valero Texas Open from TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course). The winner of the 92nd playing of this tournament, if he is not already exempt, gets a spot into next week’s Masters.

Live coverage gets underway tomorrow and Friday at 4 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock. During the weekend, live coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel on both days before transitioning to NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

NBC, GOLF Channel & Peacock Broadcast Team

    • Play by Play: Dan Hicks / Steve Sands
    • Analyst: Paul Azinger
    • Holes: Curt Byrum
    • On-Course: John Wood / Smylie Kaufman
    • Interviews/Reports: Damon Hack

 

How To Watch – Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2 (all times ET)

    • TV – NBC, GOLF Channel
    • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day NBC/Peacock GOLF Channel/Peacock
Thursday   4-7 p.m.
Friday   4-7 p.m.
Saturday 3:30-6 p.m. 1-3:30 p.m.
Sunday 2:30-6 p.m. 1-2:30 p.m.


Notable Players This Week

    • Rickie Fowler
    • Hideki Matsuyama
    • Tyrrell Hatton
    • Corey Conners
    • Pierceson Coody
    • Francesco Molinari
    • Si Woo Kim

 

LPGA TOUR: DIO IMPLANT LA OPEN

The 2023 LPGA Tour season continues this week with the DIO Implant LA Open at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. This is the first time Palos Verdes Golf Club will host the event after being previously held at Wilshire Country Club since its inception in 2018.

Opening round coverage gets underway Thursday and Friday live in primetime at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel. Weekend coverage begins live at 6 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock.

GOLF Channel & Peacock Broadcast Team

    • Play by Play: Grant Boone
    • Analyst: Judy Rankin
    • Holes: Tom Abbott
    • On-Course: Kay Cockerill / Angela Stanford

 

How To Watch – Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2 (all times ET)

    • TV – GOLF Channel
    • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day GOLF Channel/Peacock Peacock
Thursday 7-9:30 p.m. 6:30-7 p.m.
Friday 7-9:30 p.m. 6:30-7 p.m.
Saturday 6-9 p.m.  
Sunday 6-9 p.m.  

 

Notable Players This Week

    • Nelly Korda
    • Lexi Thompson
    • Danielle Kang
    • Jin Young Ko
    • Brooke Henderson
    • Jennifer Kupcho
    • Leona Maguire

 

DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS

The ninth edition of the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals will be held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., this Sunday. A total of 40 boys and 40 girls will compete for titles in four age divisions for each gender: 7-9, 10- 11, 12-13, and 14-15. The driving and chipping competitions will take place at the Tournament Practice Area at Augusta National GC, while the putting competition takes place on the 18th green.

Live coverage begins Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and GOLF Channel.

How To Watch – Sunday, April 2 (all times ET)

    • TV – GOLF Channel
    • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day GOLF Channel/Peacock
Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

 

BEYOND THE FAIRWAY

NBC Sports’ Beyond The Fairway podcast has returned for a third season with professional golfers Doug Smith and Will Lowery hosting the series alongside former professional golfer Henni Koyack. Throughout the season, Smith, Lowery, and Koyack will provide honest and candid discussions on hot-button topics inside and outside the world of golf, plus interview celebrities, athletes and golf influencers about what drives their passion for this great game and how to move it forward.

Click here to listen to the latest episode.

BROADCAST NOTES

    • Golf Central will provide pre- and post-tournament coverage on GOLF Channel Wednesday-Sunday. Golf Central coverage is anchored by Brandel Chamblee, Matt Adams, Jaime Diaz, Tripp Isenhour, Kira Dixon, George Savaricas, Jim Gallagher Jr., and Anna Jackson.
    • Special on-site Live From The Augusta National Women’s Amateur coverage on Friday and Saturday will be hosted by Chamblee, Jackson, and Beth Ann Nichols.
    • Golf Today on Wednesday will be hosted by Savaricas, Dixon, and Eamon Lynch.

 

Day Golf Central Golf Today Live From The Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Wednesday 3:30-4:30 p.m. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.  
Thursday 3:30-4 p.m./9:30-10:30 p.m.    
Friday 3-4 p.m./9:30-10:30 p.m.   1-3 p.m.
Saturday Noon-1 p.m./9-10 p.m.   10 a.m.-Noon ET
Sunday 9-10 p.m.    

Note: all times ET, post-round coverage begins following conclusion of play

All GOLF Channel coverage also streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app via authentication, giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: Golf, NBC, Uncategorized

TRANSCRIPT – NBC SPORTS GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE MASTERS MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL

March 28, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Rich Lerner

Brandel Chamblee

Notah Begay III

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to our “Live From the Masters” media conference call. We will be joined by our host, Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Notah Begay III “Live From” studio team. We already have members of our production and on-air teams on the ground in Augusta for what will be more than 100 hours of programming from in and around Augusta National over the next 10 plus days.

We already had Paige Mackenzie and Morgan Pressel on Golf Today early this afternoon from Champions Retreat. For the first time, Golf Channel and Peacock will provide live coverage of the first two rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday and Thursday starting at 1:30 p.m. eastern.

We then head to Augusta National Golf Club for “Live From the Augusta Women’s Amateur” Friday at 1:00 p.m. eastern. Final round coverage on Saturday begins at noon eastern on NBC and Peacock.

One of the best events on the entire golf calendar, Sunday morning, 8:00 a.m. eastern we will have live coverage of the Drive, Chip & Putt Finals on Golf Channel and Peacock, and then everything shifts to the Masters with our comprehensive studio coverage originating from Augusta National that begins Monday next week at 2:00 p.m. eastern.

RICH LERNER: Thanks, and thanks for jumping on. Always excited to go to Augusta National. This one, 2023, is as unusual as any I can remember. Potentially even uneasy and uncomfortable because of the presence of LIV golfers.

I don’t think there’s any way around it. This would be the first time that I can recall that Tiger Woods will very likely, certainly on Monday night barring any breaking news with respect to his health, first time that I can remember that on “Live From,” we likely, underline likely, will not lead with Tiger Woods, but instead the presence of LIV Golf, the 18 players that are set to tee it up there.

I think, again, at this point not knowing what may be said or how LIV players may or may not interact with PGA TOUR players, without knowing that at this point, our goal going in at this point is to cover LIV at least initially through the competitive lens.

You cannot deny however you feel about LIV. You cannot deny their accomplishments at Augusta and at the majors in general. Six LIV players have won seven of the last 13 Masters, going back to 2010. LIV golfers have won approximately 40 percent of all the majors played. These are significant figures in the game.

We’ll cover it and ask questions, how competitively sharp might they be, how much golf have they played, where have they intersected with PGA TOUR players on the worldwide competitive circuit, the Middle East earlier in the year, things of that nature.

And then we’ll have cameras trained to watch for any interactions in the tournament, the practice area. Will they be in the media center? Will Augusta make them available? Assuming they will, but we don’t know for sure at this point, so we’ll be ready on that front.

Then from there, we cover the Masters and we remember always that — at Augusta you take a breath. You slow down a little bit. People are tuning in I think because they’re curious as to how all this is going to go with respect to LIV, but also because they love the Masters and they want to find out about the changes at the 13th hole.

We’ll be in depth from the jump on Monday night. Jaime Diaz has a deep dive on the changes to the 13th hole and I know Brandel and Paul (McGinley) are there as it relates to the distance debate in the sport. We’ll certainly look at Rory and his ninth try at trying to complete the Career Grand Slam. High hopes again coming in for Rory.

I’ve said this before on shows that should he do it, I think he becomes the first bona fide legend of the post-Tiger Woods era. Very first. And then there’s Scottie. You cannot overlook Scottie. I think there is a tendency to do just that, but I think by Sunday night he could have us all rethinking just what we’re looking at here.

This is a guy it appears who’s built for the long haul, has the constitution and disposition to be maybe a six- or seven-time major champion. He’s sitting on one now, but if he walks out with back-to-back Masters on Sunday night, I think that would be a legitimate discussion.

Then Mickelson’s presence on the grounds we’re going to look at closely, as well. We have a wonderful feature on Sam Bennett, U.S. Amateur champion and the challenges he’s faced. We’re going to look at the green quadrants.

So we’ll be golfy. We certainly won’t be all LIV all the time. We’re certainly not going to shy away from that, but there’s so many other aspects to cover, as Brandel and Notah know full well.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll hand it over to Brandel Chamblee. Go ahead.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Rich summed it up perfectly. I personally am very curious to see how the LIV players compete. I have peripherally paid attention to the competitions going on on LIV because to the extent that there are going to be players commingling in the major championships, it’s obvious that you’ve got to pay attention out there and how they’re playing.

But I’ll be curious to see how they play once they get to Augusta National, to see if they can make the transition to playing on a golf course that is quite a bit different in setup and the grasses that they’re playing on, where they’ll be playing on this week before they head to Augusta.

That’ll be very curious, and I think to the extent the media there this year will be a little bit different. There will be, I suspect, a number of media there who are present just to ask LIV questions, some pointed LIV questions, so no doubt that the players that we see in the media center are going to be asked some difficult questions about the decisions they have made to go to LIV.

To the extent that they get those questions asked to them, to the extent that they answer them honestly, that will, I think, dominate, unfortunately, the talking points for the first three days.

Once you move past that, I think you get to some very compelling aspects. First and foremost, our familiarity with Augusta National, at least here in the United States, is give every single shot historical context and adds to the drama, and the fact that it’s the first official major championship of the year gives it added weight.

Every single major championship is important no doubt, but it’s the Masters that is always just a little bit more memorable, certainly here in the United States.

And then of course you have the current and repeated theme of Rory McIlroy showing up with a chance to complete the Grand Slam. I agree with Rich when he talks about the significance and the possibility of Rory McIlroy possibly completing the Grand Slam.

When you start to look at all the players that are missing the third leg of the Grand Slam, there’s, what, 12 of them, something like that. And if you discount the first three, which really happened before there was a Masters, there’s really only been one great player I would say who came along with a chance to complete the Grand Slam at the Masters, and that was Lee Trevino, and he had this troubled relationship with the Masters. It just didn’t suit his game.

But I think beyond that, there are reasons specific to his Grand Slam why it didn’t fit his game, and I think he shared some of those reasons with Rory. I’m going to certainly dive into that as the week goes on, because I think that’s one of, if not the biggest, story of the week outside of LIV and Tiger. LIV and Tiger will dominate.

How Tiger plays, I think, will captivate us beyond belief, because what I saw earlier in the year from Tiger made me look towards the Masters with great anticipation. I never, ever thought I would see Tiger Woods play golf again the way he played at the Genesis.

Of course you can look at his finish and say there was nothing spectacular about it, but if you look at the combination of the power that he had there and so many of the iron shots that he stacked up on top of one another, and the fact that he showed some great putts on the greens, it certainly has the world of golf’s attention as we enter the Masters.

NOTAH BEGAY III: These guys summarized so many great things, and just from a general competitive context, I’m very much looking forward to comparing apples to apples in terms of LIV players and PGA TOUR players. I’ve been out there the last few weeks covering the PGA TOUR on the ground, watching these events come down to the very end and just seeing how sharp and competitive, how much these events and winning the tournaments means to the players.

There’s no question that there will be an element of sharpness to their game as they head to Augusta.

Question marks surround whether or not that same level of sharpness will be available to the LIV players, just not having played as much competitive golf at the highest level against the best players as the guys on the PGA TOUR.

I think that’s going to be something that I will be taking a direct look at.

In the broader context, I think that I’ve always been intrigued by just Augusta National in general, their influence on the game. We’re starting with ANWA this week, and then we’ll head into Drive, Chip & Putt. You talk about the Latin American Amateur Championship, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, just what they’ve singularly done, not being one of sort of the official governing bodies of our sport, but sort of a de facto governing body and how they’ve really utilized their platform and their reach and the influence of the Masters and its brand to grow golf. I think it’s remarkable.

I think that these young amateur female golfers that have a chance to come play here is a dream come true, and I think it’s something that is going to do great things in a sector of our sport that needs some attention. The growth in the ladies’ part of the game isn’t, I think, commensurate with other areas of the industry, and I just think Augusta has done probably more so than any other organization in golf to use its platform to broaden the reach of the game and make it more appealing and bring people into it.

The viewership does that. The reach and the broadcasting of the Masters does that. But these little things, these events and the avenues to compete at Augusta in whatever capacity, ANWA, DCP, the Masters itself, have had a major influence in putting golf on young kids’ radar to want to pursue the sport that is just so amazingly hard, that in this day and age of instant gratification I think it’s really done a lot to keep a lot of young kids intrigued and involved with the game.

I attribute a lot of that to the Masters and what they’ve done to appeal to this next generation of young golfers.

Q: Curious to ask you about the changes to No. 13 this year. Seems like there are only two schools of belief right now. It’s either that the changes have cheapened the hole or they’ve restored its architectural integrity and significance. I’m curious to get your thoughts on that. What do you think?

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: If you go back and look at the history of that hole when Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones first walked that property, that was the very first hole they found on the property.

Bobby Jones gets the credit for really discovering that hole and looking at it and saying, this is going to be the first hole — not the first hole as it’s played, but the first hole they could find.

But it was always intended when they designed it — Bobby Jones was not a fan of par-5s — that it took three shots to get on in regulation. So he was always a big fan of the in between sort of par-5s where you could get home with two good shots.

So even from the beginning that hole was meant to be sort of an in between, not quite a par-4, not quite a par-5.

If you look, here we are ninety years basically down the road and you look at the border behind you, they just really didn’t have any place to go. They were never going to move that green. So the hole was kind of landlocked.

So them being able to negotiate with Augusta Country Club and get that piece of property behind it and extend that hole I think is going to add some luster back to that hole, no doubt.

Look, as much as I’m against rolling the golf ball back, there were a few holes in the game of golf that when the pros played them, I did kind of wince. It did bother me. It does — to see players cut that corner and have a wedge in there.

Even though, look, Jack Nicklaus at his height hit 8-iron in there. He hit 8-iron into 15, going back in the ’60s. The longest of hitters have been able to, under certain conditions, absolutely destroy those holes from the philosophy that underpins them.

But as Rory said last week, we’re not going to be able to cut that corner unless it’s in a big way downwind. He said he’d basically just hit it straight out, which means you’re going to have at the very least, it seems to me, a mid-iron for the longest of hitters and long irons and maybe even some hybrids and woods into that green for these sort of middle-tier hitters.

I’m looking forward to it. That’s a change I felt like needed to take place for a long, long time. I’m very happy that it was able to work out, and I think it will restore some of the luster to that hole.

NOTAH BEGAY III: Just sort of echoing Brandel’s comments there in terms of seeing the greatest players of our game come through there at early points in our career, I was with Tiger in his first Masters.

Like I went with him in ’95, played as an amateur, and I think the biggest thing when he walked off after his first round was the fact that he hit pitching wedge into 15. Jack had an 8 (iron), Tiger hit a pitching wedge. I think the greatest players have always demonstrated sort of slightly better skill in certain areas than their counterparts.

But with regard to 13, when I played it — the last Masters I played was 20 years ago in 2001, and it still required a little bit of shape off of the tee. A lot of players were still hitting 3-wood, then a mid-iron, and if you really were able to sling it around the corner at times when the conditions were a little firmer, you might get a short iron in there.

But I just think it’s restoring the hole back to sort of what we saw — I would maybe go back to the early ’90s where guys would come in there occasionally with a long iron, but it’s usually a 5- or a 6-iron, something like that, and it’s just a hard shot. It’s a very hard shot to a small target with the ball above your feet. In most cases, that’s calling for a left to right shot, and I think that’s great that they’ve been able to restore it, and hopefully we’ll see more skill required than blasting something out there and then hitting a short iron in. I’m looking forward to it.

RICH LERNER: I would just add quickly, I think so long as on Sunday afternoon when it really matters we see, to Notah’s point, the 5-iron, maybe the 4-iron from the hanging lie, 230-ish, 225, 230, something on the order of what we saw — you think back to David Duval in 2000. He had the swirling winds and he backed off the shot a few times.

It was 196 that day, but that was one of the few poor shots he had hit that weekend where he played really well, and it cost him the tournament.

I think Brandel and Notah could back me up, 13 is certainly one of the most consequential holes in the history of the sport, and so long as it feels that way and we feel the weight of that shot right there, then I think it will have been a success.

(Bobby) Jones always said — called it the momentous decision whether or not to try for the green, and I would share with you I had a conversation with Ben Crenshaw not long ago, and Ben told me, and this wasn’t specific to 13, he was just talking about Augusta, but it’s most pronounced at the par-5s certainly and on the second nine on Sunday, “No one has ever played safe and won the Masters.” You have to risk. The golf course goads you in spots. That’s a spot right there for sure.

I think so long as it’s a middle iron, I think Brandel said depending on the conditions you might see 6 or 7 if you get it downwind, but so long as it’s a middle to maybe long iron, then I think the integrity will have been restored.

Q: Notah, already got a great answer from Brandel about Tiger. I’m curious what your takeaway was from seeing Tiger play, and maybe you could offer a little bit of color on what he’s been up to of late?

NOTAH BEGAY III: I mean, for good or for bad, I’ve had a ringside seat to this whole thing the last 10 years, and the fact that he was able to play at the level after basically being on the bench for six months, to come out and make a cut, I just can’t even get my mind around that. I know he’s Tiger Woods, but it is the PGA TOUR, and a high degree of play is required to compete at that level.

For him to go out and do that tells me a couple things, that he’s working on the right things. One thing that I think goes in his favor, the work that he did with Chris Como allowed him to gain a really strong understanding of his body mechanics and how he could generate the type of forces or club head speed, reducing certain types of stress or strain on his body.

Even though they did part ways a few years ago, I know Tiger has taken so much away from every single coach he’s worked with that I believe that’s really helped him in this next phase of another comeback, and just having a good clear understanding of just what pieces need to be strengthened, where he can increase stress, where he has to decrease stress in his mechanics to produce the types of shots.

He’s told me that there are certain shots that are not available to him anymore because of the stress that it does possibly put on his back, on his leg, so he’s had to sort of eliminate a handful of shots that just kind of don’t fall in line with trying to maintain the sustainability that he has to have.

He can still win. I mean, let’s not forget that. It’s not a question of ability. It’s a question of can he get through 72 holes and still maintain some strength and mobility in his leg on that final day. I think that’s the biggest question.

He was very tired after LA. Took him a few days to recover. Coming out of that, I think he got a good sense of, okay, just how hard he could push himself going into the Masters in preparation and just kind of how to pace himself during the week, and I think you’re going to see a nice measured preparation next week when he does arrive on the grounds as he just tries to figure out when and where to push himself.

Q: How much do you think what Chairman Ridley says about the golf ball will determine the direction that things go?

RICH LERNER: He’s enormously influential. I’ll make way for Brandel and then if I feel I have something to add to it, but that certainly would be one of the most if not the most — that’s saying something because LIV is there, but the most anticipated of all the Monday through Wednesday press conferences would likely be Chairman Ridley for what we anticipate he’s going to say about the model local rule and then also what he’ll say about LIV. But I’ll step aside for Brandel here.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Well, I agree with what Rich says, monumentally influential, obviously with his prior ties to the USGA, and you just look at these gentlemen that are involved in this in the governing bodies and you look at Augusta National, and they certainly have the best interest of the game in mind.

I don’t know that anybody is wrong here on either side of this issue. I don’t think that anybody could clearly say that anybody is wrong. If you’re in favor of a rollback, there’s reasonable arguments for it. If you’re not in favor of it, I think there’s reasonable arguments on that side. On one hand, people will say we want to protect the integrity of design, and I certainly understand that.

On the other end, I would say you want to protect the integrity of the game, which is that it’s never been bifurcated. You can’t do one without doing the other.

It’s a matter of do you think going forward — I listened to Michael Whan the other day on the Michael Breed show, and he talked about Rory’s kids and his kids’ kids wanting to play a game that — I think his sentiment was that wasn’t dependent on brute strength, where you didn’t have to lengthen golf courses. And that point resonates, no doubt.

But on the other hand, it is nice to think that Rory’s kids and his kids’ kids might be playing, or could if they wanted to, play the same equipment as Rory.

There are two sides of this issue. Then at least in my view, and again, I said it earlier, there are a few holes in the world where it’s not fun to watch the best players in the world get up on the 12th hole at St Andrews and drive the green, and those bunkers down there that were such an integral part of that design and so genius and so stupefying as you stand there, and they don’t even have to contend with them. I understand that, and unfortunately, they can’t move that tee back. I think there’s an estuary behind that tee. That is unfortunate.

Look, I make — nobody is suggesting that they’d never go back to St Andrews again, but there are loads of golf courses that they don’t play major championships on again and they’ve moved on, but there are a handful of holes that it’s just tough to watch the best players in the world play. I think it’s a very small number of holes and it’s a very small number of players that because of the way they play those holes, it threatens to undermine what at least I think is one of the most important aspects of the game.

Essentially, and I think Mark Broadie’s research bore this out, what it takes to win hasn’t changed, and the influence of power is overestimated in the game, at least that’s my takeaway from reading Mark Broadie’s research, and I tried to read it as unbiasedly as I could.

So it’s an interesting debate. I’ve got a lot of friends, and I listen to the governing bodies, and I certainly listen to Chairman Ridley, and I have respect for them. I don’t think either side is wrong.

But if they do roll the ball back, it will favor — statistically speaking, it looks like it’s just going to favor the longer hitters because effectively it’s going to make the golf courses longer, so that’s going to disproportionately reward the longer hitters.

NOTAH BEGAY III: I’m against the rollback for a couple reasons. I think not enough credit is being given to the athletes themselves, and the percentage of players that can swing over 120 now is much higher than it was 30 years ago. Everything that’s been put into the evolution of the athlete, as well, I think is being a little bit overlooked here.

It’s not solely due to technological improvements in drivers and balls, although that does kind of have a little bit of impact in terms of what the overall outcome is on a particular drive that’s hit at 120 miles an hour club head speed, precisely like a PGA TOUR player can hit it.

So that’s sort of my take from the player standpoint, but also from the romantic point of view, I think our sport has always been one where the average golfer can directly connect with the players that they look up to. We can go the Monday after the World Match Play, and if you’re lucky enough and you know somebody at Austin Country Club, you can play the course from the same tees, you can use the same equipment, you can play in a pro-am if you’re lucky enough and get next to somebody whose game you admire.

I think there’s always been this amazing connection between an everyday player and the best golfers in the world that really doesn’t exist in any other sport, and I think by rolling these things back and separating the two groups — not only will it bifurcate the rules, it’ll bifurcate a lot of golfers that love putting the same ball in play that Rory plays or Tiger plays or using the same driver that these other guys use because at what point do we stop.

I just think that we’ve done enough to this point to maybe not allow it to increase more, but I don’t think we need to roll it back.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Right, they drew a line in the sand in 2004. They initially did in 1998. I think they overlooked COR in the 1990s. I don’t think they had any idea that the Callaway Big Bertha was coming, and they didn’t, I don’t think, have the proper diagnostic tools to appropriately measure the COR in that, so in 1998 they established a COR limit, and then in 2004 they sort of changed their judgment, changed it to characteristic time, they put a line in the sand for MOI, put a line in the sand for the overall distance standard.

So from 2004 to now when you look at that difference in distance, it is too often contributed to technology and not often enough contributed to younger, taller, better athletes who are optimizing their launch angles.

RICH LERNER: I don’t think the governing bodies are suggesting that it is only the technology. I think that they absolutely acknowledge the work that’s been put in with respect to speed training, and they’re saying that if it continues at this rate, they’re just going to run out of land and that it would be irresponsible — I’m paraphrasing the governing bodies there, it would be irresponsible in their view to kick the can down the road, and if there are small measures that could be taken, why wouldn’t you in order to have a more, a better environmental footprint and to protect the cathedrals of the sport. I think that’s simply what they’re saying.

I don’t think they’re overlooking the athleticism. I think they’re staring the athleticism right in the face.

One other point I would say with respect to playing the same equipment. I think I can hold a golf club in my hand and it could be the same make and model, but I would no sooner be playing the same equipment than I would be driving the same Mercedes-Benz that they use in Formula 1. I think that sort of romantic idea in my estimation has been overplayed a little bit.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Well, no, the Mercedes you’re talking about in Formula 1 is meant to (indiscernible). The driver that you have is meant to optimize your speed. I don’t think that analogy holds.

I would say looking forward that for them to assume the increases in distance that we’ve seen in golf over the last 40 years with unprecedented leaps and bounds in optimization of equipment, rebound effect and a solid core golf ball technology with unprecedented leaps and bounds in fitness I think is, at least in my view, not warranted.

There are limits to how young players can get on the PGA TOUR. There are likely limits to how tall and still be able to play equipment, especially when they’ve made the length of a driver shaft maxing out at 46 yards, so there are physical limits to what can be achieved in the game, and of course now there are technical limits to what can be built in the game.

So the idea that the leaps and bounds that we’ve seen in driving distance will continue unabated into the future, I personally think is unfounded. I just don’t see that happening.

But what I will say is that what we have seen is an undoing of improper training in the golf swing. So players now are going back to an era of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s with regard to how they swing the club. The ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s was such an impoverishment of technique that it was mind-blowing.

So they are now returning to the more athletic golf swings of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, and it is like they’ve found the recipe for the pyramids again, and all of a sudden they’re building these majestic golf swings again, and so they’re unleashing the athleticism that’s been dormant for four decades.

RICH LERNER: Adam, I know one thing for certain, Brandel, you’ll back me up on this; we are going to be hearing “Wrap!” “Wrap!”

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: They’re going to be bookending me on the set with their views of a rollback.

RICH LERNER: I’m with you, Brandel. I think there are — it’s nuances, and there are strong arguments on both sides. I don’t think it’s black and white, but I think what we haven’t really discussed, nor do we have time but it’s enormous, is the commercial viability of all of this. I mean, I don’t have to tell anybody on this call how complicated that part of it could be, would be.

Q: Rory (McIlroy) has been on a tear this season. I was wondering how you would compare him to his previous seasons, and what chances do you give him of winning the Masters this year?

NOTAH BEGAY III: If I didn’t get a chance to see him play this week — I watched two or three of his matches. I don’t think he’s putting well enough right now. Now, he put a new putter in play. He did see some signs of life in his putting at times.

But I think that is going to be the singular key. Everything else from the tee to the green is top shelf. There’s no question he is playing as good as anybody in those key areas. But there were just some key putts in certain situations at critical times in the match, and they weren’t difficult putts.

I don’t know if he just wasn’t quite — stroke wasn’t feeling right. I know he had changed the way he was lining up his putts. He was using a line on top of his ball for the first time in an effort to possibly get more athletic when, in fact, I felt like it made him less athletic. It made him less reactive and a little too mechanical, methodical, however you want to characterize it. But that’s going to be it.

As far as Rory is concerned, he’s got to find just a little bit of magic in the putter, because as Brandel referenced through research, the core ingredients to winning major events hasn’t changed. I know power is what we fixate on because it’s fun. Home run hitters, we love to watch because they’re fun. We could name the last few home run leaders in Major League Baseball, but you probably couldn’t name who led the league in batting percentage. It’s just fun.

But yeah, it’ll come down to putting a little bit above his normal average. Last week he was ranked 175th in strokes gained putting, and he’s still eighth in strokes gained total, which tells you how good everything else in his game is.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Yeah, I think that’s reasonable. I thought it was awkward looking to see him using a line last week and setting it up and walking around and having to get in and readjust the line and so forth. Even though he did putt better last week. He made — he would have made dozens of must-make, in quotation mark, putts, and a few late that were absolutely must-make.

So the stroke overall looks great. I love the fact that he went to a blade. I’ve seen the data on forgiveness in mallet headed putters versus blade. On paper, mallets win 7-6, but I like the feel of a blade. I think it just plays into the intuition of a golfer better.

Having said that, I think there’s innumerable — there’s still a lot of hurdles for him to be able to win the Masters. The first one I think is just mental. Going up against the best players in the world is one thing but going up against the history books is another.

If you look at his first-round scoring average at the Masters prior to him having a chance to win the Grand Slam, 2009 to 2014, his first-round scoring average was under par, significantly under par, and then from 2015 to 2022 — in 2015 was the first time he had a chance to win the Career Grand Slam when he shows up at the Masters, and from that moment to last year, he’s averaged over par.

Now, 72.4 is his first-round scoring average, and historically speaking, if you get off to a poor start at Augusta National Masters, there’s really not much chance of you coming back because the golf course so quickly identifies who’s on their game, and then you just carry on playing great golf.

Last year he shot 73, the year before 76, the year before 75, the year before — these are first-round scores at the Masters, and I attribute that to nothing more than the pressure of trying to complete the Career Grand Slam. He’s got to get over that mental hurdle in round number one.

It could be as simple as the first round is more important than the final round. He has got to get off to a great start and that’s been, at least in my view, purely mental. In that same time period, he’s averaged under 70 over the course of his PGA TOUR career.

So you can’t say enough about the importance of the first round for Rory McIlroy, and then look, from a his swing standpoint and how does his swing match up to that golf course, it’s not a perfect fit, not at all. If you look at the players that dominate and have dominated at Augusta National, they are either very upright or they come over the top of it.

And Rory is not upright anymore. He swings much flatter and deeper, and he comes almost underneath it. That’s why I alluded to earlier, the only really great player that had a chance to win the Career Grand Slam that didn’t complete it because of the Masters was Lee Trevino, and Lee Trevino aimed left and pushed. He swung underneath it. His best finish ever at the Masters was 10th; mind you, he skipped it in some prime years because he just didn’t like the place.

So it’s not a great fit for Rory on paper. Having said that, he’s monumentally talented and can get around these hurdles. But the first round is the most important day of the week for Rory next week.

RICH LERNER: I would just jump and put a button on this. With Rory, there’s always more. He’s sort of asked to defend the established order, not just win the Open last summer but defend the established order because we pretty much knew Cam Smith was on his way out. So defend the established order at the Open, and he couldn’t quite do it. Be a hero back home in Northern Ireland, the Open in 2019, the weight of that was just a little too much or simply just win another major, now we’re working on almost nine years, so this comes with the territory.

When you get to his level, even with as much as he’s achieved, you’re asked to do what few have ever done. No one has as much historically riding as Rory. My hope is — I say hope because we are in the story business, root for the great stories, is that Rory is better equipped to handle this now. This goes to Brandel’s point, sort of the principal concern would be the mental and emotional strain.

I feel like Rory is a little bit better equipped to handle this, what with how he’s reacted to LIV, how well he’s played. Paul has called him — Paul McGinley knows him very well, calls him an inspirational player. He’s quite inspired at the moment to kind of carry the mantle for the PGA TOUR.

My sense is he’s better equipped, but all that said, Rory is still — as great as he is, he’s still the heartbreaker. Brandel and I were talking about this on Sunday. He was 2-up with three to play in his match against Cameron Young, and I don’t think Rory is alone in this, but he’s measured against what Tiger did and how Tiger closed, and no one closes or ever will likely, like Tiger. So you’re less feeling at times disappointed as we were at the Old Course, where he didn’t play poorly, he shot 70 in the final round, but he didn’t do enough. He didn’t make enough happen.

Again, he’s won 23 times now, which is a lot. He’s one from Gary Player and Dustin Johnson on the all-time wins list.

Yeah, he’s always asked for more, and I think he’s handled it well on the whole. Disappointing in terms of not being able to finish, but just in how he conducts himself, how he handles his interviews, transparency, honesty. I think that’s why he’s so well liked and there’s just this enormous wellspring of support and sentiment for Rory.

You know, a fun little game to play is what would be the most popular Masters win. Probably start with Tiger would be yet another comeback for all times, and then probably Rory would be next in line. There’s a case to be made for a Jordan Spieth win being super popular. But Rory continues to fascinate me.

He’s 33 now. There’s two ways to look at it. One is he’s running out of some time, running out of time here. The major window is shorter than people realize.

The other side of it is that Mickelson, if I’m not mistaken, won the first of his six majors beginning at the age of 33 in 2004. Maybe this is the start of a great run for Rory. His game certainly looks like it’s close, if not all the way there.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: I would just say, at least it’s my opinion, that the fact that Tiger Woods and Rory gave (indiscernible) LIV Golf the Heisman is one the best things that’s ever happened to golf. I think it may have saved the PGA Tour, but it most certainly protected the integrity of professional golf, which is that there is — it’s a sport based upon merit. You know, with like the city of Manhattan, a great many bridges to enter and a star system that feeds the development tours and underpinned by philanthropy.

What I would say is that Rory may go on to win the Grand Slam. He may win the Masters and be a part of that group. But I would say what he did in turning down LIV and being a voice for the future of the PGA TOUR and legacy and the merit of professional golf at the highest level is far more important historically to the future of the game than what him winning the Grand Slam would mean to the record book thing.

NOTAH BEGAY III: No argument from me on that.

Q: Notah, did Tiger say anything about 13 when he made his trip up there back in March?

NOTAH BEGAY III: No, I hadn’t really discussed any of the changes that were made, so no. Sorry for the quick answer.

Q: You walked all those matches last week. Is there a guy under the radar we are missing who you think could do something next week?

NOTAH BEGAY III: Well, I mean, gosh, I think I walked almost 40 miles last week in covering all those matches, especially the first three days because you’re just doing this rotation from 12 to 18, 12 to 18. Obviously when matches ended you just go back to the rotation.

Anybody that made it to the quarterfinals, you’d sort of have to give them a little bit of an improvement in their prospects of — and of course it’s through the field, of whether or not they could contend and possibly win, because to get out of your group is extremely difficult, and then to go out and win another match against other players who are playing extremely well, and you saw in those last three matches, the semifinals and the final, it’s coming down to a putt or two on one specific hole that really completely turns the matches around and the momentum that most players are dealing with in trying to win those specific matches.

Yeah, I mean, I would give a nod to sort of anybody that made it into that quarterfinals section certainly has an improved chance of contending at Augusta.

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: I would say Jason Day. To Notah’s point in that quarterfinal is Jason Day. I would certainly be looking at Jason Day heading into the Masters.

RICH LERNER: I’m a huge fan of what Jason Day is doing now. Brandel and I had quite a few discussions on Live — not “Live From,” on “Golf Central,” from the Match Play last week, and Brandel can speak to it a little bit better about some of the changes he’s made, but I think we shouldn’t dismiss the fact that he was a great player at one point. I understand that was a fairly long time ago.

That was almost six years, seven years ago at this point, but the same respect we would give to any other former No. 1 in their comeback bid I’m not sure has been fully extended to Jason. I’m not sure why. He had fallen all the way to 175 in the world last October, and you get that far down it’s easy to dismiss a guy. But as he’s played better, I’m reminded of how competitive he was, how physical he was and is on the golf course, although now I think — and Brandel can back me up, there’s just a little bit more nuance and softness to the overall package which I think suits him at this point in his career what with the injuries he’s going through, but let’s not forget just how good he was and the level at which he won.

He would be my No. 1 guy I’d say. Tony Finau has a good record at Augusta National, was close the year that Tiger won. I think he would be an enormous breakthrough star if he were to win at Augusta of all places.

I think if you’re looking for a darker horse at this point, he’s a little bit older but experienced, can benefit the player and he has shown some form in ’23 on the comeback trail would be Justin Rose. He has had some close calls at Augusta. I would look at Justin.

Then I think back to where Notah was, it’s hard to dismiss Cameron Young, as long as he is, and he appears to be adding some polish to his raw power. I would think he’s worth a look, as well.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: conference call, Golf, masters, NBC, transcript, Uncategorized

NBC SPORTS GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE MASTERS MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL – TODAY, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, AT 2 P.M. ET

March 28, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Commentators Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Notah Begay III

Dial 786-697-3501; Passcode: NBC Sports

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 28, 2023 – NBC Sports golf commentators Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, and Notah Begay III will preview the upcoming 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on a media conference call today, Tuesday, March 28, at 2 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports will surround the 2023 Masters with Golf Central Live From The Masters on GOLF Channel, beginning Monday, April 3, at 2 p.m. ET through Sunday, April 9. In total, NBC Sports will provide more than 55 hours of live studio coverage Monday-Sunday on GOLF Channel and Peacock, with nearly 20 hosts, analysts, and reporters contributing to the week-long coverage.

Media interested in participating should call 786-697-3501; Passcode: NBC Sports.

    • WHAT: NBC Sports Live From The Masters Media Conference Call
    • WHO: Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, Notah Begay III
    • WHEN: Today, Tuesday, March 28, at 2 p.m. ET
    • NUMBER: 786-697-3501
    • PASSCODE: NBC Sports

Chamblee will also serve as a studio analyst for NBC Sports’ coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. For the first time, NBC Sports will present live first and second-round coverage from Champions Retreat on Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30, on GOLF Channel and Peacock before final round coverage on Saturday, April 1 at noon ET on NBC and Peacock.

—NBC SPORTS—

Filed Under: Golf, masters, NBC, Uncategorized

CHRIS SIMMS’ 2023 NFL DRAFT WIDE RECEIVER RANKINGS TOPPED BY BOSTON COLLEGE’S ZAY FLOWERS; AVAILABLE NOW ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” PODCAST

March 27, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

 “He is an unbelievable route runner …To me, he’s a top-20 pick.” – Simms on ranking Flowers No. 1

“He reminds me of Jarvis Landry, to a greater version. This guy is about as high level of a route runner as you’re going to see in college.” – Simms on Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

“If you watch the film, you go, ‘There’s no doubt this is one of the best three or four receivers in this draft.’ There’s nothing he doesn’t do that’s top-notch.” – Simms on Stanford WR Michael Wilson

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 27, 2023 – NBC Sports’ Chris Simms discusses this year’s top wide receiver prospects heading into the 2023 NFL Draft and unveiled his WR draft rankings on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast, listing Boston College’s Zay Flowers, No. 1. In the episode, Simms ranks and breaks down Flowers, Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Stanford’s Michael Wilson, and Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt.

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, is joined by NBC Sports’ Ahmed Fareed on the podcast. The two offer in-depth breakdowns, rankings, and NFL comparisons for this year’s top wide receiver prospects.

Simms has had recent success in projecting college wide receivers – including naming Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith as his No. 1 and 2 WRs in 2021, respectively, and listing CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson as his top two WRs in 2020.

In the lead up to April’s NFL Draft, Simms will rank and break down every position group, provide a list of sleeper prospects, and issue a final mock draft.

Simms’ Top Five WR prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft:

Tier 1
1. Zay Flowers, Boston College
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Tier 2
3. Quentin Johnston, TCU
4. Michael Wilson, Stanford
Tier 3
5. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

 

The following are highlights from Simms’ WR draft rankings:

No. 1: Zay Flowers, Boston College

“The position versatility – he can play inside or outside. Some of the best releases in the draft are from Zay Flowers. He is pedal to the metal every play, every cut, everything he does. The build, the style of running…I think he looks like Antonio Brown. He is an unbelievable route runner, along with the explosive athlete. You’re really getting a three-in-one here with speed burner on the outside, speed burner on the inside, and slot receiver inside. I wrote Jaylen Waddle, that’s a guy he reminds me of…(He) plays bigger than his measurables say. To me, he’s a top-20 pick.”

No. 2: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

“The speed is not blazing…but what’s off the charts good is the guy’s quickness and route running. His ability to come off the ball and be going 70% and almost jump in the air at the six-yard mark…it’s like Allen Iverson with an unbelievable crossover dribble. He’s got this unbelievable ability to change direction and then accelerate in a hurry. His ability after the catch…the first guy never tackles him…He reminds me of Jarvis Landry, to a greater version. This guy is about as high level of a route runner as you’re going to see in college.”

No. 3: Quentin Johnston, TCU

“Tee Higgins-ish with more explosive ability than Higgins had coming out. He can catch the six-yard shallow cross and run 80 yards for a touchdown. His ability to jump – it’s a 40.5 inch vertical – plus he’s 6’3” and his arms look like they’re ridiculously long. He’s Drake London-ish from last year, except he doesn’t have the route running but has more of the straight speed…He’s one of the most physically impressive wide receivers in recent memory. You don’t see a lot of the route variety…but he shows the ability to change direction with the ball in his hands. He has better feet, quickness, and suddenness than most people with his size.”

No. 4: Michael Wilson, Stanford

“This is where we’re going to go a little unconventional…But if you watch the film, you go, ‘There’s no doubt this is one of the best three or four receivers in this draft.’ There’s nothing he doesn’t do that’s top-notch…He ran a 4.58 at the Combine in the 40, (but) he plays way faster than that…The physical specimen is real, let alone the refined things you like to see in a receiver are real too. He can be another guy who could be inside or outside because he’s got the pure size and strength and speed to beat you outside but has the route running and it looks like the smarts to be that slot guy that catches your eye as well.”

No. 5: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

“If you like speed, then you like Jaylin Hyatt…This is a track start, straight-liner, DeSean Jackson-, Will Fuller-ish type of receiver. So, there’s going to be things about him that you love, there’s going to be some things about him that I’m not crazy about. He’s not a great route runner…I truly question whether he can do it, unlike the other guys where I try to piece things together. You can watch a bunch of catches and he never makes anybody miss, that’s not his game…If there’s a seam straight away, watch out…If he gets a free release or gets off the line of scrimmage the right way and you have a safety that doesn’t get back instantly, see ya. It’s going to be a 60-yard post for a touchdown. That’s where he’s special.”

-NBC SPORTS-

Filed Under: Chris Simms, NBC, NFL, Podcasts, Uncategorized

NBC SPORTS GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE MASTERS MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL – TOMORROW, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, AT 2 P.M. ET

March 27, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Commentators Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Notah Begay III

Dial 786-697-3501; Passcode: NBC Sports

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 27, 2023 – NBC Sports golf commentators Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, and Notah Begay III will preview the upcoming 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on a media conference call tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28, at 2 p.m. ET.

NBC Sports will surround the 2023 Masters with Golf Central Live From The Masters on GOLF Channel, beginning Monday, April 3, at 2 p.m. ET through Sunday, April 9. In total, NBC Sports will provide more than 55 hours of live studio coverage Monday-Sunday on GOLF Channel and Peacock, with nearly 20 hosts, analysts, and reporters contributing to the week-long coverage.

Media interested in participating should call 786-697-3501; Passcode: NBC Sports.

    • WHAT: NBC Sports Live From The Masters Media Conference Call
    • WHO: Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, Notah Begay III
    • WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 28, at 2 p.m. ET
    • NUMBER: 786-697-3501
    • PASSCODE: NBC Sports

Chamblee will also serve as a studio analyst for NBC Sports’ coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. For the first time, NBC Sports will present live first and second-round coverage from Champions Retreat on Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30, on GOLF Channel and Peacock before final round coverage on Saturday, April 1 at noon ET on NBC and Peacock.

—NBC SPORTS—

Filed Under: Golf, masters, NBC, Uncategorized

PETER KING TACKLES NFL OWNERS MEETINGS & BIGGEST NFL OFFSEASON NEWS IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF “FMIA”

March 27, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

“I think the more I hear about the Jets’ pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, the more it’d scare me — unless, and this is a big ‘unless’ — it involves at least a verbal agreement that he plays in 2024 as well.” – King on the potential stipulations in an Aaron Rodgers trade

“All I can say is the Ravens had better, deep in the back of their pragmatic minds, start to consider veteran alternatives — and maybe even the rookie second- and third-round QB market.” – King’s advice for the Ravens in the midst of the Lamar Jackson saga

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 27, 2023 – Peter King tackles the NFL owners meetings and the league’s biggest offseason news in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King breaks down the annual NFL Meetings in Arizona, the Aaron Rodgers and Jets saga, Bryce Young’s evaluation, and more.

For more NFL coverage, Peacock offers daily programming on the NBC Sports channel, including Pro Football Talk at 7 a.m. ET, The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, Brother from Another at 3 p.m. ET, plus Chris Simms Unbuttoned on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the weekly Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry and The Peter King Podcast. This week on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Simms continues his annual position-by-position draft prospect rankings. On today’s episode, Simms unveils his 2023 NFL Draft wide receiver rankings. To learn more about the NBC Sports on Peacock channel and how to sign up, click here.

The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and more. To access all of these videos and more, click here to subscribe.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

Peter King on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s success rate and why he is reportedly expected to receive a contract extension: “He works for the owners, who are mostly happy with his performance; he has kept the game from any work stoppages that resulted in lost regular-season or playoff games, and this CBA doesn’t expire till early 2031; he has lorded over a league that dominates the sports landscape even when it’s not playing games; and there’s the matter of franchise values.”

King on who he thinks could succeed Goodell one day: “Speculation will center on Brian Rolapp, as it should, and Troy Vincent if the league looks internally for Goodell’s replacement, with Rolapp having an edge among active league office execs. Some club executives — Mark Donovan (Kansas City), Tom Garfinkel (Miami), Kevin Demoff (Rams) — could surface as well. My not-so-dark horse is Anthony Noto, the CEO of personal finance giant SoFi, and former CFO of the NFL (2008-2010).”

King on the future of punts in the NFL: “The NFL wants to significantly cut down on punts in the game. There’s a proposal here to have touchbacks on punts returned to the 25-yard line, not the 20-, in part to encourage teams with a fourth down near midfield to go for it instead of punting it away.”

King on Alabama QB Bryce Young: “I’d been told previously that Young, in not getting many passes batted down at the line, has a sense of playing bigger than he is.”

King on the Lamar Jackson/Ravens situation: “All I can say is the Ravens had better, deep in the back of their pragmatic minds, start to consider veteran alternatives — and maybe even the rookie second- and third-round QB market.”

King on LB Bobby Wagner returning to the Seahawks after one season with the Rams: “It is a tribute to Wagner being mature and burning no bridges when he was a cap casualty with the Seahawks last spring…And it’s a tribute to Seattle GM John Schneider for how he handled Wagner since drafting him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The mutual respect drips from this return. Let it be a model for other great players and franchises.”

King on the NFL ‘very likely’ continuing to allow ball carriers to be pushed from behind: “My problem, aside from the fact that it’s not a football play, is that it’s only a matter of time before a quarterback gets hurt on the play…I think the NFL’s going to live to regret this inaction.”

King on what he’s hearing about Daniel Snyder’s Commanders sale: “One source with significant financial knowledge about the league said (Daniel) Snyder is highly unlikely to get his dream price for the team – $7 billion. Snyder, this source said, is more likely to sell the full asset for something just over $6 billion.”

King on the NFL’s plan to create more storytelling content in partnership with Skydance Media: “One NFL executive told me the most important part of the partnership will be spreading NFL appeal to the globe.”

King on the potential of flexing Thursday night games: “I’m dubious it’ll pass…But I’m told this is something Roger Goodell really wants to have in his toolbox…It still will be bad for the product and for the fans in-stadium, but it is sensible to legislate not being able to do it more than once per year.”

King on Georgia DT Jalen Carter’s draft stock: “I think I won’t be surprised, unless Seattle takes him at five, if Jalen Carter drops out of the top 10.”

King on Aaron Rodgers and the Jets: “I think the more I hear about the Jets’ pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, the more it’d scare me — unless, and this is a big ‘unless’ — it involves at least a verbal agreement that he plays in 2024 as well.”

King on the Jets signing WR Mecole Hardman: “The Jets have added a speed guy Kansas City let walk after an injury-plagued season but have surrendered the advantage of a comfortable rookie contract, and Hardman will eat up perhaps $3-million-to-$4-million more for a parallel player. All in all, it’s a shaky deal.”

King on the Jets trading WR Elijah Moore: “Dumping the 32nd pick of 2021, with 4.35 speed, after two lousy seasons is bad business. And (Jets GM Joe) Douglas didn’t pick up an extra pick here — he moved up 32 spots. Valuable spots, of course. But early third-round picks are valuable, and the Jets are without theirs now.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:

    • ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
    • NBC Sports EDGE’s Rotoworld Football Show continues the NFL discussion and Bet The Edge Podcast provides daily betting insights.
    • The NFL on NBC YouTube channel offers daily football content for free, with exclusive videos from Peter King Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and more. To access all of these videos and more, click here to subscribe

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—

Filed Under: NBC, NFL, Peter King, Uncategorized

RECORD COVERAGE OF THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR AND DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS PRESENTED NEXT WEEK LIVE ON NBC, PEACOCK AND GOLF CHANNEL

March 23, 2023 By admin Leave a Comment

Augusta National Women’s Amateur Final Round on Saturday, April 1, Live at Noon ET on NBC and Peacock

For The First Time Ever, First and Second Round Coverage at Champions Retreat Golf Club Live on GOLF Channel and Peacock on Wednesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 30

Five Hours of Live Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals Coverage from Augusta National Golf Club Begins Sunday, April 2, at 8 a.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock

Live From Augusta National Women’s Amateur On-Site Coverage Presented Friday, March 31, at 1 p.m. ET & Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock

STAMFORD, Conn. – March 23, 2023 – NBC Sports presents record coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals from Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., next week with more than 15 hours of event and studio coverage on NBC, Peacock and GOLF Channel.

For the first time, NBC Sports will present live coverage of the first and second rounds of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur from Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta on GOLF Channel and Peacock on Wednesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 30, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET, with the final round from Augusta National Golf Club airing live Saturday, April 1, from noon-3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN’S AMATEUR

A field of 72 of the best women’s amateurs from around the world will play two rounds at Champions Retreat before the leading 30 players and ties compete in the final round at Augusta National for the title.

First and second round coverage will be presented on GOLF Channel and Peacock on Wednesday, March 29, and Thursday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. ET. Cara Banks will call first and second round action with 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Morgan Pressel, three-time NCAA All-American Paige Mackenzie, and Steve Burkowski.

The star-studded field features 24 of the top 25 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, including World No. 1 Rose Zhang (Stanford), 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis, 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Tsubasa Kajitani, 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur runners-up and LSU teammates Ingrid Lindblad and Latanna Stone, Amari Avery (USC), and Megha Ganne (Stanford).

NBC, Peacock & GOLF Channel Broadcast Team

  • Play by Play: Mike Tirico / Cara Banks
  • Analyst: Morgan Pressel
  • Holes: Paige Mackenzie / Steve Burkowski
  • On-Course: Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay
  • Interviews: Cara Banks

How To Watch – Wednesday, March 29 – Saturday, April 1 (all times ET)

  • TV – NBC, GOLF Channel
  • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day NBC/Peacock GOLF Channel/Peacock
Wednesday, March 29   1:30-3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 30   1:30-3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 Noon-3:30 p.m.  

DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT NATIONAL FINALS

The Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals from Augusta National Golf Club, featuring 40 boys and 40 girls competing in four age divisions, will be presented live on Sunday, April 2, across five hours of coverage beginning at 8 a.m. ET on GOLF Channel and Peacock.

Emilia Migliaccio (Wake Forest) will be pulling double duty this week, competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before joining the GOLF Channel and Peacock broadcast team as a chip analyst on Drive, Chip and Putt coverage.

GOLF Channel & Peacock Broadcast Team

  • Play by Play: Mike Tirico
  • Analysts: Paige Mackenzie / Peter Jacobsen
  • Drive Analyst: Arron Oberholser
  • Chip Analyst: Emilia Migliaccio

How To Watch – Sunday, April 2 (all times ET)

  • TV – GOLF Channel
  • Streaming – Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
Day GOLF Channel/Peacock
Sunday, April 2 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

BROADCAST NOTES

  • Live From Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Live From Augusta National Women’s Amateur will provide on-site pre-tournament coverage from Augusta National Golf Club on GOLF Channel and Peacock Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1. Anna Jackson will host both days alongside Brandel Chamblee and Beth Ann Nichols.
Day Live From Augusta National Women’s Amateur
Friday, March 31 1-3 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 10 a.m.-Noon

Ahead of next week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, studio coverage will be highlighted by several feature pieces, including:

  • Sit-down interviews with 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur runners-up Ingrid Lindblad and Latanna Stone and their roles on the LSU golf program;
  • An inside look at reigning Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Anna Davis and growing up playing the sport of golf with her twin brother Billy Davis in Chewelah, Wash.;
  • A story on Maya Gaudin’s upbringing and her connection with Rory McIlroy;
  • Ha Young Chang’s relationship with her father, Minku Chang, in practicing taekwondo and how success in the sport is similar to golf.

–NBC SPORTS–

Filed Under: anwa, augusta, Golf, Golf Channel, NBC, Uncategorized

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