PGA TOUR in Las Vegas at Shriners Hospitals for Children Open; First of

Three Consecutive West Coast Tournaments Airing Live on GOLF Channel

Reed, Rose, Fleetwood Lead Field at BMW PGA Championship; More Than

20 Hours of Live Tournament Coverage Thursday-Sunday on GOLF Channel

Kelly Defends at SAS Championship in North Carolina; Airs Friday-Sunday

Inaugural Blessings Collegiate Invitational Continues Live on

GOLF Channel from Arkansas, in College Golf’s Return to Television

ORLANDO, Fla., (Oct. 6, 2020) – The PGA of America and LPGA Tour are hosting the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship this week, the third of four women’s majors being contested in 2020. Taking place at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia, more than 15 hours of live tournament coverage will air across GOLF Channel (Thursday-Sunday) and NBC (weekend). The PGA TOUR is in Las Vegas at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, the first of three consecutive West Coast tournaments in as many weeks airing live on GOLF Channel. Patrick Reed, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood lead the field at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship, with more than 20 hours of live tournament coverage scheduled to air Thursday-Sunday on GOLF Channel. Jerry Kelly will defend his 2019 title at the SAS Championship in North Carolina, with coverage airing Friday-Sunday on GOLF Channel. Live coverage of the inaugural Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods continues today and Wednesday on GOLF Channel, showcasing a new college golf event originating from Fayetteville, Ark.

PGA OF AMERICA / LPGA TOUR

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Dates: Oct. 8-11

Venue: Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pa.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         1-5 p.m. (Live) / Midnight-4 a.m. (Friday replay)

Friday              1-5 p.m. (Live) / 2-4 a.m. (Saturday replay)

Saturday          11 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 2-4 a.m. (Sunday replay)

Sunday            10 a.m.-Noon (Live) / 2-5 a.m. (Monday replay)

Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):

Saturday          Noon-3 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            Noon-2 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Strong field convenes for third women’s major of 2020: Featuring one of the strongest fields of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will include nine of the top-10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, as well as each of the event’s previous five winners: Hannah Green (2019); Sung Hyun Park (2018); Danielle Kang (2017); Brooke Henderson (2016) and Inbee Park (2015).

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship news conference show, Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET: Prior to Thursday’s opening round, Golf Central will present a special player news conference show on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit streaming live on Wednesday: The sixth-annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit is scheduled to take place (virtually) on Wednesday, with all sessions being streamed live at KPMG.com/WomensLeadership. 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be among the keynote speakers of the summit, and Michele Tafoya – sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football – will serve as the master of ceremonies. Wednesday’s live stream is scheduled to take place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET.

Green defends: Hannah Green finished one stroke ahead of Sung Hyun Park to earn her first-career major championship victory.

Headlining the field: Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson, Nasa Hataoka, Minjee Lee, Sei Young Kim, Sung Hyun Park, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Hinako Shibuno, Hannah Green and Mel Reid.

NBC Sports Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Terry Gannon

Analyst: Paige Mackenzie

Tower: Tom Abbott

On-Course: Kay Cockerill / Jim “Bones” Mackay

Interviews: Steve Sands

PGA TOUR

Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Dates: Oct. 8-11

Venue: TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

Friday              5-8 p.m. (Live) / 11 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)

Saturday          5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

Sunday            5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold (Eastern):                        

Thursday                     10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Featured Groups)

• Cameron Champ/Bryson DeChambeau/Matthew Wolff (10:15 a.m. ET)
• Collin Morikawa/Joaquin Niemann/Webb Simpson (10:25 a.m. ET)
• Patrick Cantlay/Rickie Fowler/Kevin Na (3:05 p.m. ET)
• Jason Day/Sergio Garcia/Hideki Matsuyama (3:15 p.m. ET)

Friday                          10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Featured Groups)

• Patrick Cantlay/Rickie Fowler/Kevin Na (10:15 a.m. ET)
• Jason Day/Sergio Garcia/Hideki Matsuyama (10:25 a.m. ET)
• Cameron Champ/Bryson DeChambeau/Matthew Wolff (3:05 p.m. ET)
• Collin Morikawa/Joaquin Niemann/Webb Simpson (3:15 p.m. ET)

Broadcast Notes:

Na defends: Kevin Na defeated Patrick Cantlay with a par on the second playoff hole to capture his fourth PGA TOUR win.

Headlining the field: Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Matthew Wolff, Paul Casey, Cameron Champ, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Hideki Matsuyama.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Rich Lerner

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: Phil Blackmar

On-Course: Arron Oberholser / Trevor Immelman

Interviews: George Savaricas

EUROPEAN TOUR

BMW PGA Championship

Dates: Oct. 8-11

Venue: Wentworth Club (West Course), Virginia Water, England

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday              6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday          6-11 a.m. (Live) / 11-11:30 a.m. (Streaming on GOLF Channel Digital)

Sunday            6-10 a.m. (Live) / 10-11:30 a.m. (Streaming on GOLF Channel Digital)

Broadcast Notes:

Willett defends: Danny Willett finished three shots clear of Jon Rahm to win for the seventh time on the European Tour.

Headlining the field: Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger, Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Dominik Holyer

Analyst: Paul McGinley / Richard Boxall / Alison Whitaker / Ewen Murray

On-Course: Wayne Riley / Andrew Coltart / Anthony Wall

Interviews: Tim Barter

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

SAS Championship

Dates: Oct. 9-11

Venue: Prestonwood Country Club, Cary, N.C.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Friday              8:30-10:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 1:30-3:30 p.m. (Streaming on GOLF Digital)

Saturday          2-5 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            2-5 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Kelly defends: Jerry Kelly finished one shot ahead of David McKenzie to earn his sixth PGA TOUR Champions title.

Headlining the field: Bernhard Langer, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Jerry Kelly, Vijay Singh, Tom Lehman, Scott Parel, Colin Montgomerie, Mike Weir and John Daly.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Whit Watson

Analyst: Lanny Wadkins

On-Course: Billy Ray Brown / John Cook

COLLEGE GOLF

Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods

Dates: Oct. 6-7

Venue: Blessings Golf Club, Fayetteville, Ark.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Tuesday          3:30-7:30 p.m. (Live) / 7:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)

Wednesday     3:30-7:30 p.m. (Live) / 7:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)

Broadcast Notes:

Inaugural event: Announced earlier this month as a multi-year partnership with Blessings Golf Club and Tyson Foods, the new men’s and women’s college golf championship is being contested in Fayetteville, Ark.

Format: The competition marks the first televised event of the 2020-’21 college golf season and features a 54-hole stroke play format for individual and team honors. The competition is being contested without spectators.

Tournament field: The event features representatives of both the men’s and women’s golf teams from Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Steve Burkowski

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: John Cook

On-Course: Notah Begay / Billy Ray Brown

-NBC Sports Group-

Coverage: Thursday-Friday on GOLF Channel; Weekend: GOLF Channel, NBC

Stacy Lewis, Mariah Stackhouse, Troy Mullins to Provide Original Content

Surrounding Event in Partnership with NBC Sports’ “On Her Turf” Platform

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., (Oct. 5, 2020) – NBC Sports announced its coverage plans for this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the third of four women’s major championships being contested in 2020. Taking place at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia, more than 15 hours of live tournament coverage will air across GOLF Channel (Thursday-Sunday) and NBC (weekend).

Featuring one of the strongest fields of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will include nine of the top-10 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, as well as each of the event’s previous five winners: Hannah Green (2019); Sung Hyun Park (2018); Danielle Kang (2017); Brooke Henderson (2016) and Inbee Park (2015).

TOURNAMENT BROADCAST TEAM: Live tournament coverage of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be anchored by Terry Gannon, who will be joined by Paige Mackenzie in the 18th tower. Tom Abbott will contribute as a tower analyst, while Kay Cockerill and Jim “Bones” Mackay will serve as on-course reporters. Steve Sands will provide reports and conduct interviews with those in the field.

NBC SPORTS’ LIVE TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES – OCT. 8-11 (all times Eastern):

 

Thursday, Oct. 8	First Round	1-5 p.m. (Live)	GOLF Channel
Friday, Oct. 9	Second Round	1-5 p.m. (Live)	GOLF Channel
Saturday, Oct. 10	Third Round	11 a.m.-Noon (Live)	GOLF Channel
		Noon-3 p.m. (Live)	NBC
Sunday, Oct. 11	Final Round	10 a.m.-Noon (Live)	GOLF Channel
		Noon-2 p.m. (Live)	NBC

 

NEWS COVERAGE: Prior to Thursday’s opening round, Golf Central will present a special player news conference show on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET. Steve Sands and Karen Stupples will preview live tournament coverage Thursday-Friday on Golf Central from on-site at Aronimink Golf Club, while George Savaricas and Brandel Chamblee will recap each round with analysis and highlights, Thursday-Sunday.

STACY LEWIS, MARIAH STACKHOUSE, TROY MULLINS – “ON HER TURF”: Stacy Lewis and Mariah Stackhouse – both competing in the field this week – will convene with golf personality Troy Mullins at Aronimink Golf Club, where the three will collaborate to create original content for NBC Sports’ “On Her Turf” platform. Celebrating women in sports through conversations about the issues impacting the industry, the content will be utilized across “On Her Turf”, as well as NBC Sports’ and GOLF Channel’s digital and social media platforms in conjunction with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

KPMG WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: The sixth-annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit is scheduled to take place (virtually) on Wednesday, with all sessions being streamed live at KPMG.com/WomensLeadership. 66th U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be among the keynote speakers of the summit, and Michele Tafoya – sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night Football – will serve as the master of ceremonies.

KPMG FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM: Earlier today, KPMG launched a new commercial series highlighting the personal growth and inspirational nature of KPMG Future Leaders.  The KPMG Future Leaders Program is a charitable initiative aimed to develop future generations of women leaders. Funded by proceeds from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, the program annually awards top female high school seniors the opportunity to enhance their personal growth through college scholarships, leadership development retreats, mentorship, and an introduction to golf. To date, more than $2.6 million in scholarships have been awarded to 100 recipients since the program’s inception in 2016.

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: GOLF Channel Digital will feature expanded editorial content throughout the week, led by Mercer Baggs reporting from Aronimink Golf Club with columns and daily blogs. GOLF Channel and NBC also will integrate social media throughout the telecasts, incorporating posts using the hashtag #KPMGWomensPGA.

The PGA of America and KPMG began a joint collaboration with the LPGA Tour in 2015 to create a world-class major championship that not only sustains the 60-year legacy of the former LPGA Championship, but also aims to elevate women on and off the golf course.

 

-NBC Sports Group-

Thompson Defends at ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey,

with Live Coverage Airing Thursday-Sunday on GOLF Channel

GOLF Channel Airing More Than 20 Hours of Live Coverage of Aberdeen

Standard Investments Scottish Open, as Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick Lead Field

Next Week: Inaugural “Blessings Collegiate Invitational” Airing Monday-

Wednesday Live on GOLF Channel, in College Golf’s Return to Television

ORLANDO, Fla., (Sept. 30, 2020) – The PGA TOUR is in Mississippi this week for the Sanderson Farms Championship, as Sebastian Munoz defends his 2019 title. Live coverage airs Thursday-Sunday from 4-7 p.m. ET on GOLF Channel. Lexi Thompson will defend in New Jersey this week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, which will be staged as a 72-hole event for the first time since 1990. The European Tour hosts the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, as Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick headline the field. GOLF Channel will carry more than 20 hours of live tournament coverage from Scotland, Thursday-Sunday. Next Monday-Wednesday, GOLF Channel will televise live coverage of the inaugural Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods, a new college golf event originating from Fayetteville, Ark.

PGA TOUR

Sanderson Farms Championship

Dates: Oct. 1-4

Venue: Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Miss.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         4-7 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Friday              4-7 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Saturday          4-7 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Sunday            4-7 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold (Eastern):                              

Thursday                     8 a.m.-4 p.m. (Featured Groups)

• Keegan Bradley/Sungjae Im/Scottie Scheffler (9:00 a.m. ET)
• Stewart Cink/Zach Johnson/Hudson Swafford (9:11 a.m. ET)
• Ryan Armour/Corey Connors/Sebastian Munoz (1:55 p.m. ET)
• Sergio Garcia/Adam Long/Henrik Stenson (2:06 p.m. ET)

Friday                          8 a.m.-4 p.m. (Featured Groups)

• Ryan Armour/Corey Connors/Sebastian Munoz (9:00 a.m. ET)
• Sergio Garcia/Adam Long/Henrik Stenson (9:11 a.m. ET)
• Keegan Bradley/Sungjae Im/Scottie Scheffler (1:55 p.m. ET)
• Stewart Cink/Zach Johnson/Hudson Swafford (2:06 p.m. ET)

Broadcast Notes:

Munoz defends: Sebastian Munoz defeated Sungjae Im with a par on the first playoff hole to earn his first PGA TOUR victory.

Headlining the field: Sungjae Im, Scottie Scheffler, Sergio Garcia, Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Charl Schwartzel, Sebastian Munoz and Hudson Swafford.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Steve Sands

Analyst: Matt Gogel

Tower: Craig Perks

On-Course: Jim Gallagher Jr. / Kay Cockerill

Interviews: Lisa Cornwell

LPGA TOUR

ShopRite LPGA Classic

Dates: Oct. 1-4

Venue: Seaview Golf Club (Bay Course), Galloway, N.J.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         1-4 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Friday replay)

Friday              1-4 p.m. (Live) / 4-7 a.m. (Saturday replay)

Saturday          1-4 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Sunday replay)

Sunday            1-4 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Monday replay)

Broadcast Notes:

Lee, McDonald and Popov scheduled to be “mic’d up” during Thursday’s opening round: GOLF Channel will “mic up” Andrea Lee, Ally McDonald and Sophia Popov (2020 AIG Women’s Open champion) during Thursday’s opening round coverage. While competing in the same group (12:44 p.m. ET tee time), each player will wear a microphone to provide an inside-the-ropes perspective for fans tuning in during the course of the telecast.

Tournament being staged as four-day event: Originally scheduled for late May, the event was postponed due to COVID-19, and now will be contested as a 72-hole event instead of the tournament’s traditional 54-hole format. It marks the second time overall and first instance since 1990 that the tournament will be played as a four-round event.

Thompson defends: Lexi Thompson finished one shot ahead of Jeongeun Lee6 to capture her 11th LPGA Tour title.

Headlining the field: Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, Mirim Lee, Sei Young Kim, Inbee Park, Sung Hyun Park, Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Hannah Green and Sophia Popov.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Grant Boone

Analyst: Paige Mackenzie

Tower: Tom Abbott

On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples

EUROPEAN TOUR

Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open

Dates: Oct. 1-4

Venue: The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Friday              6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday          7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            6:30 a.m.-Noon (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Wiesberger defends: Bernd Wiesberger defeated Benjamin Hebert with a par on the third playoff hole to capture his sixth European Tour win.

Headlining the field: Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ian Poulter, Bernd Wiesberger, Danny Willett, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Martin Kaymer and Eddie Pepperell.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Host: Jay Townsend

Play by Play: Dominik Holyer

Analyst: Richard Boxall / Alison Whitaker / Ken Brown / Ewen Murray

On-Course: Wayne Riley / Andrew Coltart

Interviews: Tim Barter

COLLEGE GOLF

Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods

Dates: Oct. 5-7

Venue: Blessings Golf Club, Fayetteville, Ark.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Monday           4:30-7:30 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Tuesday          4:30-7:30 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Wednesday     4:30-7:30 p.m. (Live) / 8-11 p.m. (Replay)

Broadcast Notes:

Inaugural event: Announced earlier this month as a multi-year partnership with Blessings Golf Club and Tyson Foods, the new men’s and women’s college golf championship will be contested in Fayetteville, Ark.

Format: The competition will mark the first televised event of the 2020-’21 college golf season and feature a 54-hole stroke play format for individual and team honors. The competition will be contested without spectators.

Tournament field: The event will feature representatives of both the men’s and women’s golf teams from Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities. Among those expected to compete in the event include Ingrid Lindblad (LSU – No. 3 in World Amateur Golf Ranking) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina – No. 4) in the women’s field, along with Ricky Castillo (Florida – No. 2) and Davis Thompson (Georgia – No. 4) on the men’s side.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Steve Burkowski

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: John Cook

On-Course: Notah Begay / Billy Ray Brown

-NBC Sports Group-

Blessings Golf Club (Fayetteville, Ark.) to Host Simultaneous Men’s & Women’s

Competition in Celebration of College Golf’s Return, Airing Live on GOLF Channel

Sixth-Annual East Lake Cup to Welcome Top-Ranked Women’s & Men’s Golf Programs to

Compete in Match Play Championship on GOLF Channel, Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 26-28

ORLANDO, Fla., (Sept. 29, 2020) – With the fall season now underway for many university golf programs around the country, GOLF Channel today (5:30 p.m. ET) will premiere a College Central special, previewing the biggest storylines and tournaments scheduled to take place during college golf’s fall season.

GOLF Channel college insider Steve Burkowski will host this evening’s show and be joined by analyst Paige Mackenzie, a former three-time NCAA All-American (Washington), as well as Ryan Lavner (college insider). The special will look ahead to the two premier fall tournaments: Blessings Collegiate Invitational presented by Tyson Foods (Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 5-7), and the East Lake Cup presented by ZipRecruiter and Uber (Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 26-28), both of which will be televised live on GOLF Channel. The show also will welcome head coaches from respective men’s and women’s programs preparing for the fall season, including:

• Shauna Taylor (Arkansas women’s golf)
• Kim Lewellen (Wake Forest women’s golf)
• Matt Thurmond (Arizona State men’s golf)
• Greg Sands (Texas Tech men’s golf)

BLESSINGS COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL (MONDAY-WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5-7): Announced earlier this month as a multi-year partnership with Blessings Golf Club and Tyson Foods, the new men’s and women’s college golf championship will be contested in Fayetteville, Ark. The competition will mark the first televised event of the 2020’-’21 college golf season and feature a 54-hole stroke play format for individual and team honors. GOLF Channel will deliver live tournament coverage all three days, complemented by news and digital coverage:

Monday, Oct. 5           4:30-7:30 p.m. ET (Live)

Tuesday, Oct. 6           4:30-7:30 p.m. ET (Live)

Wednesday, Oct. 7      4:30-7:30 p.m. ET (Live)

The Blessings Collegiate Invitational is expected to feature some of college golf’s top-ranked individuals, including Ingrid Lindblad (LSU – No. 3 in World Amateur Golf Ranking) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (South Carolina – No. 4) in the women’s field, along with

Ricky Castillo (Florida – No. 2) and Davis Thompson (Georgia – No. 4) on the men’s side.

The 2020 Blessings Collegiate Invitational will be contested without spectators.

SIXTH-ANNUAL EAST LAKE CUP (MONDAY-WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26-28):

The East Lake Cup has become an annual staple on college golf’s fall calendar, traditionally reconvening the semifinal teams from both the women’s and men’s NCAA golf championships from earlier in the year. As a result of the 2020 NCAA championship being canceled, GOLF Channel announced that the 2020 East Lake Cup will include the top-four ranked women’s and men’s golf programs competing this fall, based on the final Golfstat rankings published on March 19. The 2020 East Lake Cup also will be contested without spectators.

The women’s field will include Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Texas, while the men’s side will feature Oklahoma, Pepperdine, Texas and Texas Tech. GOLF Channel will deliver live tournament coverage all three days, complemented by news and digital coverage:

Monday, Oct. 26         3-6 p.m. ET (Live)

Tuesday, Oct. 27         3-6 p.m. ET (Live)

Wednesday, Oct. 28    3-6 p.m. ET (Live)

WATCH LISTS: HASKINS AND ANNIKA AWARDS PRESENTED BY STIFEL:

As the fall season gets underway, GOLF Channel associate editor Brentley Romine examines which student athletes are being considered for college golf’s most prestigious awards through a preseason watch list for both the Haskins Award and ANNIKA Award. The Haskins and ANNIKA Awards presented by Stifel will honor the male and female player of the year in Division I golf, and will be awarded in the spring around the 2021 NCAA Golf National Championships.

LATEST TOP-FIVE RANKING RELEASED FOR “PGA TOUR UNIVERSITY”:

In addition to the watch list for both the Haskins and ANNIKA Awards, Romine also surveys the latest PGA TOUR University rankings. Initially announced in June, “PGA TOUR U” is a new program designed to give post-college playing privileges to the top Division I golfers (in their senior year) on the TOUR’s various developmental tours, including the Korn Ferry TOUR. GOLF Channel will feature the current top-15 “PGA TOUR U” rankings each Wednesday on Golf Central and across GOLF Channel Digital platforms throughout the fall season.

GOLF CHANNEL IS THE HOME OF COLLEGE GOLF:

The Blessings Collegiate Invitational becomes one of six college golf championships televised on GOLF Channel, which includes the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Division I Golf National Championships, taking place in May of 2021 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Following its announcement in 2013 as the exclusive television provider of the NCAA Golf Championships, GOLF Channel has provided live coverage of the men’s NCAA championships since 2014 and the women’s NCAA championships since 2015, which now are hosted at the same venue in consecutive weeks. Throughout the collegiate golf season, GOLF Channel will deploy its comprehensive portfolio of news, digital and social media coverage year-round in covering collegiate golf, including specials for regional and national qualifying, on-site and wraparound news from golf’s biggest college events, and year-end award shows for the Haskins and ANNIKA Awards presented by Stifel.

-NBC Sports Group-

McDowell Defends at Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, with

Live Coverage Airing Thursday-Sunday on GOLF Channel, NBC (Weekend)

Lowry, Harrington Headline Field at Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

ORLANDO, Fla., (Sept. 22, 2020) – Today at 3 p.m. ET, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose will convene for the Payne’s Valley Cup presented by Bass Pro Shops, an 18-hole charity match airing live on GOLF Channel. The competition will commemorate the grand opening of Payne’s Valley Golf Course (Ridgedale, Mo.) at Big Cedar Lodge, the first public golf course design for Woods, who will team up with Thomas to take on the European duo of McIlroy and Rose. The Payne’s Valley Cup will feature a mix of competition formats synonymous with international team competitions: best ball, alternate shot and singles matches, and will raise funds for the Payne Stewart Family Foundation. The PGA TOUR is in the Dominican Republic this week, staging the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, as Graeme McDowell defends his 2019 title. Live coverage will air across GOLF Channel (Thursday-Friday) and NBC (weekend). The European Tour hosts the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in Northern Ireland, with nearly 20 hours of live coverage scheduled to air Thursday through Sunday on GOLF Channel.

Payne’s Valley Cup

Date: Sept. 22

Venue: Payne’s Valley Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale, Mo.

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Tuesday          3-7 p.m.

Broadcast Notes:

Players to be mic’d up during course of competition: All four players will be mic’d up throughout the competition while showcasing Woods’ new golf course that pays tribute to Ozarks-native and World Golf Hall-of-Famer, Payne Stewart. In addition to the live telecast on GOLF Channel, NBC will televise a special encore of the Payne’s Valley Cup as two separate broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 26-27 from 4-6 pm ET.

Format: The Payne’s Valley Cup will feature a mix of competition formats synonymous with international team competitions: best ball, alternate shot and singles matches. The Payne’s Valley Cup will implement a comprehensive health and safety play that will follow all recommended protocols put in place by the PGA TOUR and local government, utilizing testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the players, officials, the production team and others on-site.

Event to benefit Payne Stewart Family Foundation: To honor the namesake of the golf course and one of Missouri’s all-time great sports legends, the Payne’s Valley Cup will raise funds for the Payne Stewart Family Foundation – a foundation that supports beneficiaries that were vitally important to the late Stewart, including Kids Across America, the AJGA and The First Tee.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Dan Hicks

Analyst: Paul Azinger

On-Course: David Feherty

Interviews: Henni Zuel

PGA TOUR

Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship

Dates: Sept. 24-27

Venue: Corales Golf Club, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)

Friday              3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (Replay)

Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):

Saturday          3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (GOLF Channel replay)

Sunday            3-6 p.m. (Live) / 7-10 p.m. (GOLF Channel replay)

Broadcast Notes:

New event date: Originally scheduled for March, the tournament was postponed to this week due to COVID-19. For the first time, the tournament will offer full FedExCup points, along with an invitation into the 2021 Masters. It also will mark one of three PGA TOUR events being staged twice during the 2020-’21 season.

McDowell defends: Graeme McDowell finished one stroke ahead of Mackenzie Hughes and Chris Stroud to earn his fourth PGA TOUR win, and first since 2015.

Headlining the field: Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, Mackenzie Hughes, Will Zalatoris, Will Gordon, Adam Long, Keith Mitchell, Corey Conners, Pat Perez and Charles Howell III.

NBC Sports Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Rich Lerner

Analyst: Curt Byrum

Tower: Matt Gogel

On-Course: Arron Oberholser / Trevor Immelman

EUROPEAN TOUR

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

Dates: Sept. 24-27

Venue: Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):

Thursday         8 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)

Friday              8 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)

Saturday          8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)

Sunday            8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:

Headlining the field: Shane Lowry, George Coetzee, Padraig Harrington, John Catlin, Michael Campbell, Tyler Koivisto.

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:

Play by Play: Dominik Holyer

Analyst: Richard Boxall / Paul McGinley / Jamie Spence / Andrew Coltart

On-Course: Wayne Riley / Iona Stephen

Interviews: Tim Barter

 

-NBC Sports Group-

NBC Sports Notable Quotes

120^th U.S. Open – Third Round

Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course), Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Saturday, September 19

 

**Sunday’s final round coverage of the 120th U.S. Open begins at 8 a.m. ET exclusively on Peacock, continues at 10 a.m. ET on GOLF Channel, and shifts to NBC at noon ET**

 

This week, NBCUniversal presents the most-ever live U.S. Open coverage by one media group exclusively across NBC, GOLF Channel, and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service. In addition, GOLF Channel’s Golf Central Live From the U.S. Open provides comprehensive wraparound news coverage on-site at Winged Foot Golf Club, with interviews, highlights and analysis throughout the week.

 

120^th U.S. Open – Third Round Leaderboard

Matthew Wolff	-5
Bryson DeChambeau	-3
Louis Oosthuizen	-1
Xander Schauffele	E
Hideki Matsuyama	E
Harris English	E
Rory McIlroy	+1

 

On Phenomenon of Unprecedented Power in Golf 

Paul Azinger on Matthew Wolff and Bryson DeChambeau – “We’re going to have two guys tomorrow in the last group that really have gone their own way. They are cutting-edge and they have taken their own courses to how they want to play this game probably more than anybody on Tour…it’s easy to be self-conscious out here on the PGA Tour, but they’ve overcome that with self-confidence.”

Justin Leonard – “I know a lot of people want to see guys find a way to hit it down the fairway, hit it to the center of the green, find a way to two-putt and make a birdie here and there…but that’s not where the game is these days. And frankly, I think it’s really exciting.”

Brandel Chamblee – “Chris Como (DeChambeau’s swing coach) and George Gankas (Wolff’s swing coach) are the cutting-edge biomechanists in this game. They’re leading this evolution, this revolution that is going on in this game – and it’s not about aesthetics…but they’re producing unprecedented power.”

Roger Maltbie – “Every part of me wants to not like this, that you just reduce the game to power and the fairway becomes less important…especially at a U.S. Open because historically, that’s just not the way it’s been done…but this is impressive and (DeChambeau is) convincing me that he’s not wrong in the way that he’s assessed how to play the game now.”

Azinger – “What are you going to do if you want to neutralize these guys, or if you want to make them accurate? Is power going to trump accuracy in this great game? The answer, it seems, is yes…one single club has made the difference, and it’s the driver.”

On Impact of No Fans

Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay – “No disrespect to Matthew Wolff or any other young player in the field, but this is just a completely different climate out here. These guys know it’s the U.S. Open, but there’s nobody screaming at you between holes, screaming for you, patting you on the back. It’s very quiet, it’s very comfortable, and these guys are executing to the best of their abilities…there’s no question that’s a big part of what these guys are not dealing with.”

On Matthew Wolff (5-under, 1^st)

Wolff’s post-round interview with Steve Sands after a 3^rd round 65 – “Every time I was in the rough and I had a good lie, I took advantage of it…I think what was really important was the lead I had in Detroit earlier this year when Bryson (DeChambeau) clipped me, but I think being in that lead and knowing what it’s like to sleep on the lead. I feel like I’m going to look back at that a little bit.”

Rich Lerner – “It’s only Saturday, but Matthew Wolff at least on that front side looked like Johnny Miller at Oakmont in 1973.”

Mike Tirico – “This will be the opportunity for him to win in his very first appearance in the U.S. Open. The last person to do that? Francis Ouimet. That happened all the way back in 1913. The date that that happened? September 20^th. Tomorrow’s date? September 20^th. 107 years later, maybe a new line in history will be written at famed Winged Foot.”

On Bryson DeChambeau (3-under, 2^nd)

Steve Sands to DeChambeau in post-round interview – “The difference between being underneath the hole and above the hole here at Winged Foot is…?”

DeChambeau – “It’s the tournament. It’s the tournament. It can cost you the tournament.”

Azinger – “He is the most authentic golf scientist that has ever played the game.”

On Rory McIlroy (1-over, 7^th)

Azinger – “I think Rory made the best move. He shot a couple under par, he’s only 1-over for the championship…right now, I think Rory is feeling pretty good about himself.”

On Patrick Reed (3-over, T-11^th)

Gary Koch – “All of a sudden, all of those putts that were going in the first two days when he had just 25 putts per round, are not going down today.”

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-

NBC Sports Notable Quotes

120^th U.S. Open – Second Round

Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course), Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Friday, September 18

 

**Saturday’s third round coverage of the 120th U.S. Open begins at 9 a.m. ET exclusively on Peacock, and shifts to NBC from 11 a.m. ET until 7:30 p.m. ET**

This week, NBCUniversal presents the most-ever live U.S. Open coverage by one media group exclusively across NBC, GOLF Channel, and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service. In addition, GOLF Channel’s Golf Central Live From the U.S. Open provides comprehensive wraparound news coverage on-site at Winged Foot Golf Club, with interviews, highlights and analysis throughout the week.

 

120^th U.S. Open – Second Round Leaderboard

 

Patrick Reed	-4
Bryson DeChambeau	-3
Justin Thomas	-2
Rafa Cabrera Bello	-2
Harris English	-2
Jason Kokrak	-1

 

 

On Today’s Difficult Playing Conditions

Brandal Chamblee – “If this were a horse race, the announcer would have been saying, ‘And here comes Winged Foot.’”

Rich Lerner – “Winged Foot at its brutal best…this is the biggest jump in scoring average from Round One to Round Two in U.S. Open history.”

Justin Leonard – “We have a true U.S. Open on our hands.”

Nick Faldo – “It’s a whole new golf course. It’s a good 15 degrees cooler and then, of course, it’s championship conditions – mentally as well. There’s one birdie hole – the 9^th – and the other 17 are potential carnage. There’s no other hole you think, ‘I should birdie.’”

Terry Gannon – “Different areas of the golf course are tough today where they weren’t yesterday because the wind is different. It’s not only up, it’s a different wind.”

 

On Patrick Reed (4-under, 1^st)

Reed’s post-round interview with Steve Sands on course setup – “It’s almost like they set it up to ease us into this golf tournament, and then they were going to show us what it’s really supposed to be like.”

Leonard – “I know he went to Augusta State, but he must have gone to grad school at Hogwarts, because he’s just an absolute wizard around the greens…but at some point, 72 holes on a golf course like this with green complexes like this, you just wonder how long it’s going to hold up.”

Chamblee – “It really doesn’t matter where you put him. Up slope, down slope, side slope, out of the bunker – he’s up to the task. He can match himself to the environment…no place you can put him around the greens that he doesn’t hit his target.”

 

On Bryson DeChambeau (3-under, 2^nd)

DeChambeau post-round interview with Damon Hack – “It’s an awesome journey for me…I was out here last night, I knew (the weather) was going to be cooler, so I waited and I was able to hit balls almost in the dark. I knew it was going to be similar conditions.”

Chamblee – “The transformation he has made has all of us perplexed, intrigued, leaning in, on the edge of our seats. I’ve been playing this game a long time, covering this game a long time, and I haven’t seen a transformation like this. People were laughing at him all over the golf world Wednesday night when he said, ‘I’m going to hit driver everywhere.’…overall, he has made an enormous advance…it’s not just about bulking up, not just about hitting it farther. It’s about the angle of descent and coming into greens at major championships.”

Peter Jacobsen – “He’s becoming a must-watch. It’s so fascinating, he’s trying to change the way everybody thinks about how to prepare for a round of golf. Lift some weights, drink a bunch of protein shakes and swing hard.”

Faldo – “That 3-under is going to be pretty dominant by the end of the day.”

Gannon – “I’m going to write this down. It’s 1:21 p.m. local time, 3-under, somebody got in there and posted it.”

 

On Justin Thomas (2-under, T-3^rd)

Thomas’ post-round interview with Steve Sands – “Those are the kinds of rounds that can potentially win you a U.S. Open. I was far from having good stuff out there today. I don’t know if I look as tired as I feel, but I’m pretty exhausted. That was a grueling day. A lot tougher conditions, much like we would expect in the U.S. Open. I just cannot drive it like that on the weekend.”

Paul Azinger – “It looked like he could have completely lost it today. Nobody can be emotionally weak or temperamentally weak and win this golf tournament. He really hung in there today when things got tough.”

Chamblee – “Over the weekend, if he can just hit six, seven fairways, that’s enough opportunities for him to make birdies, and you have to figure Patrick Reed isn’t going to keep up off the tee.”

 

On Harris English (2-under, T-3^rd)

Chamblee – “Given the weather forecast for the next couple of days, it will eventually become more about controlling your golf shots, so you start to look at someone like Harris English. On a day when the entire field average nine greens, he hit 14 greens and is top-10 on the PGA Tour in greens-in-regulation. Really a great comeback story.”

 

On Tiger Woods (10-over, missed cut)

Woods – “It feels like the way the golf course is changing and turning, anybody who makes the cut has a chance to win this championship.”

Chamblee – “You think back to last year at The Masters when he won, and you look on the whole on what he did there…he had the single worst statistical driving week in the history of statistics that somebody won a major…you can get away with that at The Masters, you can’t get away with that at a U.S. Open…he’s not playing so poorly and swinging so poorly that a renaissance can’t happen and all of a sudden, he’s at the top of the leaderboard.”

Leonard – “Can he get enough reps, if he plays Zozo before The Masters, to be sharp? A lot of it hinges on how he feels, certainly the bulk of it. Not just the week of, but leading in because that determines how much he can practice and how much he can put in on his short game, which he needs to practice.”