FedExCup Playoffs Continue Outside of Chicago with BMW Championship; Solheim Cup Pits U.S. vs. Europe in Biennial International Competition
(ORLANDO, Fla.) – The PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs resume this week with the BMW Championship outside of Chicago at Conway Farms Golf Club. The top-70 eligible players in the FedExCup standings will compete in a no-cut event with the top-30 advancing to next week’s TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
The current top-5 in the standings are: No. 1 Jason Day, No. 2 Jordan Spieth, No. 3 Rickie Fowler, No. 4 Henrik Stenson and No. 5 Bubba Watson. Due to Notre Dame’s scheduled 3:30 p.m. ET football game on Saturday afternoon, NBC will carry lead-in coverage from Noon-3:30 p.m., with third round coverage concluding on Golf Channel from 3:30-6 p.m.
Across the pond, the game’s elite female players from the United States and Europe will compete against one another in the biennial Solheim Cup International match play competition. Europe won the previous contest 18-10 at Colorado Golf Club for their second consecutive Solheim Cup victory. Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson lead a United States team looking to avenge its most recent loss.
PGA TOUR
BMW Championship
Dates: Sept. 17-20
Venue: Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest, Ill.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
- Thursday: 3-7 p.m. (Live) / 8 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
- Friday: 3-7 p.m. (Live) / 8 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
- Saturday: 3:30-6 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Replay)
- Sunday: Noon-2 p.m. (Live) / 7 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
- Saturday: Noon-3:30 p.m. (Live)
- Sunday: 2-6 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Final opportunity to qualify for next week’s TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola: The top-70 in the FedExCup standings are in the field this week, and at week’s end players in the top-30 in the standings will advance to next week’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta and earn a shot at winning the $10 million FedExCup prize. Players sitting in the top-5 following Sunday’s final round will put themselves in position to automatically take the FedExCup with a win at the TOUR Championship next week.
Horschel defends: Billy Horschel finished two shots ahead of Bubba Watson outside of Denver for his second career PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Jimmy Walker.
Golf Channel / NBC Broadcast Team:
* Play by Play: Rich Lerner (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
* Analyst: Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
* Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen
* On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Notah Begay
* Interviews: Steve Sands
* Essays: Jimmy Roberts
LPGA TOUR
The Solheim Cup
Dates: Sept. 17-20
Venue: St. Leon-Rot Golf Club (St. Leon Course), St. Leon-Rot, Germany
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
- Thursday: Solheim Cup Opening Ceremony - 11 a.m.-Noon
- Friday: Solheim Cup Day 1 - 2 a.m.-Noon
- Saturday: Solheim Cup Day 2 - 2 a.m.-Noon
- Sunday: Solheim Cup Final Day - 4:30-11 a.m.
Broadcast Notes:
Format: This is the first Solheim Cup being contested in Germany (previous European host countries include Scotland, Wales, Sweden and Ireland). Four foursome matches and four four-ball matches will be contested on Friday and Saturday, with 12 singles matches to be played on Sunday. Europe will need to win 14 of the 28 points available to retain the Cup, while the United States will need to earn 14 ½ points to take back the Cup.
Europe defends: Europe won the previous contest 18-10 at Colorado Golf Club for their second consecutive Solheim Cup victory. Leading by a single point following the first three sessions, Europe swept the Saturday afternoon four-ball session to take a 10 ½ - 5 ½ lead into the final day. The United States leads the all-time series 8-5, although they have lost the last two editions. Nine of the 12 members of the 2013-winning European team return, while the United States returns 11 of the 12 members from its 2013 team.
United States Team: Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford, Gerina Piller, Alison Lee, Lizette Salas, Brittany Lang, Paula Creamer, Juli Inkster (Captain), Pat Hurst (Assistant Captain) and Wendy Ward (Assistant Captain).
European Team: Suzann Pettersen, Gwladys Nocera, Charley Hull, Melissa Reid, Anna Nordqvist, Azahara Munoz, Sandra Gal, Carlota Ciganda, Karine Icher, Caroline Hedwall, Caroline Masson, Catriona Matthew, Carin Koch (Captain), Sophie Gustafson (Assistant Captain) and Annika Sorenstam (Assistant Captain).
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
* Play by Play: Terry Gannon / Tom Abbott
* Analyst: Judy Rankin / Karen Stupples
* Tower: Curt Byrum / Tom Abbott (Afternoon)
* On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Kay Cockerill / Curt Byrum (Afternoon) / Karen Stupples (Afternoon)
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