Tuesday, February 25, 2014

NBC Sports Group Kicks Off the Florida Swing with 20+ Hours of Live Coverage of The Honda Classic

Golf Channel’s Expanded Weekend Spotlight Coverage of The Honda Classic to Focus on the Famed “Bear Trap” and Offer More Technology, Player Statistics

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – Golf Channel and NBC Sports will begin its comprehensive coverage of the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing this week (the first of six consecutive weeks of PGA TOUR coverage on Golf Channel / NBC) with more than 20 hours of live coverage of The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Seven of the top-10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are in the field, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy.

While NBC delivers its coverage of The Honda Classic this weekend, Golf Channel also will feature its interactive spotlight coverage for the first time in 2014 on Saturday and Sunday.  Spotlight coverage will provide viewers an exclusive look at PGA National’s famed “Bear Trap” on holes 15,16 and 17, with an expanded focus on technology and player statistics.

Live coverage of the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s Champions from Singapore will begin on Wednesday and highlight Golf Channel’s late-night broadcast window, and early morning coverage of the Tshwane Open will give viewers a look at the Ernie Els’ designed Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate – the longest course in European Tour history at 7,964 yards.

PGA TOUR
The Honda Classic
Dates: February 27 – March 2
Venue: PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-10:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday: 2-6 p.m. (Live) / 6:30-10:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 6:30-10:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 p.m. (Live, Spotlight Coverage) / 7 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)

Tournament Airtimes On NBC (Eastern):
Saturday: 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday: 3-6 p.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:
Golf Channel / NBC Sports Kick Off Florida Swing: Golf Channel and NBC will broadcast more than 20 hours of live coverage of the Honda Classic to kick off the PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing. The Honda Classic is the first of six consecutive weeks of PGA TOUR coverage on Golf Channel / NBC.

Wednesday: Golf Channel will feature player press conference coverage of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy live from the media center tomorrow from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. ET.

Golf Channel Spotlight Coverage to Offer More Technology, Player Statistics: Golf Channel’s tournament spotlight coverage returns for the first time in 2014 and will offer viewers an exclusive look at the famed “Bear Trap” on holes 15, 16 and 17 with a few new wrinkles including:
- A reverse-L on screen that will feature continuous stats and player updates
- Trackman technology providing player driving statistics
- Pro-Tracer technology that will key-in on the flight of the ball once it leaves the clubface.

Thompson Defends: Michael Thompson earned his first PGA TOUR victory last year, winning by two strokes over Geoff Ogilvy to become the first American winner of The Honda Classic since Mark Wilson in 2007.

Headlining The Field: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Zach Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler and Charl Schwartzel.

Golf Channel / NBC Sports 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 / Mark Rolfing / Notah Begay
Interviews: Steve Sands

Golf Channel Spotlight Broadcast Team:
Host: Randy Moss
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Tom Abbott
On Course: Phil Blackmar

LPGA TOUR
HSBC Women’s Champions
Dates: February 26 – March 1
Venue: Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course), Sentosa, Singapore

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday: 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Live)
Thursday: 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Live)
Friday: 10:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday: 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Live)
Sunday: Midnight-2:30 a.m. (Replay, final round)

Broadcast Notes:
Lewis Defends: Stacy Lewis won by one shot over Na Yeon Choi in last year’s event, earning her sixth career LPGA win.

Strong Field: Among the 63-players teeing it up this week are 19 of the top 20 players on the Official Rolex Rankings.

Headlining The Field: Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko, Na Yeon Choi, Jessica Korda, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie, Shanshan Feng, Sandra Gal, Cristie Kerr and Karrie Webb.

Tournament Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Peter Donagan
Analyst: Sandy Mackenzie
Interviews: Kate Burton

EUROPEAN TOUR
Tshwane Open
Dates: February 27 – March 2
Venue: Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate, Centurion, South Africa

Tournament Airtimes On Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Friday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Saturday: 5:30-9:30 a.m. (Live)
Sunday: 5:30-9:30 a.m. (Live)

Broadcast Notes:
Els’ Lengthy Test: Copperleaf is an Ernie Els design that was built on land once lived on by his grandfather. It is the longest course (7,964 yards) and contains the longest hole (685-yard 4th) in European Tour history.

Van Der Walt Defends: Dawie Van Der Walt picked up his first career European Tour win at last year’s event, winning by two shots over Darren Fichardt.

Headlining The Field: Thomas Aiken, Rafael Cabrera Bello, George Coetzee, Ross Fisher, David Howell, Edoardo Molinari, Robert Rock, Dawie Van Der Walt and Chris Wood.

Tournament Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Kim Thomas
Analyst: Denis Hutchinson / Warren Humphreys
On Course: Ken Brown

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