Also Begins Six Consecutive Tournament Weeks on Golf Channel and NBC
(ORLANDO, Fla.) – Coming off a dramatic victory by Bubba Watson on Sunday, the PGA TOUR moves east this week for the Florida Swing, with NBC Sports Group providing exclusive coverage of the next six weeks on the PGA TOUR beginning with The Honda Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 25-28.
Golf Channel and NBC will present nearly 20 live hours of The Honda Classic this week, beginning with a special Pro-Am show on Wednesday. Golf Channel will air four hours of live coverage on Thursday and Friday, followed by a combined five hours on Golf Channel and NBC on Saturday and Sunday.
The field will be headlined by 2012 Honda Classic champion Rory McIlroy and reigning PLAYERS champion Rickie Fowler, No. 3 and No. 5 in the current world golf rankings. Eleven of the top-20 players in the world are in the field, including No. 9 Patrick Reed, No. 10 Branden Grace, reigning Open Champion Zach Johnson and five-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson.
DAVID FEHERTY TO MAKE FLORIDA SWING BROADCAST DEBUT: David Feherty joined the NBC broadcast team exclusively in 2016 and will be a course reporter for Golf Channel and NBC’s weekend coverage of The Honda Classic. He will work a stretch of five consecutive weeks on Golf Channel and NBC rotating as a tower analyst and course reporter, including each of the Florida Swing events as well the WGC-Dell Match Play (March 23-27) in Austin, Texas.
HONDA CLASSIC BROADCAST TEAM: Leading weekend coverage will be Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller, who are in their 17th year as play-by-play announcer and lead analyst, the longest-tenured 18th-hole broadcasting tandem for any network. Joining Hicks and Miller will be Notah Begay, Feherty, Peter Jacobsen, Gary Koch, Roger Maltbie and Steve Sands. Calling the action for Golf Channel’s early round coverage will be Rich Lerner and Koch, supported by the NBC crew, as well as Steve Burkowski reporting for Golf Central.
Mark Rolfing and Jimmy Roberts will join the broadcast team at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Terry Gannon (WGC-Cadillac, WGC-Dell Match Play), Bob Papa (Valspar Championship) and Whit Watson (Shell Houston Open) will rotate with Lerner in calling Golf Channel play-by-play duties.
MORNING DRIVE ON-LOCATION DURING FLORIDA SWING: Morning Drive, Golf Channel’s daily news and lifestyle show, will broadcast on-location for each of the Florida Swing events in addition to Studio AP in Golf Channel’s worldwide headquarters in Orlando, Fla.
The Honda Classic – Tournament Airtimes
Wednesday 5-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel Pro-Am coverage)
Thursday 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Friday 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
EXCLUSIVE PGA TOUR COVERAGE: The Honda Classic will commence six consecutive weeks of PGA TOUR action on Golf Channel and NBC, including:
· The Honda Classic, PGA National Resort & Spa – Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Feb. 25-28)
· World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship – Trump National Doral, Miami, Fla. (March 3-6)
· Valspar Championship – Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Palm Harbor, Fla. (March 10-13)
· Arnold Palmer Invitational – Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Fla. (March 17-20)
· WGC-Dell Match Play – Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas (March 23-27)
· Puerto Rico Open – Coco Beach Golf and Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (March 24-27)
· Shell Houston Open – Golf Club of Houston, Humble, Texas (March 31-April 3)
QUOTES:
“There’s a contrast to between the beauty of the West Coast to the sort of do-or-die nature of almost every shot you see coming down the stretch at the Florida Swing.” – Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee
“There’s no faking it around any of these golf courses running up to the Masters…The interesting thing about these courses is that you know where you stand in your swing and in your game headed into the Masters, because they will show you.” Golf Channel analyst and former World No. 1 David Duval
“This is a whole new venture for me. Most of the season is, because I’m working the exact opposite schedule in a way than I’ve done for the last 19 years. I’m just really excited about joining the NBC guys and starting a few fights, which is what I intend to do all year. Poke in the right places, try to be a creative irritant.” – Golf Channel and NBC Sports analyst David Feherty
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