PGA TOUR
Frys.com Open
Dates: Oct. 15-18
Venue: Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course), Napa, Calif.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Sunday 5-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
2015-16 season kicks off: This week marks the first of 47 official events during the 2015-16 PGA TOUR season, with seven of those events being played in 2015.
Napa, Calif., resident Johnny Miller to contribute to Golf Channel’s event coverage: Napa resident and Golf Channel on NBC analyst Johnny Miller will make multiple appearances during Golf Channel’s telecasts of the Frys.com Open this week. Miller was instrumental in finding a new home for the event after previously being contested at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif.
Frys.com Pro-Am airing Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET: On Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will air the Frys.com Pro-Am, as players make their final preparations ahead of Thursday’s opening round. U.S. Presidents Cup participant Chris Kirk will be mic’d up during the Pro-Am and provide viewers with insight during his round. NBA star (Golden State Warriors) Stephen Curry has committed to compete in the Pro-Am.
Jordan Spieth: Player of the Year airing Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET: Immediately following the Frys.com Pro-Am show, Golf Channel will present a 30-minute special looking back on the memorable 2014-15 season of World No. 1, Jordan Spieth. The show will feature an exclusive interview with Spieth, conducted by Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner and Gary Williams. A roundtable discussion with Lerner, Williams, Damon Hack and Tim Rosaforte also will examine Spieth’s memorable season in the context of golf history.
PGA TOUR Season in Review airing on NBC, Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET: Viewers will have an opportunity to recount the memorable 2014-2015 PGA TOUR season, with PGA TOUR 2015: Season in Review presented by Astellas airing Sunday, Oct. 18 at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The special will examine the moments, biggest events and breakout stars from the past season on TOUR.
Headlining the field: Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Chris Kirk, Daniel Berger, Charl Schwartzel, Brandt Snedeker, Ollie Schniederjans and Webb Simpson.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
San Antonio Championship
Dates: Oct. 16-18
Venue: TPC San Antonio (AT&T Canyons Course), San Antonio, Texas
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Friday 2-5 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 2-5 p.m. (Live) / 3-5 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 2-5 p.m. (Live) / Midnight-2 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Charles Schwab Cup race continues with two events remaining prior to season-culminating event: With only two events remaining prior to the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the race continues for the $1 million bonus prize. Colin Montgomerie regained the top place in the current standings with a T-5 finish at the SAS Championship. Jeff Maggert (39 points behind), Bernhard Langer (336 points behind) each have an opportunity to supplant Montgomerie with strong showings in the final stretch of the season. Montgomerie’s slim lead over Maggert is the second-closest race for the Charles Schwab Cup this late in the season since the Schwab Cup began in 2001 (Fred Funk led Jay Haas by 28 points with three events remaining in 2008).
Allen defends: Michael Allen defeated Marco Dawson by two strokes for his seventh career Champions Tour win.
Headlining the field: Colin Montgomerie, Jeff Maggert, Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Marco Dawson, Kenny Perry, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Kirk Triplett and Lee Janzen.
LPGA TOUR
LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship
Dates: Oct. 14-18
Venue: Sky 72 Golf Club (Ocean Course) – Incheon, South Korea
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Friday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Saturday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Sunday 11:30 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Format: The field features 77 players competing in a 72-hole tournament with no cut. The event also is being contested only 20 minutes from the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea where the Presidents Cup was contested last week.
Baek defends: Q Baek defeated Brittany Lincicome and In Gee Chun with a birdie on the first playoff hole to earn her first career LPGA Tour win.
Headlining the field: Inbee Park, Lydia Ko, So Yeon Ryu, Lexi Thompson, Hyo-Joo Kim, Shanshan Feng, In Gee Chun, Suzann Pettersen, Paula Creamer, Charley Hull and Michelle Wie.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Portugal Masters
Dates: Oct. 15-18
Venue: Oceanico Victoria Golf Club, Vilamoura, Portugal
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 6:30-8:30 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Friday 6:30-8:30 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Levy defends: Alexander Levy finished three shots ahead of Nicolas Colsaerts for his second career European Tour win.
Headlining the field: Martin Kaymer, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Bernd Wiesberger, Thorbjorn Olesen, Thomas Pieters, Pablo Larrazabal and Paul Dunne.
COMING UP…
2015 World Long Drive Championship
Dates: Oct. 20-21
Venue: WinStar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville, Okla.
Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Tuesday, Oct. 20 9-11 p.m. (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)
Wednesday, Oct. 21 9-11 p.m. (Live) / 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. (Replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Format: Golf Channel will showcase back-to-back nights of primetime coverage of the 2015 World Long Drive Championship, featuring the round of 16 being narrowed down to eight competitors (Tuesday, Oct. 20), and the remaining eight dueling for the first place prize and $250,000 purse (Wednesday, Oct. 21). Golf Channel’s expanded coverage of the Championship also will include news and results of the qualifying rounds, Oct. 14-19, leading up to live coverage on Oct. 20-21. New to 2015, competitors will have 2 minutes, 45 seconds to hit their drives in each round, and the player who is trailing in the match will have an opportunity to hit one final ball past their opponent’s to try and advance to the next round in the bracket.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
