NBC Sports Group Dedicate Nearly 140 Hours To The 146th Open From Royal Birkdale, July 17-23

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Category: Inside Golf

Published: 2017-07-03

Nearly 80 Hours of Live Tournament and News Programming On-Site from Royal Birkdale, Most in Major Championship History

Golf Channel to Air Live Coverage of Final Six Open Qualifying Series Events, Starting Today with PGA TOUR’s Quicken Loans National and European Tour’s HNA French Open

ORLANDO, Florida — NBC Sports Group is dedicating nearly 140 hours of television coverage to The 146^TH Open from Royal Birkdale, July 17-23, — highlighted by 78 scheduled hours of live tournament and news programming on-site, the most-ever for a major championship. NBC Sports also is expanding its live coverage of The Open Qualifying Series (beginning today), which will culminate with live coverage of The Open, spanning from the first tee shot on Thursday to the final putt on Sunday, utilizing NBC Sports’ popular “Playing Through” split screen format for select commercial breaks across all four days of coverage.

NEARLY 80 LIVE HOURS OF TOURNAMENT AND NEWS COVERAGE OF THE 146^TH OPEN, MOST EVER:

A total of 49.5 live hours will be devoted to live tournament coverage from July 20-23, including 14.5 hours on Golf Channel over each of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday (1:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET); 10.5 live hours across Golf Channel and NBC during the third round on Saturday (4:30 a.m.-3 p.m. ET); and 10 live hours across Golf Channel and NBC during the final round on Sunday (4 a.m.-2 p.m. ET).

Golf Channel’s signature news programs, Morning Drive and Golf Central Live From The Open will headline nearly 30 live hours of comprehensive news coverage throughout the week of The Open on-site from Royal Birkdale. Morning Drive will air a special “Midnight Drive” on Thursday, July 20 (midnight-1:30 am ET) before The Open’s first round to lead into live coverage of the first tee shot. Immediately following live tournament coverage all four days, Golf Central Live From The Open will recap the day’s action.

In total, NBC Sports Group will televise and stream nearly 140 hours throughout the week of The Open, including encore presentations of Golf Central Live From The Open and each round in primetime on Golf Channel Thursday-Sunday. In addition, NBC will air a highlight special on Saturday from 4:30-6 p.m. ET.

FIVE “CHAMPION GOLFERS OF THE YEAR” HEADLINE BROADCAST TEAM:

Golf Channel and NBC’s tournament and news teams at Royal Birkdale will utilize five past “Champion Golfers of the Year,” who have previously hoisted the Claret Jug a combined seven times, including: David Duval (2001), Nick Faldo (1987, ’90, ’92), Justin Leonard (1997), Johnny Miller (1976 – Royal Birkdale) and Mark O’Meara (1998 – Royal Birkdale).

Tournament Team: Mike Tirico, calling his 21^st consecutive Open, will join Terry Gannon and Dan Hicks as rotating play-by-play hosts for Golf Channel and NBC’s coverage of The Open. Faldo, Leonard, Miller and Colin Montgomerie will rotate as lead analysts in the 18^th tower, along with Duval, who will be playing in The Open and will provide unique insight as a player/analyst. Additionally, O’Meara will join Tirico in the host booth throughout the weekend’s coverage. Joining them will be a team of analysts and on-course reporters, including Tom Abbott, Notah Begay, Billy Ray Brown, Curt Byrum, David Feherty, Jerry Foltz, Peter Jacobsen, Gary Koch, Roger Maltbie, Jimmy Roberts and Mark Rolfing. Steve Sands will report from an on-course tower and rotate with Todd Lewis in conducting post-round interviews.

News Teams: Golf Central Live From The Open will be hosted by Ryan Burr and Rich Lerner, with Begay, Brandel Chamblee, Duval, Trevor Immelman, Billy Kratzert, Frank Nobilo and Rolfing serving as analysts. Golf Channel Insiders Rex Hoggard and Tim Rosaforte will provide insight on the field, and Lewis will provide daily reports and conduct player interviews throughout the week. 1992 Open runner-up John Cook, Damon Hack and Cara Robinson will report on-site for Morning Drive.

EXPANDED COVERAGE OF THE OPEN QUALIFYING SERIES: NBC Sports Group will feature live coverage of the final six official Open Qualifying Series events, including two events staged on famed links golf courses, leading up to The 146^TH Open:

June 29-July 2: PGA TOUR: Quicken Loans National (Up to 4 qualifiers)

European Tour: HNA French Open (Up to 3 qualifiers)

July 6-9: PGA TOUR: The Greenbrier Classic (Up to 4 qualifiers)

European Tour: Dubai Duty Free Irish Open (Up to 3 qualifiers)

July 13-16: PGA TOUR: John Deere Classic (Up to 1 qualifier)

European Tour: Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (Up to 3 qualifiers)

Golf Channel will air 24 hours of live coverage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the most number of hours in the tournament’s history. The tournament also will feature familiar voices to the U.S. audience with NBC Sports on-air personalities: Terry Gannon (play-by-play), Curt Byrum (analyst), Tom Abbott (tower), Phil Blackmar and Damon Hack (on course). 1986 Scottish Open champion and NBC Sports analyst David Feherty will join the broadcast team for the Aberdeen Asset Scottish Open, which will air on NBC Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16, from 12:30-3 p.m. ET.

Airtimes for the final six official Open Qualifying Series events can be found HERE.

SUMMER OF GOLF CONTINUES WITH SENIOR OPEN, WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN, SOLHEIM CUP, FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS, PRESIDENTS CUP: The Open kicks off NBC Sports’ three-week stretch of consecutive R&A events this summer. Golf Channel and NBC will carry live coverage of The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex, July 27-30, and the RICOH Women’s British Open, Aug. 3-6. Golf Channel and NBC will continue an unprecedented three-month stretch of marquee events, including the FedExCup Playoffs on the PGA TOUR and the biennial Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup match play competitions.

NBC Sports Group’s Live Tournament Programming Schedule: The Open (All Times ET)

Live tournament coverage will be streamed on Golf Channel Digital and the Golf Channel App:

Golf Channel News Programming at the 146^TH Open

The Senior Open Tournament Airtimes

RICOH Women’s British Open Tournament Airtimes

• Others