Day Defends at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, with Nearly 35 Live
Hours of Tournament Coverage Wednesday-Sunday on Golf Channel, NBC
NBC Sports’ Heather Cox Making Golf Channel Debut as a
Golf Central Reporter from WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Ko Defends at Kia Classic in California, Airing in Primetime on Golf Channel
DeChambeau, Poulter, Johnston Lead Field at Puerto Rico Open
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 21, 2017) – 64 of the top players in the world gather in Austin this week for golf’s version of a March bracket event with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, beginning Wednesday. World No. 3 Jason Day will defend his 2016 title, alongside Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, with nearly 35 hours of live tournament coverage scheduled to air across Golf Channel and NBC. NBC Sports’ Heather Cox is making her Golf Channel debut this week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play as a reporter for Golf Central. The LPGA Tour is in southern California for the Kia Classic, where world No. 1 Lydia Ko will defend among a field that includes every single player from the LPGA top-100 money list in 2016. And the PGA TOUR will stage the Puerto Rico Open, featuring a field led by Bryson DeChambeau, Ian Poulter and Andrew Johnston, along with former major champions, including Graeme McDowell, Angel Cabrera, Retief Goosen and Y.E. Yang.
PGA TOUR
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Dates: March 22-26
Venue: Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 2-8 p.m. (Live) / 9 p.m.-3 a.m. (Replay)
Thursday 2-8 p.m. (Live) / 10:30 p.m.-4:30 a.m. (Replay)
Friday 2-8 p.m. (Live) / 10:30 p.m.-4:30 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 2-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-7 p.m. (Live)
Golf Central Pre and Post Round Coverage on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Live) / 8-9 p.m. (Live)
Thursday 1:30-2 p.m. (Live) / 8-8:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday 1:30-2 p.m. (Live) / 8-8:30 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 9-10 a.m. (Live) / 9-10 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 9-10 a.m. (Live) / 9-10 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
NBC Sports Reporter Heather Cox to Make Golf Channel Debut: Heather Cox, who joined NBC Sports Group on a full-time basis at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will make her Golf Channel debut at the Dell Technologies Match Play, as a reporter for Golf Central, alongside Todd Lewis. Cox, a reporter on multiple high-profile sports properties and events over the past two decades, also will serve as a reporter for Golf Central at Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.
Extensive tournament coverage on Golf Channel, NBC: NBC Sports Group will feature nearly 35 live hours of tournament coverage from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Golf Channel will carry live coverage of round robin matches Wednesday-Friday, March 22-24. On Saturday, March 25, Golf Channel will provide coverage of the Round of 16, followed by the Quarterfinals matches airing on NBC. On Sunday, March 26, Golf Channel will showcase the Semifinals matches, followed by the Championship and Consolation matches airing on NBC.
Event format: The 64-player field is divided into 16 four-player groups competing in a round-robin format over the first three days on Wednesday-Friday. The player in each group with the most points (1 point for a win, ½ point for a halved match) advances to single elimination match play with the Round of 16 and quarterfinals scheduled for Saturday and the semifinals and final scheduled for Sunday. The top-16 seeded players in Pool A are the top seeds of their respective groups and the rest of the players in each group were determined through a blind draw on Monday, March 20. Those other 48 players were randomly assigned to their group of four based on three pools: seeds 17-32 in Pool B, seeds 33-48 in Pool C, and seeds 49-64 in Pool D.
Day defends: Jason Day defeated Louis Oosthuizen 5&4 in the finals to claim his ninth career PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia, Alex Noren, Patrick Reed, Tyrrell Hatten and Danny Willett.
NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Terry Gannon (Golf Channel) / Dan Hicks (NBC)
Analyst: Nick Faldo (Golf Channel) / Johnny Miller (NBC)
Tower: Gary Koch / Peter Jacobsen / David Feherty / Jimmy Roberts
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing / Notah Begay / David Feherty (NBC)
Interviews: Steve Sands
Essays: Jimmy Roberts (NBC)
Rules: Stephen Cox
LPGA TOUR
Kia Classic
Dates: March 23-26
Venue: Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club, Carlsbad, Calif.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 8:30-10:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 7-9 p.m. (Live Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Friday 8:30-10:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 7-9 p.m. (Live Streaming on Golf Channel Digital)
Saturday 5:30-9 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 5:30-9 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Inkster to join Thursday’s first round coverage: World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster will visit the broadcast booth during Golf Channel’s opening round coverage on Thursday as a special guest during part of the telecast.
Yin to be featured in “Rookie Spotlight” during Friday’s second round coverage: LPGA Tour rookie Angel Yin will be profiled during Friday’s second round coverage as part of Golf Channel’s “Rookie Spotlight” feature.
Strong field: The field at the Kia Classic features every single player from the top-100 of the 2016 LPGA Tour money list.
Ko defends: Lydia Ko finished four shots ahead of Inbee Park to earn her 11th LPGA victory.
Headlining the field: Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, In Gee Chun, Shanshan Feng, So Yeon Ryu, Ha Na Jang, Inbee Park, Amy Yang, Lexi Thompson, Anna Nordqvist and Michelle Wie.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Grant Boone
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Tom Abbott
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples
PGA TOUR
Puerto Rico Open
Dates: March 23-26
Venue: Coco Beach Golf & Country Club (Championship Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live) / 4:30-7 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live) / 4:30-7 a.m. (Saturday replay)
Saturday 2-5:30 p.m. (Live) / 2-5 a.m. (Sunday replay)
Sunday 2:30-5:30 p.m. (Live) / 2-5 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Headlining the field: Bryson DeChambeau, Andrew Johnston, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Thorbjorn Olesen, Retief Goosen, Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang and Sam Saunders.
Golf Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Whit Watson
Analyst: Curt Byrum
Tower: Craig Perks
On-Course: Matt Gogel / Billy Ray Brown
-NBC Sports Group-