2011 was the most-watched year in Golf Channel history. The network’s first year as part of the NBC Sports Group finished on Dec. 31 as the most-watched year in the network’s 17-year history, according to data released by Nielsen Research. Viewership in 2011 was up almost 30 percent from 2010 and topped 2009 by 3 percent to become Golf Channel’s most-watched year ever. Highlights include PGA TOUR viewership up 23 percent, Presidents Cup coverage from Australia providing the most-watched day and week in Golf Channel history, viewership for Golf Central up 47 percent; and in June, the premiere of Feherty became the network’s most-viewed season premiere ever. These milestones provided the network with great momentum heading into the 2012 golf season, which kicks off Friday with primetime coverage in Hawaii of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions from the picturesque Plantation Course in Kapalua, Maui. Total-day viewership growth in 2011 was spiked by milestones across all Golf Channel programming categories – an achievement even more impressive considering Tiger Woods appeared in only 10 events on Golf Channel (and did not win until the last event of his year). Comparatively, in 2009 when the previous record was established, Woods played 17 events and won nine times. Furthermore, 2011 viewership was more than 15 percent better than audience levels in 2007 and 2008. The January 28, 2011, Comcast merger with NBCUniversal, which provided Golf Channel with broad-based promotion across a vast network of various NBCU platforms, and the addition of more original shows – including the critically acclaimed Feherty and the network’s first-ever live morning show, Morning Drive – engaged viewers who watched the network more often than ever before.