This from the NBC Sports Group. The U.S. Women’s Open has begun and both ESPN2 and NBC will share coverage under their contracts with the US Golf Association. NBC will have weekend coverage from Blackwolf Run in Kohler, WI. Dan Hicks will be at the tower on the 18th green with Dottie Pepper. Joining them will be Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam who makes her NBC debut. Assisting NBC in the coverage will be tower reporter Gary Koch, on-course reporters Roger Maltbie, Kay Cockerill and Jane Crafter.
Golf Channel will provide studio coverage for the event, but there will be no live golf action from the U.S. Women’s Open on the network.
Here’s the NBC Sports press release.
NBC SPORTS GROUP TO AIR MORE THAN 30 HOURS OF U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN PROGRAMMING
Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam to Join Tournament and News Coverage
Six Hours of Weekend Tournament Coverage on NBC
Golf Central Team to Broadcast On-Site
Golf Central to Air on NBC Saturday and Sunday
“It will be a test of patience and perseverance.” – Annika Sorenstam
“Highlight of my season to cover the greatest championship in women’s golf.” – Dottie PepperORLANDO, Fla., / NEW YORK – July 3, 2012 – NBC Sports Group will present more than 30 hours of combined, live tournament and wraparound news coverage of this week’s 2012 U.S. Women’s Open Championship – the third major championship on the women’s schedule this year – on both Golf Channel and NBC
“Golf Channel on NBC’s” weekend coverage on NBC will include three hours of live tournament action each day, which, for the first time, will be complemented by Golf Channel’s Golf Central pre-game show. Golf Channel’s wraparound coverage will originate from the tournament site throughout the week, featuring news, talk and instructional programming. GolfChannel.com also will provide comprehensive online coverage of the championship.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM TO MAKE NBC DEBUT – Hall-of-Famer and three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam will make her NBC on-air debut, joining analyst Dottie Pepper and play-by-play host Dan Hicks for a portion of the weekend tournament coverage. Sorenstam also will contribute to Golf Channel’s news shows throughout the week, including Golf Central, Golf Central Pre Game and Morning Drive.
TOURNAMENT BROADCAST TEAM – Host Dan Hicks and lead analyst Dottie Pepper will anchor coverage from the 18th tower. They will be joined by tower reporter Gary Koch and on-course reporters Roger Maltbie, Kay Cockerill and Jane Crafter. Sorenstam will join Hicks and Pepper in the booth for a portion of the coverage each day.
ON-SITE NEWS COVERAGE – Golf Channel will provide the most extensive news coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open in its history, featuring live news reports, inside analysis, player interviews, special guest appearances and compelling features from the women’s third major championship of 2012.
Golf Central will broadcast live and on-site from Blackwolf Run throughout the week and will originate from a dedicated set near the 13th green – delivering news coverage before and after tournament play. Morning Drive, the network’s live, weekday morning show, will feature daily special guests from the tournament site. The Grey Goose 19th Hole (Thursday night at midnight ET and Friday night at 2 a.m. ET) will feature news, highlights and interviews from the U.S. Women’s Open. Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Tom Abbott will anchor Golf Central and will be joined by contributors Annika Sorenstam, GolfChannel.com senior writer Randall Mell and other NBC analysts throughout the week.
GOLF CENTRAL ON NBC – For the first time at the U.S. Women’s Open, Golf Channel will prep NBC’s weekend tournament action with a 30-minute Golf Central on NBCpre-game show, airing exclusively on NBC from 2:30-3 p.m. ET. Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Tom Abbott will host the shows, and will be joined by NBC analysts and contributors.
U.S. Women’s Open Programming
Show Network Airtime (all times ET) Thursday, July 5 Morning Drive Golf Channel 6:30-8:30 a.m. Golf Central Pre Game Golf Channel 1:30-3 p.m. U.S. Women’s Open ESPN2 4-8 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 7-7:30 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 11:30 p.m.-Midnight Grey Goose 19th Hole Golf Channel Midnight-12:30 a.m. Friday, July 6 Morning Drive Golf Channel 6:30-8:30 a.m. Golf Central Pre Game Golf Channel 1:30-3 p.m. U.S. Women’s Open ESPN2 4-8 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 7-7:30 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 1:30-2 a.m. Saturday, July 7 Golf Central Pre Game Golf Channel 1-2:30 p.m. Golf Central on NBC NBC 2:30-3 p.m. U.S. Women’s Open NBC 3-6 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 6-6:30 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 11:30 p.m. – Midnight Sunday, July 8 Golf Central Pre Game Golf Channel 1-2:30p.m. Golf Central on NBC NBC 2:30-3 p.m. U.S. Women’s Open NBC 3-6 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 6-7 p.m. Golf Central Golf Channel 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. DIGITAL COVERAGE – GolfChannel.com senior writer Randall Mell will contribute daily columns, news articles, features and breaking news from the U.S. Women’s Open throughout the week.
That does it.
