The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill starting tomorrow marks the end of the PGA Tour’s Florida swing and will lead golfers to Texas next week and then following that, The Masters at Augusta. Golf Channel and NBC will team up once again to cover the prestigious Arnold Palmer which will have a field that will include Tiger Woods. Terry Gannon and Frank Nobilo will be in the 18th tower for Golf Channel. As always, Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller will be manning it for NBC during the weekend. We have the schedule for both in this joint Golf Channel/NBC press release.
TIGER WOODS RETURNS TO ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL THURSDAY-SUNDAY ON GOLF CHANNEL & NBC
Reigning Bay Hill Champion Ernie Els & Former Champ Phil Mickelson Also Headline Competitive Field
Golf Central to Broadcast LIVE & On-Site from Bay HillNEW YORK – Mar. 23, 2011 – Tiger Woods, a six-time Bay Hill champion, returns to the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the first time since he won the tournament in 2009. On Thursday and Friday, Woods will be in a featured group with fellow ‘big hitters’ Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, who won last week’s Transitions Championship. Reigning API champion Ernie Els, former champion Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Ian Poulter and Rickie Fowler also headline the competitive field.
NBC Sports Group will present 17 hours of live complete-round coverage of the tournament. Golf Channel will air live first- and second-round action on Thursday and Friday from 3-6 p.m. ET and will present four additional hours of live action on the weekend beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend coverage leads directly into “Golf Channel on NBC” (2:30-6 p.m. ET, both days). Golf Channel will also replay 10 total hours in primetime from Thursday-Sunday (Thursday-Friday: 8:30-11:30 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 9:30-11:30 p.m. ET).
NBC SPORTS GROUP SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Thursday
First Round 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay) Golf ChannelFriday
Second Round 3-6 p.m. (Live) / 8:30-11:30 p.m. (Replay) Golf ChannelSaturday
Third Round 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 9:30-11:30 p.m. (NBC Replay) Golf Channel
Third Round 2:30-6 p.m. (Live) NBCSunday
Final Round 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) / 9:30-11:30 p.m. (NBC Replay) Golf Channel
Final Round 2:30-6 p.m. (Live) NBCGOLF CENTRAL: Golf Central will be on-site from Bay Hill and will precede every live round of Golf Channel’s coverage with a live half-hour program. It will also air live from 6-6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday-Saturday and 6-7 p.m. ET on Sunday. Golf Central is Golf Channel’s studio show that provides the only live, daily source for comprehensive and up-to-date news from around the world of golf.
DIGITAL: Fans can access exclusive behind-the-scenes content of the NBC Sports Group’s golf coverage via Facebook (www.facebook.com/golfchannel) and Twitter (@golfchannel). NBCSports.com’s ProGolfTalk will feature previews, recaps and analysis of all the stories and results of the event.
COMMENTATORS: Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller, in their 12th season together, will anchor ‘Golf Channel on NBC’ coverage Saturday and Sunday from the main tower. Gary Koch, a two-time Bay Hill champion, and Mark Rolfing will serve as tower reporters while Roger Maltbie and Dottie Pepper will report from the course. Jimmy Roberts will serve as interviewer/essayist.
Terry Gannon and Frank Nobilo will host Golf Channel coverage. Koch (tower), Roberts (tower), Rolfing (tower), Maltbie (course) and Pepper (course) will also work Golf Channel’s coverage, joining interviewer Steve Sands.
MALTBIE ON THE ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL: “There’s no question that a great many players are here paying homage to Arnold Palmer, who is probably the single-most important figure in the game in the last 50 years. Young or old, they know Arnold and what he’s meant to the game. This tournament is important to them.”
MALTBIE ON AUGUSTA BEING TWO WEEKS AWAY: “This will be a litmus test for a great many of the players to see where their games are with Augusta two weeks away. How do I get myself ready? It starts here.”
That is all.
