Received this notice from Golf Channel today regarding its coverage of the LPGA Tour in 2014. The network will air 32 tournaments and 355 hours of play throughout the calendar year leading to the inaugural “Race to the CME Globe” which is the LPGA’s version of the PGA Tour’s Playoffs.
Golf Channel’s coverage of the LPGA Tour begins today with the Bahamas LPGA Classic and will continue until Sunday.
Terry Gannon, Whit Watson and Big Break’s scolding professor, Tom Abbott will rotate as the three hosts of the LPGA Tour telecasts. Judi Rankin will be lead analyst and the crew will also consist of Jerry Foltz and Kay Cockerill as well as appearances by current players Juli Inkster, Paige Mackenzie and Karen Stupples.
Here’s the press release and schedule of tournaments to be seen on Golf Channel.
ROBUST SCHEDULE, HIGHER RATINGS LEAD TO MOST TELEVISED HOURS IN LPGA TOUR HISTORY
Golf Channel Coverage Kicks off Today at the Bahamas LPGA Classic
DAYTONA BEACH/ORLANDO, FLORIDA, January 23, 2014 – With 32 tournaments and the debut of the inaugural Race to the CME Globe, the LPGA Tour has been riding a strong wave of momentum so far in 2014. Today, that momentum continues with the unveiling of a Golf Channel schedule that features more than 355 hours of coverage – the most televised hours in LPGA Tour history. As Golf Channel expands its tournament coverage in 2014, fans will have the opportunity to follow the LPGA each week as players vie for the coveted $1 million first-place prize in the Race to the CME Globe.
Following a 2013 season that saw a 14 percent increase in viewership, Golf Channel will kick off its 2014 LPGA tournament coverage today at the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic. Live first and second round coverage from the Bahamas will be aired from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET today and Friday, with the third and final-rounds shown live from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET on the weekend.
“The LPGA Tour has exciting things in store for the 2014 season and the Golf Channel’s increased television coverage gives fans the opportunity to follow the tour throughout the season,” said Brian Carroll, LPGA Vice President of Television and Emerging Media. “Golf Channel’s partnership with the LPGA has given fans an in-depth look into players’ lives both inside and outside the ropes.”
Highlights of the television schedule include:
- Golf Channel will provide 16 hours of live coverage of the inaugural International Crown (July 24-27), the first-of-its-kind, global match-play competition.
- Similar to previous years, Golf Channel will continue to provide robust tournament coverage of three LPGA Major Championships: the Kraft Nabisco Championship (Apr. 3-6), LPGA Championship (Aug. 14-17), and the Evian Championship (Sept. 11-14), combining for 53 hours of Golf Channel coverage.
- For the third-consecutive year, the tour will provide live coverage for more than 90 percent of North American telecasts, including 100 percent of weekend telecasts.
- Golf Channel will televise pro-am shows from four tournaments – Kraft Nabisco Championship (April 3-6), Manulife LPGA Financial (June 5-8), International Crown (July 24-27), and Tour Championship (Nov. 20-23) – providing viewers the opportunity to get an in-depth look inside-the-ropes as the pros prepare for competition.
In addition to robust tournament coverage, several LPGA Tour standouts including Juli Inkster, Paige Mackenzie and Karen Stupples will be featured in Golf Channel’s 2014 on-air talent lineup. While still continuing to play on tour, Inkster will be featured as a course reporter for five LPGA events in 2014 beginning at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. Mackenzie will also continue playing on tour while co-hosting Morning Drive and appearing on Golf Central. In addition, the 2007 LPGA Tour rookie of the year will report from select events providing in-depth player interviews and news for Golf Central. Stupples will transition primarily to television in 2014 and will work as a course reporter and booth analyst at several LPGA Tour events.
Hall-of-Famer Judy Rankin will return as lead analyst, joining one of three play-by-play hosts that includes Terry Gannon, Whit Watson and LPGA mainstay Tom Abbott, who will serve as a hole announcer when not calling play by play. In addition to Stupples and Inkster, the on-course reporting team will include Jerry Foltz and Kay Cockerill.
And here’s the 2014 Golf Channel LPGA Schedule. That will do it.
