This weekend, the Group, Golf Channel and NBC Sports, will combine for this weekend’s Champions Tour event, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Not only will golf legends be playing, but celebrities as well. I’m never into these types of events, but sometimes they make for entertaining moments. I’ll admit I won’t be watching, but don’t let me stop you from doing so if you’re interested.
NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS COMPLETE-ROUND COVERAGE OF CHAMPIONS TOUR 2011 OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE PRO-AM THIS FRIDAY-SUNDAY
Nick Price, Ben Crenshaw, Mark O’Meara, Fuzzy Zoeller & Tom Kite Headline Professional Field
Celebrity Field Includes by Emmitt Smith, Craig T. Nelson, Vince Gill & MoreNEW YORK – April 14, 2011 – NBC Sports Group presents complete-round coverage of the Champions Tour 2011 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am from the TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla., this Friday-Sunday on Golf Channel (Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET) and NBC (Saturday, 4-6 p.m. ET; Sunday, 1-3 p.m. ET).
This year’s field includes former Master Champions Fuzzy Zoeller (1979), Craig Stadler (1982), Ben Crenshaw (1984, 1995) Larry Mize (1987), and Mark O’Meara (1998). It also features Tom Lehman, who has won two of the four Champions Tour events he’s played this year, as well as Nick Price, Tom Kite, Scott Hoch, Cory Pavin, Tom Lehman, Kenny Perry, Hal Sutton and Jay Haas.
CELEBRITY FIELD: NFL all-time leading rusher and 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Emmitt Smith, Emmy Award-winner Craig T. Nelson and country music superstar Vince Gill headline the celebrity field competing for the Pro-Am title. Additional celebrities include Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, Stone Phillips, John O’Hurley and Joe Theismann. Rascal Flatts’ guitarist Joe Don Rooney is making his Outback Pro-Am debut this year. Michael J. Fox will attend but not play in the event to support The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is one of the benefiting charities.
COMMENTATORS: Host Dan Hicks and analyst Gary Koch, who is a Tampa resident and very familiar with the course, anchor NBC’s coverage from the tower. They are joined by tower reporter Mark Rolfing; course reporters Roger Maltbie and Dottie Pepper; and interviewer/essayist Jimmy Roberts. Koch, Rolfing, Roberts, Maltbie and Pepper will also work on Golf Channel’s coverage, which will be hosted by David Marr.
KOCH ON THE COURSE: “The golf course favors good shot makers, players who strike the ball well. There are a lot of difficult holes. It’s a good challenge but fair. If you play well, you can shoot a good score, but if you misplay a shot at the wrong time, you’ll easily make a bogey or worse.”
KOCH ON THE ATMOSPHERE: “This event is unique for the Champions Tour in that it combines pros, celebrities and even some average Joes. It gets large crowds and there’s a party atmosphere courtesy of Outback.”
NBC SPORTS GROUP SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Friday
First Round 12:30-2:30 p.m. (Live) Golf ChannelSaturday
Second Round 4-6 p.m. (Live) NBCSunday
Final Round 1-3 p.m. (Live) NBC
And I have plenty of more press releases for you.
