Golf Channel announces NCAA Championship coverage plans
ORLANDO, Fla., May 15, 2019 – GOLF Channel today announced coverage plans for the 2019 NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf National Championships, featuring two weeks of comprehensive on-air, digital and social coverage produced on-site from the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. GOLF will dedicate its full suite of production resources to the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships, featuring more than 100 hours of news and tournament coverage.
“GOLF continues to invest in college golf and showcasing the game’s future stars through our long-term partnership with the NCAA,” said Molly Solomon, GOLF executive vice president of content and executive producer. “During the next two weeks, viewers will witness the passion and intensity demonstrated by these student-athletes have in competing for national championships, many of whom are continuing to raise their profiles through our year-round college golf coverage.”
Both the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships will connect 14 consecutive days of live tournament coverage on GOLF. In total, GOLF will air more than 50 live tournament hours of college and amateur coverage in 2019, the most of any television network.
NCAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE: GOLF’s live tournament coverage of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships begins on Monday, May 20, when an individual national champion will be crowned and coverage will begin tracking the schools attempting to qualify for the eight-team match play championship. GOLF coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21-22 will include all three rounds of the team match play, ultimately crowning a national champion. Coverage days and times will be duplicated the following week (May 27-29) for the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships. Golf Central will surround live tournament coverage both weeks with pre- and post-event news produced on-site at the Blessings Golf Club, along with daily news updates on Morning Drive.
News and tournament coverage of the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships will be streamed via GOLF Digital, the NBC Sports and GOLF Channel Apps – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming products for mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs.
NCAA Women’s Golf Championships Airtimes (all times ET)
Monday, May 20 Individual National Championship 3-8 p.m. CT (Live)
Tuesday, May 21 Quarterfinals, Team Match Play 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT (Live)
Tuesday, May 21 Semifinals, Team Match Play 3-7 p.m. CT (Live)
Wednesday, May 22 Team National Championship 3-7 p.m. CT (Live)
NCAA Men’s Golf Championships Airtimes (all times ET)
Monday, May 27 Individual National Championship 3-7 p.m. CT (Live)
Tuesday, May 28 Quarterfinals, Team Match Play 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT (Live)
Tuesday, May 28 Semifinals, Team Match Play 3-7 p.m. CT (Live)
Wednesday, May 29 Team National Championship 3-7 p.m. CT (Live)
NCAA Women’s Golf Championships Broadcast Team:
Bob Papa – Play-by-Play
Karen Stupples – Co-Lead Analyst
Curt Byrum – Co-Lead Analyst
Steve Burkowski – Hole Announcer
Billy Ray Brown – On Course Reporter
Kay Cockerill – On Course Reporter
John Cook – On Course Reporter
Lisa Cornwell – Interviews
George Savaricas – Golf Central Host
Amanda Blumenherst – Golf Central Analyst
Ryan Lavner – College Insider
Lisa Cornwell – Reporter
NCAA Men’s Golf Championships Broadcast Team:
Bob Papa – Play-by-Play
Curt Byrum – Lead Analyst
Steve Burkowski – Hole Announcer
Notah Begay – On Course Reporter
Billy Ray Brown – On Course Reporter
John Cook – On Course Reporter
Chantel McCabe – Interviews
George Savaricas – Golf Central Host
Arron Oberholser – Golf Central Analyst
Ryan Lavner – College Insider
Chantel McCabe – Reporter
DIGITAL AND SOCIAL COVERAGE: GOLF Digital will feature expanded editorial coverage of the NCAA Women’s and Men’s Golf Championships from its team of writers via College Central, GOLF’s online home for college golf. Coverage will include scoring updates, features, analysis and reaction throughout the two weeks. Ryan Lavner and Brentley Romine will contribute on-site at the Blessings Golf Club.
GOLF’s on-site social media coverage will include dedicated Facebook Live activations, as well as Instagram and Twitter content via the network’s social media handles. Social media correspondent Nikki Bondura will contribute during the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships, with GOLF social media host Alexandra O’Laughlin on-site during the NCAA Men’s Golf Championships. Both will conduct live activations with on-air personalities and student-athletes in the field. GOLF also will integrate social media into the NCAA Golf Championships live tournaments and news coverage using the Hashtag #NCAAGolf.