Golf Channel Will Fill Presidents Cup

11 Hours Of Live Tourney Fare Highlight 30 Hours Of Coverage Of U.S.-International Team Competition

Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 10/3/2009 1:31:00 AM

Golf Channel will present some 30 hours of coverage surrounding next week's Presidents Cup in San Francisco.
The Comcast-owned service plans to take viewers inside the ropes at Harding Park Golf Course, mixing in exclusive early-round, live tourney coverage, with a host of analysis and wrap-around fare, as the U.S. hosts an international contingent (sans players from Europe).
Paul Azinger, the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, will join European captain and Golf Channel analyst Nick Faldo in the broadcast booth, with Brian Hammons and Kelly Tilghman handling play by play. Golf will televise 11 hours of live tournament coverage in the high-definition format on Thursday, Oct. 8 (3 p.m to 8 p.m. ET) and Friday, Oct. 9 (2 p.m.-8 p.m.). Primetime encores will air at 8:30 p.m. NBC has the weekend tourney telecasts.
The broadcast team also will include Gary Koch and Jimmy Roberts from on-course towers, Mark Rolfing, Dottie Pepper and Roger Maltbie reporting from the course, and Jim Gray and Steve Sands conducting interviews with the International and U.S. teams, respectively.
Live From The Presidents Cup will deliver live news reports, analysis and compelling features from a variety of angles. Coverage begins Tuesday (4:30 p.m) and Wednesday (4 p.m.) with pre-tournament news conferences, followed by the opening ceremony on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.. Live From The Presidents Cup also will offer wrap-around news shows Thursday  through Sunday, before and after live network coverage, with primetime and late-night shows re-airing the following mornings.
The network's team will include Kraig Kann, Kelly Tilghman, Brian Hammons, Brandel Chamblee, Jim Gray, Steve Sands Dottie Pepper and Mark Rolfing reporting from San Francisco, joined by Vince Cellini, Charlie Rymer, Scott Walker, Inga Hammond, Rich Lerner and Todd Lewis from the network's Orlando studios.
GolfChannel.com's Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell also will contribute to the Web site's "Shag Bag" blog and will post daily columns and features from Harding Park Golf Course.