Golf’s First Major of 2019 – ANA Inspiration – Centerpiece of Six-Event West Coast Swing in Primetime on GOLF Channel
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 16, 2019 – NBC Sports Group kicks off its coverage of the 2019 LPGA Tour season this week with the inaugural Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, the first of 33 official events totaling 435 hours of tournament coverage, marking the highest number of events and most hours ever in a single calendar year for the LPGA Tour.
“We are very happy to continue this great partnership with our friends at Golf Channel and NBC,” said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan. “Our LPGA Tour players are some of the world’s finest athletes, yet their lives outside the ropes are just as compelling. We look forward to working with Golf Channel and NBC to bring those stories to our millions of fans across the United States and around the globe.”
“NBC Sports’ LPGA Tour coverage in 2019 features our most hours ever, including kicking off and capping the season with broadcast coverage on NBC,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer, GOLF Channel. “We continue to invest in our LPGA Tour coverage, elevating their stars as they travel the globe on this international tour. GOLF Channel will showcase 33 LPGA Tour events, including four of five women's major championships and the Solheim Cup, making us the home to women's golf."
MOST NUMBER OF BROADCAST HOURS ON NBC IN LPGA HISTORY
For the first time, NBC will bookend the LPGA Tour season, beginning this week with the inaugural Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and concluding with live coverage of the CME Group Tour Championship, the season-ending event on the LPGA Tour in November. NBC also will air live coverage of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s British Open in 2019, nearly doubling the number of live tournament hours on NBC.
In total, NBC Sports Group’s coverage of 33 LPGA Tour events in 2019 will feature nearly 90% of all tournament coverage live, highlighted by four of the five major championships and the biennial Solheim Cup, taking place Sept. 13-15 in Perthshire, Scotland. GOLF Channel will air live comprehensive coverage of the ANA Inspiration and all three days of the Solheim Cup.
DIAMOND RESORTS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS KICKS OFF 2019 SEASON
The inaugural Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America features 26 LPGA Tour winners from the past two seasons and celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment. GOLF Channel will air live coverage Thursday and Friday (Noon-3 p.m. ET). Weekend coverage will air on GOLF Channel from 2-3 p.m. ET, continuing on NBC from 3-5 p.m. ET.
Paige Mackenzie will serve as lead analyst for live tournament coverage of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, joined by Grant Boone as play-by-play host. Tom Abbott will serve as a hole announcer with Jerry Foltz and Karen Stupples reporting from the course. Chantel McCabe will conduct post-round interviews as well as interviews with celebrities and players on the 18th tee during the tournament telecasts.
GOLF’S FIRST MAJOR OF 2019, ANA INSPIRATION, CENTERPIECE OF SIX-EVENT WEST COAST SWING IN PRIMETIME
Following the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, the LPGA Tour will travel to Australia, Thailand and Singapore for a four-week stretch in February and March before returning to the U.S. in mid-March for a six-week stretch of live coverage in primetime concluding in early May, with the centerpiece being golf’s first major of 2019, the ANA Inspiration (Thursday-Sunday, April 4-7).
NBC Sports Group LPGA Tour Schedule Through West Coast Swing
| Tournament | Date | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions | Jan. 17-20 | GOLF / NBC |
| ISPS Handa Vic Open | Feb. 7-10 | GOLF |
| ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open | Feb. 14-17 | GOLF |
| Honda LPGA Thailand | Feb. 21-24 | GOLF |
| HSBC Women's World Championship | Feb. 28 - March 3 | GOLF |
| Bank of Hope Founders Cup | March 21-24 | GOLF |
| Kia Classic | March 28-31 | GOLF |
| ANA Inspiration | April 4-7 | GOLF |
| LOTTE Championship | April 17-20 | GOLF |
| Hugel-Air Premia LA Open | April 25-28 | GOLF |
| LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship | May 2-5 | GOLF |
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