ORLANDO, Fla., (Aug. 26, 2020) – The PGA TOUR is outside of Chicago this week for the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoff events. Being contested at Olympia Fields, the tournament will feature 69 players positioned inside the top-70 of the FedExCup standings, with the top-30 advancing to next week’s season-culminating TOUR Championship in Atlanta. NBC Sports will carry exclusive live tournament coverage of the two-week stretch across GOLF Channel and NBC, as the network’s live tournament broadcast team reconvenes for its first on-site PGA TOUR production since THE PLAYERS Championship in March. Today at 1 p.m. ET live on GOLF Channel, Phil Mickelson will look to win his inaugural start on the PGA TOUR Champions, where he holds a four-shot lead entering the final round of the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National in Missouri. The Korn Ferry TOUR Championship takes place in Indiana this week, with the top-10 on the points list at week’s end gaining access into select PGA TOUR events next season. Danielle Kang headlines the field on the LPGA Tour this week at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, with coverage airing Friday-Sunday on GOLF Channel. The European Tour hosts the UK Championship at the Belfry, with live coverage Thursday-Sunday on GOLF Channel.
PGA TOUR
BMW Championship
Dates: Aug. 27-30
Venue: Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course), Olympia Fields, Ill.
Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 3-7 p.m. (Live) / 8 p.m.-Midnight (Replay)
Friday 3-7 p.m. (Live) / 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Replay)
Saturday Noon-3 p.m. (Live) / 8 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 8 p.m.-1 a.m. (Replay)
Tournament Airtimes on NBC (Eastern):
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-7 p.m. (Live)
PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold (Eastern):
Thursday 12:15-3 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Daniel Berger/Dustin Johnson/Justin Thomas (1:03 p.m. ET)
- Carlos Ortiz/Bubba Watson/Tiger Woods (1:14 p.m. ET)
Friday 12:15-3 p.m. (Featured Groups)
- Rory McIlroy/Brendon Todd/Xander Schauffele (12:52 p.m. ET)
- Bryson DeChambeau/Harris English/Collin Morikawa (1:03 p.m. ET)
Broadcast Notes:
“BMW Match Play Challenge” airing today at 3 p.m. ET: Four players in the field this week will convene this afternoon to take part in the BMW Match Play Challenge, a nine-hole charity exhibition to benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. The match will take place on the back nine of Olympia Fields’ North Course and feature Collin Morikawa and Max Homa teaming up against Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Na. The format will be a six-point Scotch match, with the two-man teams competing to earn up to six points per hole. The competition will air as a PGA TOUR LIVE production, and is being simulcast live on GOLF Channel beginning at 3 p.m. ET today.
FedExCup Playoffs continue with top-70 in the standings: Sixty-nine players are in the field at the BMW Championship, featuring the current top-70 in the FedExCup standings. Webb Simpson (No. 3 in the standings) opted to skip this week’s tournament in advance of next week’s season-culminating TOUR Championship in Atlanta.
Thomas defends: Justin Thomas finished three shots ahead of Patrick Cantlay at Medinah Country Club to earn his 10th PGA TOUR win.
Headlining the field: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Collin Morikawa, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, Sungjae Im, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
NBC Sports Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Dan Hicks / Steve Sands
Analyst: Paul Azinger / Curt Byrum
Tower: Gary Koch / David Feherty
On-Course: Roger Maltbie / Mark Rolfing
Reporter: Steve Sands / George Savaricas
Essays: Jimmy Roberts
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National
Date: Aug. 26
Venue: Ozarks National Golf Course, Ridgedale, Mo.
Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):
Wednesday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 1-3 a.m. (Thursday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Mickelson vying for PGA TOUR Champions victory in inaugural start: World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson holds a four-shot lead heading into the final round of the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National. After turning 50 in June, Mickelson is making his inaugural start on the PGA TOUR Champions, with live final round coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET this afternoon on GOLF Channel. Rod Pampling and Tim Petrovic each trail Mickelson by four shots heading into the final round.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Korn Ferry TOUR Championship
Dates: Aug. 27-30
Venue: Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, Ind.
Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 1-3 p.m. (Live) / 4-6 a.m. (Friday replay)
Friday 1-3 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 3-5 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-5 p.m. (Live) / 5-7 a.m. (Monday replay)
Broadcast Notes:
Korn Ferry TOUR Championship: This week marks the 12th Korn Ferry TOUR event being staged following a 14-week hiatus due to COVID-19. With the creation of a combined 2020-’21 wraparound season, PGA TOUR cards will not be awarded this year. Instead, the top-10 on the points list at the end of this week will gain access into select PGA TOUR events next season.
U.S. Open exemptions up for grabs: The top-five cumulative point earners across the Albertsons Boise Open, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and Korn Ferry TOUR Championship (not already exempt) will earn a spot in the field at next month’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
Headlining the field: Will Zalatoris, Davis Riley, Lee Hodges, Taylor Pendrith, Paul Barjon,
Mito Pereira, Stephan Jaeger, Dylan Wu, Chad Ramey, David Lipsky, Jared Wolfe and Max McGreevy.
GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Steve Burkowski
Analyst: Craig Perks
Tower: Phil Blackmar
On-Course: Gary Christian
LPGA
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Dates: Aug. 28-30
Venue: Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Ark.
Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):
Friday 7:30-9:30 p.m. (Tape delay) / 2-5 p.m. (Streaming on GOLF Channel Digital)
Saturday 5-7 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 5-7 p.m. (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Gillman, Knight and Lincicome to be “mic’d up” during Friday’s opening round: GOLF Channel will “mic up” Kristen Gillman, Cheyenne Knight and Brittany Lincicome during Friday’s opening round coverage. While competing in the same group, each player will wear a microphone to provide an inside-the-ropes perspective for fans tuning in during the course of the telecast.
Noh to be spotlighted in “rookie feature”: During Saturday’s second round telecast, Yealimi Noh will be spotlighted as part of a “rookie feature,” focusing on her inaugural season on the LPGA Tour.
Rankin returns to broadcast booth for first time in 2020: This week, World Golf Hall of Fame member Judy Rankin will resume her 10th season as GOLF Channel’s lead LPGA Tour analyst, and 36th year overall in television.
Headlining the field: Danielle Kang, Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Sei Young Kim, Nasa Hataoka, Inbee Park, Brooke Henderson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Carlota Ciganda, Jessica Korda, Stacy Lewis, Gaby Lopez, Maria Fassi and Alexa Pano (a).
GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Grant Boone
Analyst: Judy Rankin
Tower: Jim Gallagher Jr.
On-Course: Jerry Foltz / Karen Stupples
EUROPEAN TOUR
UK Championship
Dates: Aug. 27-30
Venue: The Belfry (Brabazon Course), Sutton Coldfield, England
Tournament Airtimes on GOLF Channel (Eastern):
Thursday 7-9 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Friday 7-9 a.m. / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Live)
Saturday 7:30 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Sunday 7:30 a.m.-Noon (Live)
Broadcast Notes:
Headlining the field: Martin Kaymer, Bernd Wiesberger, Danny Willett, Matt Wallace, Lee Westwood, Eddie Pepperell, Thomas Bjorn, Haotong Li and Victor Perez.
GOLF Channel Broadcast Team:
Play by Play: Dominik Holyer
Analyst: Richard Boxall
On-Course: Wayne Riley / Warren Humphreys / Anthony Wall
Reporter: Tim Barter
-NBC Sports Group-
Media contact:
Jeff Szklinski
GOLF Channel Communications
814-880-6933
Jeff.Szklinski@golfchannel.com
