The PGA TOUR begins its three-week stretch of events in Asia this week with the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES (Oct. 16-19, Korea); followed by the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (Oct. 23-26), the first-ever official TOUR event in Japan; and culminating with the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions (Oct. 30-Nov.2, China). Kicking off live in primetime, the stretch will be buoyed by coverage of the MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins, airing at midnight ET on Monday, Oct. 21 (Sunday overnight), resulting in nearly 60 hours of live tournament coverage on GOLF Channel across the three-week span.
“Underscoring golf’s worldwide nature, viewers over the next three weeks will have the chance to stay up late – or wake up early – to watch the sport’s global icons live, beginning in primetime,” said Molly Solomon, executive vice president, content, and executive producer for GOLF Channel.
WOODS, MCILROY, DAY & MATSUYAMA CONVENE FOR JAPAN SKINS: The Challenge: Japan Skins (being produced by GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR) will be simulcast live in the United States on GOLF Channel and be available to stream via PGA TOUR LIVE on NBC Sports Gold. The Challenge will air live at midnight ET on Monday, Oct. 21 (Sunday overnight) on GOLF Channel, and will be available outside the United States via GOLFTV powered by the PGATOUR.
Showcasing four of the sport’s premier players in Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama, the competition format will assign an increasing monetary “skin” value to each hole that is won “outright” over a player’s three competitors. The Challenge will be contested at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, which also hosts the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Japan’s first official PGA TOUR event. It will mark Woods’ return to Japan for the first time in 13 years, and also represent the first televised exhibition match of McIlroy, Day and Matsuyama’s careers.
COMPREHENSIVE NEWS COVERAGE: GOLF Channel’s news programs, Golf Central and Morning Drive, will offer live analysis and perspective surrounding the PGA TOUR’s Asia swing over the next three weeks. Coverage will be led by live Golf Central pre-game shows immediately preceding live tournament telecasts.
Todd Lewis will offer on-site reports and conduct interviews with those in the field at both The Challenge and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. GOLF Channel Insider Rex Hoggard also will report from on-site in Japan for Morning Drive and Golf Central, in addition to offering editorial coverage for GOLF Channel Digital.
GOLF Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee will contribute in-studio to Golf Central pre-game coverage in advance of the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and WGC-HSBC Champions, along with The Challenge: Japan Skins, while Notah Begay, Billy Kratzert and Tripp Isenhour will provide analysis for Golf Central pre-game during the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP.
HEADLINING THE FIELD:
CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES | Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, Kevin Na, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Sergio Garcia, Marc Leishman, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth, Ian Poulter, Phil Mickelson |
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth |
WGC-HSBC Champions | Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Francesco Molinari, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry, Phil Mickelson |
LIVE TOURNAMENT COVERAGE BROADCAST TEAMS:
Event | Play-by-Play Host | Lead Analyst | Tower | On-Course |
CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES | Steve Sands | Frank Nobilo | Phil Blackmar Dom Boulet | Craig Perks |
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP | Steve Sands | Frank Nobilo | Phil Blackmar Dom Boulet | Craig Perks Todd Lewis (Interviews) |
WGC-HSBC Champions | Dougie Donnelly | Frank Nobilo | Dom Boulet | Arron Oberholser |
LPGA ALSO KICKS OFF ASIA SWING OF EVENTS: The LPGA this week kicks off its swing of Asia events with the first of four tournaments that will be contested in advance of the season-culminating CME Group Tour Championship (Nov. 21-24) in Naples, Fla. The LPGA Asia swing – airing on GOLF Channel – includes the Buick LPGA Shanghai (Oct. 17-20, China), BMW Ladies Championship (Oct. 24-27, Korea), Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA (Oct. 31-Nov. 3) and TOTO Japan Classic (Nov. 8-10).
PGA TOUR ASIA SWING: LIVE COVERAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL (ET):
CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES (Oct. 16-19)
Wednesday, Oct. 16 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Thursday, Oct. 17 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Friday, Oct. 18 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Saturday, Oct. 19 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS (Oct. 21)
Monday, Oct. 21 Midnight-4 a.m. (Live, Overnight) GOLF Channel
2-6 p.m. (Replay) GOLF Channel
Tuesday, Oct. 22 8 p.m.-Midnight (Replay) GOLF Channel
ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP (Oct. 23-26)
Wednesday, Oct. 23 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Thursday, Oct. 24 11 p.m.-3 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Friday, Oct. 25 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Saturday, Oct. 26 10:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
WGC-HSBC Champions (Oct. 30-Nov. 2)
Wednesday, Oct. 30 10 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Thursday, Oct. 31 10 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Friday, Nov. 1 10:30 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
Saturday, Nov. 2 10:30 p.m.-4 a.m. (Live) GOLF Channel
