Monday, December 23, 2013

The PGA of America and NBC announce Ryder Cup TV agreement

The PGA of America and NBC announce Ryder Cup TV agreement

PGA.com 
By PGA.COMDecember 10, 2013 3:55 PM
The PGA of America and NBC announce Ryder Cup TV agreement
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(The PGA of America)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - In an unprecedented agreement, The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group today unveiled a historic partnership to further raise the profile of the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, and PGA Professionals across the networks of NBC and Golf Channel beginning in 2015. The partnership, which extends through 2030, and includes eight additional Ryder Cups on NBC, was announced today by PGA of America President Ted Bishop and CEO Pete Bevacqua, and NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus. The agreement also includes all-language and simultaneous streaming rights for NBC's Ryder Cup coverage.
The Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious events in all of sports, has been televised by NBC since 1991. In 2012, the Ryder Cup was televised to nearly one-half billion households globally.
This agreement features a wave of new programming and special coverage of the Ryder Cup including: regular Ryder Cup preview shows, vignettes, features, reports and points updates on NBC and Golf Channel; a Ryder Cup Documentary Series on both networks; live coverage of practice rounds (for the first time ever) and the Ryder Cup Captain Selection Show on Golf Channel; and new Ryder Cup highlight programming on Telemundo and Mun2 to expand Hispanic viewership opportunities.
With this agreement, the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid will also continue to air live on Golf Channel (weekday coverage) and NBC (weekend coverage) through 2030. Additionally, Golf Channel will continue live coverage of all four rounds of the PGA Professional National Championship. The relationship between The PGA of America and NBC Sports Group expands a powerful partnership that is designed to grow the game of golf and celebrate the PGA Professional by:
-- Expanding the relationship of the Ryder Cup beyond the week of the biennial event -- Growing participation in the game of golf, especially with new golfers (both adult and youth) -- Elevating the stature of PGA Professionals in their leadership role of growing the game
This agreement will showcase the important role that PGA Professionals serve in instruction, equipment selection and Rules knowledge, all of which will benefit golf fans and golfers. New instructional programming and original series will be developed in conjunction with the PGA of America featuring PGA Professionals. Host PGA Professionals also will be featured during Golf Channel's weekly coverage of PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour events.
"In many ways, this is a transformational deal for The PGA of America," said Bevacqua. "We are not only excited about the continued excellent coverage and treatment of the Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and other PGA of America events by the NBC Sports Group, but we are eager to work with the networks of NBC, including Golf Channel, on celebrating the unique role of the PGA Professional in the game. Golf Channel is the daily voice of golf in this country. There are wonderful synergies that will be explored between that voice and The PGA of America, as we work together to honor PGA Professionals, draw upon their expertise and expand their relevance among those who already play the game and those who aspire to play."
Programming will also be designed to promote growth-of-the-game initiatives, such as Get Golf Ready, where a PGA Professional will appear on a regular basis on Golf Channel and NBC's regional sports networks, offering advice on how beginning golfers can experience the game in a variety of ways.
"We're excited to continue our longstanding relationship with The PGA of America and renew the Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious properties in sports, through 2030," said Lazarus. "This multi-platform agreement allows our broadcast, cable, digital and regional platforms to work with The PGA on their prestigious events and important initiatives."
The PGA of America has partnered with Golf Channel since the network's founding in 1995, to promote the expertise of PGA Professionals, including shows featuring top PGA instructors, such as Michael Breed and Martin Hall. This expanded agreement provides an avenue for Golf Channel to extend its reach through innovative new programming and events.
The partnership also will include a series of historical highlights of The PGA of America, which will be produced in conjunction with The PGA's Centennial Celebration in 2016.
The PGA of America was advised by Evolution Media Capital, a leading sports and media investment bank.
About The PGA of America Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf. About NBC Sports Group When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, two regional news networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA Tour, The PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.
About Golf Channel Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995, and now part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes and 83 countries worldwide. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as a programming schedule distinguished by golf's highest-quality news, instruction and original programming. Customers of participating cable, satellite, telco and other video subscription services are able to enjoy 24/7 streaming of live Golf Channel content through GolfChannel.com and Golf Channel's mobile application, Golf Live Extra. Golf Channel's digital platforms are the leading golf destinations on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that connect the world to golf.

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Woods' yardstick for playing Masters: Can he win?

Woods' yardstick for playing Masters: Can he win?

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)December 11, 2013 2:07 PMAP - Sports
Woods' yardstick for playing Masters: Can he win?
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Tiger Woods makes his approach shot from the 18th fairway during a playoff against Zach Johnson during the final round of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge golf tournament at Sherwood Country Club, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Johnson won the tournament. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Tiger Woods said long ago he would give up golf when he felt he could play his best and still not win.
That includes his lifetime invitation to the Masters.
''Let me put it to you this way,'' Woods said last week at his World Challenge. ''I'm not going to beat Arnold's record. I'm not playing that long, that's for sure.''
Palmer set a record in 2004 by playing in his 50th consecutive Masters. Woods won his first green jacket when he was 21, and with reasonable health (a big assumption considering his injuries), he would seem to be in the best position to break that record. Even with his injuries, the Masters is the one major Woods has never missed.
He just doesn't appear the least bit interested in that kind of a record.
''For me, I always want to win,'' he said. ''So if I can't win, why tee it up? That's just my own personal belief. And I know what it takes to prepare to win and what it takes to go out there and get the job done, and there's going to become a point in time where I just can't do it anymore. We all as athletes face that moment. I'm a ways from that moment in my sport, but when that day happens, I'll make a decision and that's it.''
But for Woods or any golfer, it's tough to know when that day happens.
Palmer never won another PGA Tour event after the Bob Hope Classic in 1973, though he remained competitive for many years. Several players eligible for the Champions Tour are hesitant about moving on.
When is it time?
''In golf, you can still win golf tournaments in your 50s, and guys have done it,'' Woods said. ''Probably the more difficult thing is that you can still finish top 10, top five, but you're probably just not quite as efficient as you need to be to win golf tournaments. But you can still be there.''
Might he change his mind about the Masters as he gets older? It doesn't sound like it.
''Mellowing on that? No. I'll be on that first tee starting out the event, I'm sure,'' he said with a smile and a dose of sarcasm. ''So I mean, you hit a good drive and you can't get to where you can see the flag? I don't know why it's even fun.''
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STENSON AWARD: Henrik Stenson has won the Golf Writers Trophy from the Association of Golf Writers, awarded to the top golfer who was born or lives in Europe, along with European teams. Stenson became the first player this year to win the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and the Race to Dubai on the European Tour.
Nearly two-thirds of the AGW members made Stenson their first choice on a ballot that included U.S. Open champion Justin Rose and Europe's Solheim Cup team that won on American soil for the first time.
Stenson was the first Swedish male to win the award. Annika Sorenstam won the award twice.
''I'm looking forward to getting a few of these trophies I've won into the summer house in Sweden,'' said Stenson, who primarily lives at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla. ''It has been such a great year that I can have a few in Europe and a few in my house in America. What a great thrill it is going to be over Christmas to sit by the fire with my family and take stock of the season, look at trophies such as this one and reflect on the year of my life.''
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IN THE BAG: Jack Nicklaus won't have a bouquet of head covers in his bag when he plays the PNC Father-Son Challenge this weekend, though the 14 clubs in his bag have changed from his prime.
Nicklaus said when he played on the PGA Tour he carried a driver and a 3-wood, a 1-iron through a 9-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge and putter.
''Now I've got a driver, a 3-wood, a 4-wood and a 5-wood,'' he said last week in a conference call. ''I'm not a big hybrid guy, although I'm playing with one right now and I took out the 2-iron. That's pretty much where I am. I'm usually a 3-iron through 9-iron, pitching wedge and sand wedge. I don't know if that's 14 or 15 (clubs), but it'll be 14 when I tee it up.''
No other player hit more memorable shots with a 1-iron than Nicklaus, a club that featured in three of his majors - the 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 1975 Masters and the 1967 U.S. Open at Baltusrol.
But there were times when he benched the 1-iron.
''I used to even go to Augusta when I carried a 1-iron a lot, and sometimes I'd put in maybe a 4- or 5-wood, simply because you needed some elevation to stop it on the greens and some of the lies you played,'' Nicklaus said.
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THE HANEY SHOW: Hank Haney has gone from writing a book on his years with Tiger Woods to hosting his own radio show on SiriusXM.
The radio network continues to beef up its programming. It already has shows for Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter, along with two-time Masters champion, architect and golf savant Ben Crenshaw. Haney will host ''Hank Haney Golf Radio,'' an instructional-based show that will air Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. ET starting on Jan. 3.
The program will be geared around Haney's teaching philosophy, and he will take calls from listeners who want help with their games. Haney also will offer his analysis on today's players and take on current topics, which are sure to include Woods.
''This show will be truly interactive and I'm eager to speak with golfers across the country,'' Haney said.
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TWEETING TIGER: Jason Dufner jokingly tweeted to Tiger Woods that the schedule of the World Challenge be changed so Dufner could watch Auburn in the SEC title game last week. Woods replied on Twitter, ''Petition denied.''
It was a significant only because it was Woods' first tweet in more than a month. It was his 35th tweet in the span of a year, most of them commercially related. And that Dufner tweet was the first of - get this - FIVE tweets in two days.
''I'm hot, aren't I?'' Woods said.
Woods said girlfriend Lindsey Vonn is trying to persuade him to tweet more. Progress remains slow.
''I grew up in a different era, and it's a little bit different for me,'' Woods said, who is 9 years older than the downhill ski champion. ''I'm still a little bit old-school. I'm kind of getting it, but still not grasping the whole concept yet. But I'll get there eventually.''
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DIVOTS: K.J. Choi donated his $100,000 from the World Cup to help with relief efforts in the Philippines. ''I wanted to represent Korea in sharing the sentiment of my fellow countrymen to our friends in the Philippines,'' Choi said. ''I send my deepest condolences to the people of the Philippines who have lost their families and homes. The donation from the KJ Choi Foundation was sent to the American Red Cross. ... Redstone Golf Club is now called ''Golf Club of Houston'' under a contractual requirement when it changed ownership. It still is host of the Shell Houston Open, the final PGA Tour event before the Masters. ... Cal coach Steve Desimone has been selected U.S. captain of the Palmer Cup next year. The Palmer Cup, matches between college players from the United States and Europe, will be June 26-28 at Walton Heath.
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STAT OF THE WEEK: The 19 tournaments Tiger Woods played this year offered an average of 72.7 world ranking points to the winner.
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FINAL WORD: ''Driving accuracy far outweighs distance. And I sleep better at night knowing that.'' - Zach Johnson. He was No. 8 in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour last year and No. 153 in driving distance.
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Golf: Day draws strength from roller-coaster year

Golf: Day draws strength from roller-coaster year

Reuters 
By Mark Lamport-StokesDecember 10, 2013 4:19 PM
Day plays a tee shot during the final round of the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne
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Australia's Jason Day plays a tee shot during the final round of the World Cup of Golf at The Royal …
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jason Day has been torn between golfing joy and personal grief over the past two months but he believes the experience has strengthened his resolve and character as he aims to build on a "good year" in 2014.
Aged just 26, the Australian has established himself as one of the game's most exciting players and, with a rare ability to perform at his best when the pressure is at its most intense, has set his sights on landing a maiden major title.
Day has recorded six top-10s in golf's blue riband events, including three this year, and proved in stunning fashion that he is well equipped to overcome adversity by completing an emotional double triumph at the World Cup of Golf last month.
Despite just days earlier having lost eight relatives who were killed in the Philippines by Typhoon Haiyan, he went on to win the World Cup of Golf by two strokes at Royal Melbourne, along with the team title in partnership with Adam Scott.
"That was obviously a very emotional week and to win the World Cup the way we did and then win the individual (title) on top of that, plus to have my family in town, was pretty special," world number 11 Day told Reuters.
"I have played some pretty solid golf over the last three weeks so overall it's been an up-and-down roller-coaster, as you would think. But I am very happy with how I have handled myself, through the good and the bad.
"It would have been the easiest thing for me to just go ahead and pull out of the tournament with what had been going on ... but I really wanted to play with Adam and try to win the World Cup, and we achieved that which was great."
Day, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship, was especially delighted to clinch a fifth World Cup team title for Australia, their first since Peter Fowler and Wayne Grady triumphed in 1989.
"To bring it back to Australia, playing in front of the home crowd, and then winning it on one of the most well-known Australian golf courses was very special," said Day, who is known for his attacking strategy and explosive shot-making.
"To be able to win it with Scotty, who has been a really good friend of mine for a long, long time now, to play as well as we did and to win it pretty convincingly in the end (by 10 shots), was a complete honor."
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Asked to assess his overall 2013 campaign, Day replied: "It's been a good year. The only thing that I obviously didn't have was another win on the PGA Tour.
"But I had a really solid win at the World Cup against the best players in the world and that's very encouraging for next year. I am very motivated.
"Now I've got about five or six weeks off, get some good rest and then get into the gym and try to really get fit for next year. I am looking forward to starting next season."
Day, who ended his 2013 season by tying for ninth in an elite field of 18 at last week's Northwestern Mutual World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods in California, will specifically target golf's four major championships next year.
"I would love to win a major," said the Queenslander who finished third at this year's Masters before tying for second at the U.S. Open two months later. "That's a big goal of mine.
"I have to improve mentally a little more but I feel like my game is in a good spot. It's getting tougher to win tournaments and you've just got to work harder than the next guy to have that extra edge over him."
Should Day require major inspiration, he need look no further than at compatriot Scott, who made his long-expected breakthrough at the game's highest level with a playoff victory at this year's Masters.
Asked what he identified as the biggest difference in Scott's game this year, Day replied: "His game has always been there, I just think he's working a little bit harder and he wants it a little bit more.
"It's amazing the results you can get when you actually want it so bad that you will actually do it.
"Some years are up and down but when you really, really want it, it's difficult not to get what you want because it's just that law of attraction, I guess."
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)
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End of Year 2013: Where we stand on 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team

End of Year 2013: Where we stand on 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team

PGA.com 
By PGA.COMDecember 11, 2013 10:00 AM
End of Year 2013: Where we stand on 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team
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(Montana Pritchard, The PGA of America )
As we close out 2013 calendar year, let's take a quick look at where we stand in Ryder Cup Standings.
We're still in the infancy stages of how the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup team will fill out, but here's a look at the current top 12 with the 2013 point-getting period in the books (the top-9 point-getters at the conclusion of the 2014 PGA Championship automatically qualify, while Watson will be allowed three captain's selections to fill out the 12-man squad):
1. Phil Mickelson 2. Jason Dufner 3. Dustin Johnson 4. Ryan Moore 5. Harris English 6. Webb Simpson 7. Jimmy Walker 8. Chris Kirk 9. Jim Furyk ------------------- 10. Jason Bohn 11. Gary Woodland 12. Brian Stuard
Noticeably absent from the current top 12, are the likes of Tiger Woods (currently No. 15), Matt Kuchar (No. 16) Zach Johnson (No. 17) and Steve Stricker (No. 26).
TEAM USA: Latest U.S. Ryder Cup standings | Qualifying process explained
There's a simple explanation for that -- during the non-Ryder Cup year, 2013 in this case, one point was awarded for every $1,000 earned in major championships only. All U.S. players making the cut earned points.
Things are different for the 2014 season, the actual Ryder Cup year. Beginning Oct. 7, 2013 at the Frys.com Open through the 2014 PGA Championship, ending Aug. 10, 2014 (remember, the first six events of the PGA Tour's new wraparound schedule for 2014 where actually contested in 2013, so points were awarded at those events), players are awarded one point for every $1,000 earned, excluding the major championships, events played opposite major championships and events played opposite World Golf Championship.
All U.S. players making the cut will earn points.
Two points are awarded for every $1,000 earned in the four major championships -- Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and the PGA Championship -- again, all U.S. players making the cut will earn points.
THE CAPTAIN: A profile of 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson
One-half point is awarded for every $1,000 earned to all U.S. players making the cut in 2014 events played opposite the major championships and opposite World Golf Championships between Jan. 1 and the 2014 PGA Championship.
All of this means that the standings will fluctuate and become far more volatile around the majors. All told, beginning with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions the first week in January, there will be a total of 34 events in which U.S. players can gain points toward Ryder Cup qualification.
So, we're roughly one fourth of the way there.
In a couple of his Captain's Blogs earlier this year, Watson explained it's too soon to get excited about the standings since there's so much time left for players to gain points.
"By June next year (2014) we should have a good understanding of guys that will be on the team and guys that will be on the bubble," Watson wrote in one post.
In his post following the 2013 Masters -- the first event offering 2014 Ryder Cup points for U.S. players -- Watson said, "With the 2013 Masters behind us, we now have some actual points for U.S. players hoping to make the team for 2014, but to be honest, it's entirely too early to even look at the points list. I really enjoy baseball and that would be like looking at a ball player's batting average after three games. Is that indicative of how his entire season will play out? No way."
To Watson's point, a lot will change before we hit Aug. 10. This is just where things stand for now.
Follow T.J. Auclair on Twitter, @tjauclair.
By: T.J. Auclair, PGA.com
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