Five Hours of Live Coverage of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship National Finals From Augusta National on Sunday, April 6
Former Masters Champions and Golfing Legends Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Crenshaw, Floyd, Watson and Miller Join Programming Mix as Special Guests
Features Include a Visit Down Under with Defending Champion Adam Scott and his Father; and Former Texas Longhorn All-Americans Spieth, Crenshaw and Chamblee Talk Masters
Coverage of Player News Conferences on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
GolfChannel.com to Feature Live Chats and Comprehensive Editorial Coverage From Augusta
ORLANDO, Fla. – Golf Channel will dedicate a record number of hours and network resources to cover next week’s Masters tournament from Augusta National Golf Club, delivering more than 80 total hours of live news and related programming geared toward the men’s major championship of 2014.
Drive, Chip and Putt Championships National Finals
Coverage from Augusta National kicks off Sunday, April 6 at 8 a.m. ET, when 88 junior golfers from throughout the U.S. and Canada will participate in an experience of a lifetime for the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship National Finals. Golf Channel will feature five hours of live coverage, including an hour-long pre-game show at 8 a.m. ET followed by four hours of live competition from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. ET.
Live From the Masters
Live From, Golf Channel’s signature news show from golf’s marquee championships, will dominate Golf Channel’s daytime and primetime schedules during Masters week, with more than 50 hours of live news coverage from Augusta National Golf Club and the network’s studio headquarters. Notah Begay, Brandel Chamblee, Brad Faxon, Rich Lerner, Todd Lewis, Frank Nobilo and Steve Sands will anchor the network’s coverage from Augusta. Michael Breed, Ryan Burr, John Cook, Steve Flesch, Arron Oberholser and Kelly Tilghman will report from Orlando. Coverage begins Monday and will conclude with a post-tournament show on Sunday after the last putt drops.
Morning Drive
Golf Channel will begin each morning of Masters Week with the latest news, commentary, special guests and features on Morning Drive, including live interviews from Augusta National. Cook and Phil Blackmar will join the Morning Drive team all next week from the network’s Orlando studios, and Charlie Rymer will contribute throughout the week from Augusta.
Morning Drive Special Features Matt Ginella’s “Best Places to Play” in Augusta – Golf Channel Travel Insider Matt Ginella gives viewers tips and suggestions on the best places to play in and around Augusta on Monday.
Tuesday Champions Dinners – In honor of the Masters Champions dinner taking place Tuesday night, Morning Drive co-hosts will present their own signature champions dinner dishes live on the show, including a special guest appearance from celebrity chef and Food Network star Emeril Lagasse, who will prepare Damon Hack’s champions dinner.
Special Guests Joining Live From Coverage
A list of golfing legends scheduled to make appearances during the week include: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Crenshaw, Ray Floyd, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller.
News Conferences
Live From the Masters on Monday and Tuesday will feature player news conferences from the media center at Augusta National Golf Club. Monday’s news conferences will be headlined by Jason Day and Patrick Reed, and Wednesday’s news conferences coverage will feature Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne.
Live From the Masters Scheduled Features:
- Defending Champion Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters Victory – Golf Channel visits the homes of Adam and his father, Phil, in Australia to reflect on Adam’s 2013 victory and the impact his win had on their native country.
- Former Texas Longhorn All-Americans Spieth, Crenshaw and Chamblee Talk Masters – Brandel Chamblee spent a recent afternoon in Austin, Texas with first-time Masters participant Jordan Spieth and two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw – all three University of Texas All-Americans.
- McIlroy Talks Tiger Woods’ Influence on His Own Golf Career – Rory McIlroy sits down with Golf Channel’s Steve Sands for a one-on-one interview, where he talks about how Tiger Woods’ golf achievements has influenced his own career.
- Scott Hoch and his 1989 Masters Heartbreak – A look back at Scott Hoch’s heartbreaking loss 25 years ago at the 1989 Masters, when he missed a two-foot putt in a playoff to win, ultimately losing to Nick Faldo.
- The Loss of the Eisenhower Tree – A close look at the history of the famous Eisenhower Tree that was removed from the 17th fairway in February due to weather.
- Stadlers to Make History– Golf Channel sits down with Craig and Kevin Stadler, both in the field next week, as the first-ever father-son competitors playing in the same Masters.
GolfChannel.com Digital Coverage: GolfChannel.com will feature expanded editorial content during Masters Week with up-to-the-minute blogs and fan interaction, including:
- News & Features – GolfChannel.com writers will post Masters-related features throughout the week, scheduled to begin Monday with senior writer Rex Hoggard’s feature on defending champion Adam Scott, “The Making of the First Australian Masters Champion.”
- Live Chats – GolfChannel.com editorial staff will host live chats Thursday-Sunday to keep fans up-to-date and answer their questions as the action unfolds.
- Thursday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
- Friday: Noon-7 p.m. ET
- Saturday: 3-7 p.m. ET
- Sunday: 3-7 p.m. ET
- Exclusive Video Content – GolfChannel.com will provide video updates daily throughout the week from the network’s digital studio in Orlando, as well as segments from Golf Channel’s Live From the Masters and Morning Drive news coverage.
- For the Record – Golf Channel.com senior writer Rex Hoggard sits down with Adam Scott’s father in a two-part series that airs each Tuesday online at GolfChannel.com.
Following Live From the Masters on Sunday, April 13 at 10 p.m. ET, Golf Channel will premiere Arnie, a three-night television event that will showcase how Arnold Palmer revolutionized and transcended the game to become one of the most beloved figures in sports history. Arnie will air on consecutive nights at 10 p.m. ET from Sunday, April 13, through Tuesday, April 15. Golf Channel spent the last year traveling with Palmer, collecting interviews from more than 100 people, sifting through hundreds of hours of archived film – including hours of Palmer family video that has never been seen before – and shooting in locations around the world to create television’s definitive story of the most influential man to ever pick up a golf club.
Notable Masters Week Air Times (all times ET): Sunday, April 6 8-9 a.m. Golf Central Pre Game Live
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Drive, Chip and Putt Championship National Finals Live
Monday, April 7
7-10 a.m. Morning Drive Live
2-5 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
6-7 p.m. The Golf Fix
7-8:30 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
Tuesday, April 8 7-9 a.m. Morning Drive Live
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
7-9 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
Wednesday, April 9 7-9 a.m. Morning Drive Live
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
7-9 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
Thursday, April 10 & Friday, April 11 6-8 a.m. Morning Drive Live
8 a.m.-3 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
7:30-9:30 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
Saturday, April 12 6-9:30 a.m. Morning Drive Live
9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
7-9 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
Sunday, April 13 6-9:30 a.m. Morning Drive Live
9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
7-10 p.m. Live From the Masters Live
10-11 p.m. Arnie (Premiere)