PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The PGA of America and Turner Network Television (TNT) announced today a partnership with the Golf Channel to present extended coverage of the 2005 PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
The 2005 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, which brings together the winners of the year’s four major championships, is Nov. 22-23, at Poipu Bay Golf Course & Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa in Kauai, Hawaii. This year’s foursome includes Masters and British Open Champion Tiger Woods, U.S. Open Champion Michael Campbell, PGA Champion Phil Mickelson and three-time major champion Vijay Singh. The two-day, 36-hole event features a total purse of $1 million and a champion’s first prize of $400,000.
"The PGA Grand Slam of Golf annually features golf’s most enviable foursome, a true reward for the game’s premier performers," said PGA of America President Roger Warren. "As we prepare to showcase the year’s major champions, we are pleased that The Golf Channel will team with TNT to make the PGA Grand Slam of Golf Champions Clinic one of our most memorable events."
The 2005 tournament marks the 23rd anniversary of the event, and the 15th consecutive year of being televised on a Turner network. TNT will provide live event coverage Tues., Nov. 22 from 7 – 10 p.m. ET, and Wed., Nov. 23 from 6 – 10 p.m. ET. Ernie Johnson will serve as host, along with analyst Bobby Clampett in the booth, Billy Kratzert reporting from the course, and Jim Huber providing player interviews and essays.
"The PGA Grand Slam of Golf is one of the most dramatic and exciting golf tournaments on television," said Jeff Gregor, senior vice president of sports marketing and programming for TNT and TBS. "We’re excited to once again televise the event on TNT, and launch a partnership with the Golf Channel to extend coverage of the event that showcases the players and their amazing talents. This year’s event coverage will offer fans a front row seat to the playing prowess of the major champions like never before."
Leading up to TNT’s tournament coverage, the Golf Channel will air several features highlighting golf’s premier foursome, including the Grand Slam Champions Clinic, which incorporates several elements from the network’s popular Big Break series.
The Champions Clinic will be led by Golf Channel host Brian Hammons and analyst Mark Rolfing, and will bring together major champions demonstrating the knockdown shot by breaking panes of glass; the lob shot that showcases skills in hitting over a "Flop Wall," and distance control, where players hit shots from distances below 150 yards into designated frames. The Champions Clinic will air exclusively on the Golf Channel on Mon., Nov. 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The network will also broadcast 30-minute post-major championship specials with PGA Grand Slam of Golf participants Woods and Campbell and will rebroadcast three of the most memorable final rounds in event history: Mickelson’s 59 in 2004; Woods’ 61 in 2002, and the 2000 playoff between Woods and Singh.
"We are excited about the partnership with The PGA of America and TNT and feel together we can create compelling TV and more awareness of one of the most unique events in golf," said The Golf Channel Executive Producer Tony Tortorici.
Tickets to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf are available to purchase at 1-800-PGA-TCKT (742-8258), or online at www.PGA.com.
Contact:
Julius Mason
561/624-8444
jmason@pgahq.com
Tara August, TNT
(404) 827-2067
Steve Brener/Dana von Louda
Brener Zwikel & Associates (BZA)
(818) 344-6195
steveb@bzapr.com
danavl@bzapr.com
