NBC SPORTS GROUP TO SHOWCASE 220 HOURS OF RYDER CUP-THEMED PROGRAMMING, CULMINATING IN LIVE COVERAGE SEPT. 28-30 ON GOLF CHANNEL & NBC
Live Coverage of Biennial International Competition to Span from Friday’s Opening Tee Shot through Clinching Putt of Sunday’s Singles Matches
Captains’ Picks to be Announced Live on Golf Channel: United States’ Jim Furyk on Tuesday, Sept. 4 (Three Picks) and Monday, Sept. 10 (Final Pick) & Europe’s Thomas Bjorn on Wednesday, Sept. 5 (Four Picks)
Next Golf Films Project, Famous Five, Details How Five European Players Reinvigorated the Ryder Cup
Three-Part Road to the Ryder Cup Series to Provide Overview on Players, Captains and Top Storylines, Airing on NBC: Sept. 2, Sept. 9, Sept. 16
Twenty-five years removed from the United States’ last victory on European soil in 1993 at The Belfry, anticipation is building ahead of next month’s Ryder Cup. With each team’s roster on the cusp of taking shape with their upcoming captain’s picks, NBC Sports Group announced plans to dedicate 220 total hours to Ryder Cup-themed programming leading up to the biennial competition. After defeating Europe (17-11) in 2016, the United States will look to retain the Ryder Cup, which will be contested Friday-Sunday, Sept. 28-30 at Le Golf National outside of Paris.
“The Ryder Cup brings a distinct electricity to golf,” said Mike McCarley, president, Golf, NBC Sports Group. “The pivotal moments and unpredictable shifts in momentum at the Ryder Cup are synonymous with what fans love about team sports. NBC Sports’ comprehensive approach will capture the unique theater from the raucous 1st tee early Friday morning through the winning team’s celebration on Sunday.”
Ryder Cup-Week Coverage:
Complementing live coverage of the competition, Golf Central Live From the Ryder Cup will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 25 and continue through the duration of the week, offering analysis, features and reaction as the event unfolds. NBC Sports Group will dedicate nearly 30 hours to showcasing live action of the Ryder Cup, featuring all-encompassing coverage from the first tee shot of Friday’s opening match through the conclusion of Sunday’s singles matches:
Friday, Sept. 28 2 a.m.-1 p.m. ET 2018 Ryder Cup – Day 1 Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 29 2-3 a.m. ET 2018 Ryder Cup – Day 2 Golf Channel
3 a.m.-1 p.m. ET 2018 Ryder Cup – Day 2 NBC
Sunday, Sept. 30 6 a.m.-1 p.m. ET 2018 Ryder Cup – Final Day NBC
Additional highlights of the network’s coverage surrounding the event include:
Captains’ Picks Live on Golf Channel Sept. 4 & Sept. 10 (United States); Sept. 5 (Europe)
Over the next two weeks, Golf Channel will air the live announcements of the captains revealing their respective picks as they fill out their rosters. United States captain Jim Furyk will make his first three picks on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. ET, and will make his final pick on Monday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. ET. European captain Thomas Bjorn will announce his four picks on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. ET.
Golf Films’ Famous Five (Trailer)
Premiering on Monday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel’s latest Golf Films project, Famous Five shares the story of five European golfers (Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam) all born within 11 months of one another whom collectively would amass 16 major championships. In addition to each earning an immortal place in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the five created a formidable nucleus for the European Ryder Cup team. An overwhelmingly one-sided affair for decades in favor of the United States, the Famous Five in many ways are responsible for injecting relevance into the biennial event. Their contributions led the Europeans to three straight Ryder Cup victories in the 1980s to erase a more than 50-year drought of losing (with the lone exception of 1957), and also would inspire the subsequent European teams to win eight of the next 13 meetings to-date, in some cases with members of the Famous Five serving as captains.
Road to the Ryder Cup
A three-part primer focused on players, captains, and prominent storylines, Road to the Ryder Cup will air on NBC, with the first two parts leading into live coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs, ahead of the third round of the Dell Technologies Championship (Sunday, Sept. 2, 2:30-3 p.m. ET); and the final round of the BMW Championship (Sunday, Sept. 9, 1-1:30 p.m. ET). The third installment of Road to the Ryder Cup will air Sunday, Sept. 16 from 2-2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The shows will be co-hosted by David Feherty and Mark Rolfing of NBC Sports’ golf broadcast team, and focus on the principal figures surrounding the event, including profiles and featured content with both captains and members of each team. The series also will examine the history of the Ryder Cup, and explore why the United States have failed to win the event when staged in Europe since 1993.
Golf’s Greatest Rounds: Ryder Cup
In the weeks leading up to the 2018 Ryder Cup, Golf Channel will revisit some of the most memorable editions of the event with Golf’s Greatest Rounds airing at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Wednesday nights:
- 2012 Ryder Cup (Medinah)
- Final Day (Wednesday, Aug. 29)
- 1993 Ryder Cup (The Belfry)
- Day 2 (Tuesday, Sept. 11); Final Day (Wednesday, Sept. 12)
- 2016 Ryder Cup (Hazeltine)
- Day 2 (Tuesday, Sept. 18); Final Day (Wednesday, Sept. 19)
Media Contact:
Jeff Szklinski
Golf Channel Communications
Jeff.Szklinski@golfchannel.com
407-248-3267
