Taking Place at Woodmont Country Club in Maryland, 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur to Feature Uninterrupted Coverage presented by Rolex, Wednesday-Sunday, Aug. 5-9
2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion & Current Symetra Tour Player Sophia Schubert Joins GOLF Channel’s Tournament Broadcast Team
ORLANDO, Fla., – GOLF Channel today announced its coverage plans for the United States Women’s Amateur Championship (Wednesday-Sunday, Aug. 5-9), kicking off NBC Sports’ new partnership with the United States Golf Association and the return of USGA Championships telecasts to GOLF Channel and NBC.
Announced in June, the USGA transferred the U.S. media rights for all of its championships to NBC Sports. The U.S. Women’s Amateur is the first of four USGA championships to be televised by NBC Sports this year, with a full slate of nine USGA Championships in 2021 as part of its new long-term partnership through 2026. GOLF Channel previously televised the U.S. Women’s Amateur from 2005-14.
“We are thrilled to kick off our renewed USGA partnership with the U.S. Women’s Amateur,” said Molly Solomon, GOLF Channel Executive Producer and President, NBC Olympics Production. “GOLF Channel takes tremendous pride in introducing our viewers to the game’s future stars through our existing partnerships with the NCAA and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. I know our broadcast and production teams share my enthusiasm for both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Amateur returning to NBC Sports.”
Taking place at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., the U.S. Women’s Amateur will feature a field of 132 competitors comprised entirely of exempt players due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The field will include 12 USGA champions, including defending champion Gabriela Ruffels, a rising Junior and All-American at the University of Southern California. The field also includes 14 amateurs who competed in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open and features 20 of the top-50 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
“We could not be more excited to kick off our renewed partnership with NBC Sports with the U.S. Women’s Amateur,” said Navin Singh, USGA Chief Commercial Officer. “This event is truly a window into the future of the women’s game, crowning champions who have gone on to have incredible success on the LPGA Tour. We know the championship will resonate seamlessly with GOLF Channel’s audience.”
FIVE DAYS OF MATCH PLAY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE: GOLF Channel will provide 15 hours of live match-play competition – featuring uninterrupted coverage presented by Rolex. Television coverage will begin Wednesday with the round of 64 matches, continuing Thursday with the round of 16 matches. Friday will feature the Quarterfinals, Saturday the Semifinals and Sunday the 36-hole championship match.
Through GOLF Channel’s signature storytelling, viewers will get to know many of the participants in the championship. GOLF Channel’s comprehensive portfolio of news, digital and social media platforms covers all aspects of the college and amateur game year-round.
U.S. Women’s Amateur Programming Schedule on GOLF Channel (all times ET)
Wednesday, Aug. 5 4-7 p.m. (Round of 64)
Thursday, Aug. 6 4-7 p.m. (Round of 16)
Friday, Aug. 7 1-4 p.m. (Quarterfinals)
Saturday, Aug. 8 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (Semifinals)
Sunday, Aug. 9 1-4 p.m. (Championship Match)
GOLF CHANNEL’S U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR BROADCAST TEAM: Play-by-play host Terry Gannon will be joined by two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion (1986, ’87) and lead analyst Kay Cockerill in calling the action from the broadcast booth at Woodmont Country Club. Steve Burkowski, who has covered eight U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships, will serve as hole announcer and provide news and notes throughout the telecasts. Major champion Karen Stupples and Curt Byrum will report from the course.
Also joining the broadcast team will be 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion and current Symetra Tour professional Sophia Schubert. Schubert will join Stupples and Byrum on the ground as an on-course analyst for all five days of match-play competition. Schubert defeated Albane Valenzuela, then the No. 3 ranked amateur in the world, in the championship final at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
“I was beyond excited when I heard GOLF Channel would be covering the U.S. Women’s Amateur once again,” said Cockerill. “As a USGA Champion, I take tremendous pride both playing in and covering USGA Championships. To this day, winning my first U.S. Women’s Amateur and then successfully defending the title were the highlights of my golf career. I’ve been a part of 18 U.S. Women’s Amateur telecasts, so returning to the booth to cover this year’s championship at Woodmont Country Club feels like coming home and fills me with tremendous joy.”
NEWS, DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Throughout the week, GOLF Channel’s news programs – Morning Drive and Golf Central – will include daily coverage, highlights and analysis of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. All five days of tournament coverage also will be available via live streaming through GOLF Channel Digital the GOLF Channel mobile app.
GOLF Channel’s social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – will feature dedicated content throughout the week of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, including daily video highlights. In addition, GOLF Channel’s broadcast team also is scheduled to post content via their social media handles using the Hashtag #USWomensAm.
GOLF Channel Digital also will provide editorial coverage throughout the week via its team of writers, keeping viewers up-to-date, including contributions by amateur golf staff writer Brentley Romine.
U.S. AMATEUR ON DECK FOR GOLF CHANNEL AND PEACOCK, AUG. 12-16
The following week, a field of 264 male amateurs will convene upon one of the most picturesque golf resort destinations in the United States at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails) for the United States Amateur Championship (U.S. Amateur). GOLF Channel and NBCUniversal’s new streaming service Peacock are combining for five days of live tournament coverage Wednesday-Sunday, Aug. 12-16. Similar to the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the field for the U.S. Amateur will be comprised entirely of exempt players due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upcoming USGA championships in 2020 include the U.S. Open (Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.) and the U.S. Women’s Open (Dec. 10-13 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas), with live coverage on NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock.
-NBC Sports Group-
Media Contacts:
Jeremy Friedman
GOLF Channel Communications
407-721-9752
Jeremy.Friedman@golfchannel.com
Jeff Szklinski
GOLF Channel Communications
814-880-6933
Jeff.Szklinski@golfchannel.com
