PGA Tour on USA
Encyclopedia
PGA Tour on USA was the umbrella title for USA Network
's coverage of the PGA Tour
in the United States
, which ended after the 2006 season
. USA was also, separately, the cable home of the Masters Tournament from 1982
to 2007
.
, which was also produced by the CBS
production team. USA's sister network, Universal HD
, broadcast The Masters in high-definition
(one of the first golf tournaments to ever hold that distinction).
The Shark Shootout, which began in 1989 as the RMCC Invitational, was originally broadcast in the United States
by the USA Network
and CBS
, with USA broadcasting the first round on a tape-delayed basis, and CBS handling the second round live. Not all the country saw the final round live, as CBS' commitment to the NFL
only allowed part of the country to see the round as it takes place, with the rest of the U.S. seeing the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time
. In 2007
, the event was moved to December, and was broadcast live by both Golf Channel and NBC
.
USA currently, isn't carrying any men's pro golf tournaments. Effective with the 2008 Masters
, ESPN
replaced USA in televising the first and second rounds. The announcement that ESPN would be displacing USA was made on October 10, 2007. Just two years earlier, new television contracts beginning in 2007 would have NBC
, CBS
and The Golf Channel
televising PGA Tour events except for the four majors. The over-the-air networks would have six-year contracts, while The Golf Channel, then owned by Comcast
, will have a fifteen-year pact. NBC's cable partner USA Network along with Disney
's ABC
and ESPN were shut out in the negotiations, with the Disney duo walking away. Recently, Comcast bought a majority stake in NBCUniversal, and thus Golf Channel has merged with NBC Sports
and taken over golf broadcasts on NBC, now known as Golf Channel on NBC - it is not known whether USA may carry any events with the merger.
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's coverage of the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which ended after the 2006 season
2006 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards for the tournament, generating some advance controversy. For the first time since 1954 neither Jack Nicklaus nor Arnold Palmer played...
. USA was also, separately, the cable home of the Masters Tournament from 1982
1982 Masters Tournament
The 1982 Masters Tournament was the 46th Masters Tournament, held from April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Craig Stadler won his first major championship on the first sudden-death playoff hole over Dan Pohl.-Final leaderboard:...
to 2007
2007 Masters Tournament
The 2007 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 71st Masters Tournament, and the first major contested in the 2007 season...
.
Coverage overview
The USA Network began first and second round Masters coverage in 19821982 Masters Tournament
The 1982 Masters Tournament was the 46th Masters Tournament, held from April 8-11 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Craig Stadler won his first major championship on the first sudden-death playoff hole over Dan Pohl.-Final leaderboard:...
, which was also produced by the CBS
PGA Tour on CBS
PGA Tour on CBS is a television program produced by CBS Sports that broadcasts the main professional golf tours in the United States.-Coverage overview:In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012...
production team. USA's sister network, Universal HD
Universal HD
Universal HD is an HDTV cable television network owned by NBCUniversal. The channel was known as Bravo HD+ until December 1, 2004. The network exclusively broadcasts in high definition 1080i...
, broadcast The Masters in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(one of the first golf tournaments to ever hold that distinction).
The Shark Shootout, which began in 1989 as the RMCC Invitational, was originally broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, with USA broadcasting the first round on a tape-delayed basis, and CBS handling the second round live. Not all the country saw the final round live, as CBS' commitment to the NFL
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
only allowed part of the country to see the round as it takes place, with the rest of the U.S. seeing the event beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. In 2007
2007 in golf
-Men's professional golf:Major championships*5-8 April: The Masters - American Zach Johnson won his first major tournament, in a high scoring week at Augusta.*14-17 June: U.S. Open - Ángel Cabrera became Argentina's first U.S...
, the event was moved to December, and was broadcast live by both Golf Channel and NBC
PGA Tour on NBC
Golf Channel on NBC is the branding used for broadcasts of golf on the NBC network. The network's coverage has traditionally focused on the main professional golf tours in the United States, alongside other major tournaments...
.
USA currently, isn't carrying any men's pro golf tournaments. Effective with the 2008 Masters
2008 Masters Tournament
The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3...
, ESPN
PGA Tour on ESPN
Golf coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 has been a regular feature of the cable sports channels' programming since soon after ESPN's launch in 1979. Although ESPN no longer owns any share of the rights to the week-to-week events on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, or Champions Tour, the ESPN networks continue to...
replaced USA in televising the first and second rounds. The announcement that ESPN would be displacing USA was made on October 10, 2007. Just two years earlier, new television contracts beginning in 2007 would have NBC
PGA Tour on NBC
Golf Channel on NBC is the branding used for broadcasts of golf on the NBC network. The network's coverage has traditionally focused on the main professional golf tours in the United States, alongside other major tournaments...
, CBS
PGA Tour on CBS
PGA Tour on CBS is a television program produced by CBS Sports that broadcasts the main professional golf tours in the United States.-Coverage overview:In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012...
and The Golf Channel
The Golf Channel
Golf Channel, known as The Golf Channel before the July 2008 dropping of The, is an American cable television network with coverage focused on the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida...
televising PGA Tour events except for the four majors. The over-the-air networks would have six-year contracts, while The Golf Channel, then owned by Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, will have a fifteen-year pact. NBC's cable partner USA Network along with Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's ABC
PGA Tour on ABC
PGA Tour on ABC was a television program that broadcast the main professional golf tours on the American Broadcasting Company television network. ABC initially broadcast the PGA Tour through 1978 and then from 1999–2006. From 1966 through 2009, ABC was the broadcast home of the British...
and ESPN were shut out in the negotiations, with the Disney duo walking away. Recently, Comcast bought a majority stake in NBCUniversal, and thus Golf Channel has merged with NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and taken over golf broadcasts on NBC, now known as Golf Channel on NBC - it is not known whether USA may carry any events with the merger.
Other events covered by USA
- Bob Hope Chrysler ClassicBob Hope Chrysler ClassicThe Bob Hope Classic is a professional golf tournament played each January in California's Coachella Valley. Part of the PGA Tour's early season West Coast Swing, this tournament is well known for its celebrity pro-am, as well as having five daily 18-hole rounds of competition vs. the Tour standard...
- Buick InvitationalBuick InvitationalThe Farmers Insurance Open is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the "West Coast Swing." The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 to 1988. The tournament...
- FBR OpenFBR OpenThe Waste Management Phoenix Open is a nationally televised golf tournament, a part of the PGA Tour, held at the Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale, Arizona around the last weekend in January...
- AT&T Pebble Beach Nat'l Pro-Am
- Nissan OpenNissan OpenThe Northern Trust Open, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1926. Formerly known as the Nissan Open and originally known as the Los Angeles Open, it is played annually in February in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament has been contested at the Riviera...
- Chrysler Classic of TucsonChrysler Classic of TucsonThe Chrysler Classic of Tucson was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1945 to 2006. It was played annually in February in Tucson, Arizona. The tournament was last held at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort....
- Ford Championship at Doral
- Honda ClassicHonda ClassicThe Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc...
- Bay Hill Invitational presented by MasterCardBay Hill InvitationalThe Arnold Palmer Invitational is a PGA Tour golf tournament. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort in Bay Hill, Florida a suburb of Orlando which has been owned by Arnold Palmer since 1974 and where he has his winter home...
- BellSouth ClassicBellSouth ClassicThe AT&T Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. AT&T was the last title sponsor of the tournament. The tournament was founded in 1967 as the Atlanta Classic although previous events dating to 1934 are included in the PGA Tour's past winners list. From 1967 to 1996, it was played...
- Verizon HeritageVerizon HeritageThe RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
- Shell Houston OpenShell Houston OpenThe Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...
- Zurich Classic of New OrleansZurich Classic of New OrleansThe Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in New Orleans, Louisiana; its historic date has been in April, but was moved to March in 2008. Zurich Financial Services is the main sponsor of the tournament.From the event's inception through...
- Wachovia ChampionshipWachovia ChampionshipThe Wells Fargo Championship, known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship, is a PGA Tour golf tournament. The event is held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in early May. It was first played in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and has attracted some of the top...
- EDS Byron Nelson ChampionshipEDS Byron Nelson ChampionshipThe HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA...
- Bank of America Colonial
- Senior PGA ChampionshipSenior PGA ChampionshipThe Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...
- FedEx St. Jude ClassicFedEx St. Jude ClassicThe FedEx St. Jude Classic is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in Memphis, Tennessee since 1958. It is currently played at TPC at Southwind.In 2011, the total purse was $5,600,000, with $1,008,000 going to the winner....
- Barclays ClassicBarclays ClassicThe Barclays is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour.The tournament began in 1967 as the Westchester Classic and was played at the Westchester Country Club in Westchester County, New York. Beginning in 1976 it underwent a series of name sponsorships , not unlike other PGA Tour stops...
- Booz Allen ClassicBooz Allen ClassicThe Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...
- Buick ChampionshipBuick ChampionshipThe Travelers Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is the second most attended PGA Tour event annually only behind the Waste Management Phoenix Open. In 2011, the tournament attracted 240,000 fans for the week and 70,000 fans on Sunday. In 2002 the tournament set a record...
- Cialis Western OpenCialis Western OpenThe BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament which is the third of four FedEx Cup playoff events on the PGA Tour schedule. Introduced in 2007, the BMW Championship replaced the Western Open, a PGA Tour event which was played from 1899 to 2006...
- Ford Senior Players Championship
- John Deere ClassicJohn Deere ClassicThe John Deere Classic is an American professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in July, the week before the British Open, at the TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois....
- B.C. Open presented by Turning Stone Resort
- U.S. Bank Championship in MilwaukeeU.S. Bank Championship in MilwaukeeThe U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It was played annually in July in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Wisconsin. The tournament was held at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course. U.S. Bancorp was the main sponsor of the tournament. The 2009 purse was...
- Buick OpenBuick OpenThe Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship...
- The INTERNATIONALThe InternationalThe International may refer to:*The International , a 2009 film starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts*The International , a video game tournament for Dota 2...
- Deutsche Bank ChampionshipDeutsche Bank ChampionshipThe Deutsche Bank Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held annually over the Labor Day weekend. The tournament made its debut in 2003 and is held at the Tournament Players Club of Boston in Norton, Massachusetts...
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
- Chrysler Classic of GreensboroChrysler Classic of GreensboroThe Wyndham Championship is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played annually in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. and was originally called the Greater Greensboro Open. In 2007, the event was renamed the Wyndham Championship when Wyndham Hotels & Resorts took over from...
- Fry's.com Open
- Chrysler ChampionshipChrysler ChampionshipThe Transitions Championship is a men's professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is played annually on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida.-History:...
- Merrill Lynch ShootoutMerrill Lynch ShootoutThe Franklin Templeton Shootout is a team golf event that takes place during the PGA Tour's Challenge Season, which begins after the last official money event of the season....
- Target World ChallengeTarget World ChallengeThe Chevron World Challenge is an offseason golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, which takes place each December at Sherwood Country Club, a course designed by Jack Nicklaus, in Thousand Oaks, California...
Commentators
- Phil BlackmarPhil BlackmarPhilip Arnold Blackmar is an American professional golfer. He played on the PGA Tour from 1985 to 2000 and now plays on the Champions Tour. He was the tallest player on the PGA Tour during his time on tour, standing 6'7"....
- Bob CarpenterBob Carpenter (sportscaster)Bob Carpenter is a long-time sportscaster and current television play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals on MASN.-Biography:Bob Carpenter has been the Washington Nationals broadcaster since 2006....
- Fran CharlesFran CharlesFran Charles is an American television presenter at the NFL Network.- Career :Charles received his Master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism after completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication at Stanford University....
- From 2002 to 20062006 in golf-Men's professional golf:Major championships*6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards for the tournament, generating some advance controversy. For the first time since 1954 neither Jack Nicklaus nor Arnold Palmer played...
, Charles was the host of the weekly golf show, PGA Tour Sunday on USA Network, serving as lead anchor for studio segments during PGA Tour events. - John CookJohn Cook (golfer)John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....
- Jim Gallagher, Jr.Jim Gallagher, Jr.James Thomas Gallagher, Jr. is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Gallagher was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. His father, a career club pro, started him in golf at age 6. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Gallagher turned pro in 1983 and joined the PGA Tour in...
- Mike HulbertMike HulbertMichael Patrick Hulbert is an American professional golfer and sportscaster.Hulbert was born in Elmira, New York. He grew up in Horseheads, New York, and was a childhood friend and high school golf rival of fellow PGA Tour player Joey Sindelar...
- During the 2003 Buick OpenBuick OpenThe Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship...
, he interviewed eventual champion Jim FurykJim FurykJames Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
from what appeared to be a snack bar during a rain delay while covering the early rounds on USA Network. Other players (who were not visible, nor identified) were in the room at the time of Furyk's interview and proceeded to throw popcorn at them from off camera as the interview progressed. At one point Furyk even held up a golf towel to block the popcorn as it got worse, and he stated that: "It looks like it's pick on Hubby day!" - Peter KostisPeter KostisPeter Kostis is an American golf analyst and instructor.Kostis is a world-renowned golf instructor and has been a member of the Golf Digest teaching staff for over 20 years. Among his many students are Paul Casey, Chez Reavie, Bernhard Langer, Steve Elkington, Dan Marino, Maury Povich, and Mike...
- In addition to his CBSPGA Tour on CBSPGA Tour on CBS is a television program produced by CBS Sports that broadcasts the main professional golf tours in the United States.-Coverage overview:In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012...
duties, he was from 1989-20042004 in golf-Major championships:*April 11 - The Masters - Phil Mickelson wins the first major of his career*June 20 - U.S. Open - Retief Goosen wins the second major -Major championships:*April 11 - The Masters - Phil Mickelson wins the first major of his career*June 20 - U.S. Open - Retief Goosen wins the...
, the lead golf analyst for the USA Network. - Bill MacateeBill MacateeBill Macatee is an American sports broadcaster.-Early life and career:Macatee was born in Rome, New York, and grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1978, he earned a bachelor of science degree in speech from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas...
- Beginning 1990, he anchored coverage of the PGA Tour on the USA Network. - Jennifer MillsJennifer MillsJennifer Mills is an Australian novelist, short story writer and poet. She is the author of the novels 'The Diamond Anchor' and 'Gone' , both published by University of Queensland Press, and a chapbook of poems, Treading Earth....
- Bill PatrickBill Patrick (sports anchor)Bill Patrick is a sports anchor for NHL on Versus and NBC Sports.-Sports broadcasting career:Bill Patrick graduated from the University of Maine in Orono, Maine....
- He worked for USA from 1998 through 20062006 in golf-Men's professional golf:Major championships*6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards for the tournament, generating some advance controversy. For the first time since 1954 neither Jack Nicklaus nor Arnold Palmer played...
as host of the U.S. OpenU.S. Open (tennis)The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
and PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He also did play-by-play and reporting for USA's PGA Tour coverage. - Larry Rinker
- Ted RobinsonTed Robinson (sportscaster)Theodore "Ted" Robinson is an American sportscaster. He is currently the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers, having taken over for longtime 49ers announcer, Joe Starkey, following Starkey's retirement in 2009.-Early life:Ted Robinson grew up in Rockville Centre, New York and...
- Tim Rosaforte
- Stina Sternberg
- Chris WraggeChris WraggeChristian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
- In December 2000, while still with NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and Houston's KPRCKPRC-TVKPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
, Wragge joined USA Sports as the on-site correspondent for PGA Tour Sunday, the PGA Tour's leading broadcast partner.