While most of the continental US freezes, the PGA Tour makes its annual start at Kapalua, perhaps the season's most visually stunning venue.
The PGA Tour returns for the start of its 2015 season on Friday afternoon at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. This is the second season that the Tour is operating under the newish wraparound schedule, so there's technically already been seven events played in this "season." But even if FedEx Cup points have already been won for 2015, and contrary to the Tour's insistence, this traditional event at Kapalua on Maui remains the effective start of the season. It feels appropriate and it's the first competitive event of a new year.
Even though this event has settled in nicely at the top of the year, there's nothing normal about the tournament. The venue is dramatic, an older Coore/Crenshaw design on a steep mountainside with incredible views and unlike anything else on the Tour schedule. The field is unique, featuring only the winners of official Tour events from the prior season. There are 34 of a possible 38 qualifiers teeing it up this week.
But the names who are missing are some of the heaviest hitters in the sport -- Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, and Justin Rose. It's not the easiest stop to travel to, even if it's the most scenic and provides the perfect warm weather respite for these players, who usually make a family vacation out of it if they get the invite. But making the trek to Hawaii has become prohibitive for the biggest earners and names in the game, such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and the aforementioned international stars qualified for this year. McIlroy, for instance, is starting his year in the Middle East on the Euro Tour so there was no way he was traveling to Maui.
In addition to the unique field and venue, the schedule and media coverage are completely unorthodox for a PGA Tour event. The time change obviously plays a part in the media schedule, but the Tour is once again making the 2015 opener a Monday finish. Other than the Deutsche Bank Chamionship, which is played over Labor Day weekend, this is the only tournament on the schedule with a deliberate, planned Monday conclusion. Part of it is a desire to not go up against the NFL playoffs on Sunday. The final round, if there are no delays, will end right before kickoff of Monday night's College Football Playoff title game.
The Monday finish aside, the TV times and start times are all over the place for each day. They're presumably trying to dodge head-to-head competition with football as much as possible, but it's a departure from the usual rote slot scheduling we get every week on Tour. The five-hour time difference does allow for primetime golf, and that's what we'll get in the first round.
Golf Channel will have the broadcast all four days, save for a brief window on Sunday afternoon when its Comcast sister, NBC, provides a few hours of third round coverage. As usual, there will be a simulcast stream of all the TV coverage. Here are your media options for the year's first tournament from stunning Kapalua:
Friday's first round coverage
Television:
4:30 to 10 p.m. -- Golf Channel
11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. (Replay) -- Golf Channel
Online streams:
4:30 to 10 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream
Radio:
5 to 10 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)
Saturday's second round coverage
Television:
1 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel
8 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Replay) -- Golf Channel
Online streams:
1 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream
Radio:
2 to 7 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)
Sunday's third round coverage
Television:
2:30 to 5 p.m. -- NBC
5 to 9:30 p.m. -- Golf Channel
10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. (Replay) -- Golf Channel
Online streams:
2:30 to 9:30 p.m. -- Golf Channel/NBC Sports LiveExtra simulcast stream
Radio:
5 to 10 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)
Monday's final round coverage
Television:
4 to 8 p.m. -- Golf Channel
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Replay) -- Golf Channel
Online streams:
4 to 8 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream
Radio:
3 to 8 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1I1deSg
No comments:
Post a Comment