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Forward Press: The Nelson, Irish Open, new apps and TV times for a possible battlefield promotion
By no means a spectacular week of so many big names in one place, but core golf fans have plenty to keep them tantalized after another wacky Players Championship week.
In a nutshell: Rory McIlroy takes the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open benefiting his foundation inland to The K Club, Jordan Spieth headlines the AT&T Byron Nelson in his hometown, the LPGA’s top three tee off at Kingsmill, the Champions Tour plays its first of fourteen majors and the Web.com Tour’s Wesley Bryan tries to earn a battlefield promotion in the Web.com’s only pro-am.
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The Nelson
While some may not care for the backdoor appearance fees now a part of the PGA Tour, let’s rejoice in how they’ve enhanced the May events by getting top stars to show up at places they otherwise might skip.
Not that Jordan Spieth needs incentive to play the hometown event that gave him his first shot at contending. Since the young Spieth, all hands, feet and hair back then contended two years in a row, he joked last week that hasn’t played as well since at the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas.
Dustin Johnson joins Spieth in a field and the struggling Steven Bowditch defends.
Tournament Airtimes (Eastern):
Thursday: Golf Channel 4-7 PM (Live) / 11:30 PM-2:30 AM (Replay)
Friday: Golf Channel 4-7 PM (Live) / 11:30 PM-2:30 AM (Replay)
Saturday: Golf Channel 1-2:30 PM (Live) / 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay); CBS 3-6 PM (Live)
Sunday: Golf Channel 1-2:30 PM (Live) / 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. (Replay); CBS 3-6 PM (Live)
Additionally, DIRECTV customers can see the tournament through a special 4K broadcast. On Saturday and Sunday, the 17th hole will be in 4K UHD on DIRECTV 4K Channel (106). Fans at the tournament can also watch 4K UHD at the AT&T Digital Clubhouse and other AT&T hospitality areas.
Check out Spieth’s puffy pants when he contended at the 2010 Nelson while still a high school junior.
The Spieth bobblehead is back with a Michael Greller TV spot adding to the promotional fun:
Mouthful: Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation
The K Club has hosted numerous events, including the 2006 Ryder Cup won by the Europeans, and adds the Irish Open to its list of marquee events. Soren Kjeldsen defends after defeating Eddie Pepperell and Bernd Wiesberger at Royal County Down.
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While The K Club is no Royal County Down architecturally, it affords host McIlroy a chance to find his game on just the kind of course he devours. Joining him are Danny Willett, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Padraig Harrington, Russell Knox, Martin Kaymer, Shane Lowry and Lee Westwood.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 7:30 AM-1 PM (Live)
Friday: 4:30-8:30 AM / 10:30 AM-1 PM(Live)
Saturday: 8 AM-12:30 PM (Live)
Sunday: 8:30 AM-1 PM (Live)
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It’s Senior Major Season!
The Regions Tradition doesn’t include the word Seniors in the title and has moved around a bunch, this year landing at Greystone Golf & Country Club’s Founders Course in Birmingham, Ala.
This is, don’t laugh, the first of three geezer majors in four weeks. Nice scheduling!
Jeff Maggert defends. John Daly makes his senior major debut. What’s not to love?
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 1-3:30 PM (Live) / 2:30-4:30 AM (Friday replay)
Friday: 1-3:30 PM (Live) / 2:30-5 AM (Saturday replay)
Saturday: 5-7 PM (Live) / 2:30-4:30 AM (Sunday replay)
Sunday: 5-7 PM (Live) / 2:30-4:30 AM (Monday replay)
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Kingsmill here the LPGA Tour comes
Minjee Lee edged So Yeon Ryu by two for her first LPGA Tour win and faces Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis at a top stop with weekend coverage airing live.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 9-11 PM (Tape delay) / 4:30-6:30 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday: 9-11 PM (Tape delay) / 4:30-6:30 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday: 3-5 PM (Live) / 4:30-6 AM (Sunday replay)
Sunday: 3-5 PM (Live)
Web.com goes Pro-Am, Wesley Bryan goes for his card
The Web.com Tour’s only celebrity pro-am tees off at three courses over the first three days, with the ten low-scoring pro-am teams, six low-scoring celebrity pro-am teams and 65 low Web.com Tour players (and ties) advancing to Sunday’s final round at Thornblade Club.
Headlining the celebrity field: Lucas Black, Bill Engvall, Oliver Hudson, Jim McMahon, Alfonso Ribeiro, Joe Don Rooney, Andy Buckley, and Dennis Haysbert.
Wesley Bryan, one win shy of a PGA Tour “battlefield promotion” headlines a field that includes Jonathan Byrd, Ben Curtis, Nick Flanagan, Brad Fritsch, Oliver Goss, Max Homa and Ollie Schniederjans.
Tournament Airtimes on Golf Channel (Eastern):
Thursday: 7-9 PM (Tape delay) / 2-4 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Friday: 7-9 PM (Tape delay) / 2-4 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Saturday: 7-9 PM (Tape delay) / 2-4 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Sunday: 7-9 PM (Tape delay) / 4-6 PM (Streaming on Golf Live Extra)
Apps for cord-cutters and friends
Golf is trying to catch up for cord-cutters and starting last week, PGA Tour Live became available for Apple TV. Now the hundreds of fans who have been watching early-round coverage can do it on Apple TV (with a paid subscription).
Callaway has also gone the Apple TV/Roku-friendly route, rolling out a content-drive app this week with instructional videos, equipment deep dives and behind the scenes short films from the tour. An exclusive “30 Seconds to Better" instructional series, “Wedgeducation” with Tom Watson and “Hank Haney’s Next Project" will please those eager to help their game, while the full archive of past Callaway Live’s.