By: Jim Williams
The Examiner
TNT – Thursday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. First Round
TNT – Friday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Second Round
TNT – Saturday 7a.m. – 9 a.m. Third Round
ABC – Saturday 9 a.m. – 2p.m.
TNT – Sunday 6 a.m. – 8 a.m. Final Round
ABC – Sunday 8 a.m. – 1:30p.m.
Radio – Sirius/XM
Broadband – PGA.com
DirecTV
There will be plenty of coverage of the Open this weekend starting for the diehard fans at 4a.m. on PGA.com. TNT will have the coverage on Thursday and Friday starting at 7a.m. with Ernie Johnson, Baker-Finch, field reporter Bill Kratzert and Jim Huber will handle the interviews.
TNT does a fine job covering golf and they will share broadcasters with ESPN/ABC.
For our friend’s at ESPN/ABC The Open is a real tradition. It began in the early 1960’s with Wide World of Sports and they have been the home of the tournament ever since.
ABC has the weekend coverage and they have put together an all star team to cover the Open.
Mike Tirico, Terry Gannon and Peter Alliss will serve as the hole announcers with Tom Watson, who won the Open Championship at Turnberry in 1977 joining Tom Weiskopf, winner of the 1973 Open Championship. Watson (eight major championships, including five Open Championships), and Weiskopf join Curtis Strange (winner of two U.S. Opens), Andy North (winner of two U.S. Opens) and Paul Azinger (winner of one PGA Championship) on the ABC telecasts. Together, they have won 14 major championships. Judy Rankin, a World Golf Hall of Famer, will also be part of the broadcast team.
Sirius/XM will start their coverage each day at 6a.m. and provide live coverage til the days play ends for the four days of The Open. There is also plenty of conversation on the PGA channel 146.
DIRECTV will make its interactive debut at the “The Open Championship” on Thursday and Friday completing its coverage of all of golf’s majors for the 2009 season following last month’s successful run at the U.S. Open Championship.
Featuring its industry-first four-screens-in-one HD Mix channel and an innovative lineup of interactive services, “The British Open Experience” will bring a new level of excitement to golf fans watching the annual battle for the historic Claret Jug at the 138th Open Championship on the scenic Alisa course at Turnberry.
Three additional channels and DIRECTV’s industry-leading interactive features will supplement TNT’s live coverage of the Open’s first two rounds – all available in HD and at no extra charge for DIRECTV customers.
“With the addition of The Open Championship to our interactive service lineup, DIRECTV will have complete coverage of all eight golf and tennis championships, a level of sports programming unmatched in the pay TV industry,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. “Our expanded, multiple channel coverage of the tournament is the best way to experience the scenic beauty and treacherous cliff-top holes of the course and get a true sense of appreciation for the challenge golfers are facing.”
