Jackson Reid
NBC has been televising golf events since 1954, when it was awarded the television rights to the U.S. Open. The network has since provided coverage for a variety of golf tournaments, including the Ryder Cup, the PGA Tour, the LPGA, and the Open Championship. NBC is the only network that provides four days of major tournament coverage. In 2025, NBC and its partner channels provided coverage of the Open Championship, with NBC carrying the primary broadcasts for the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year NBC first televised golf | 1954 |
| First televised golf event | U.S. Open |
| First telecast of Ryder Cup | 1959 |
| First telecast of golf on a Sunday | 1962 U.S. Open |
| Number of PGA Tour events televised by NBC per season | 8 |
| Golf commentators | Jim "Bones" Mackay, Smylie Kaufman, John Wood, Arron Oberholser, Billy Ray Brown, Colt Knost, Graham DeLaet, Tripp Isenhour |
| Date of 2025 Open Championship TV coverage | July 17-20, 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
NBC's coverage of golf tournaments
NBC Sports provides extensive coverage of golf tournaments, offering golf enthusiasts a range of content, including news, live coverage, videos, highlights, stats, predictions, and results. The network has a strong presence in the world of golf, with dedicated shows like "Golf Today" and "Golf Central", where experts discuss the latest in the sport and interview prominent golfers.
NBC has a long history of broadcasting major golf tournaments, dating back to 1983 when it televised the first Skins Game with Vin Scully and Ben Crenshaw as announcers. From 1983 to 1989, Scully balanced duties for golf and Major League Baseball telecasts on NBC. The network has continued to showcase prestigious events, including the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in 2013 and 2014, anchored by Rich Lerner with commentary by Dougie Donnelly and Frank Nobilo.
In recent years, NBC has strengthened its commitment to golf coverage. In 2016, former CBS analyst David Feherty joined NBC and contributed to its Golf Channel coverage. The same year, NBC and the Golf Channel broadcast the revived golf tournaments at the Summer Olympics. NBC also renewed its rights to the PGA Tour through 2030, ensuring it will continue to bring viewers top golf action for years to come.
The network covers a range of tournaments, including the AIG Women's Open, Wyndham Championship, 3M Open, U.S. Women's Amateur, FedEx St. Jude Championship, and more. NBC also provides coverage of the PGA Tour, LPGA, DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour Champions. Golf fans can follow their favourite players and stay up-to-date with the latest scores and news through NBC's comprehensive coverage and digital offerings.
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Golf telecasts on NBC since 1954
NBC has been televising golf since 1954, with its earliest broadcasts including the 1954 U.S. Open. The network has a rich history of bringing golf to American audiences, with notable milestones over the years.
In 1959, NBC made history by televising the Ryder Cup for the first time, providing two hours of highlights from the event. This was followed by another milestone in 1962 when NBC became the first network to broadcast golf on a Sunday, once again during the U.S. Open. While NBC did not sign a long-term deal to continue broadcasting the U.S. Open after 1965, they did televise a handful of PGA Tour events over the following decades, including the Tournament of Champions in 1962, which was the first colour golf telecast.
The network continued to innovate, broadcasting the Hawaiian Open Golf Tournament in colour in 1967, marking the first live colour sports transmission from Hawaii to the US mainland. In 1983, NBC televised the first Skins Game, with Vin Scully and Ben Crenshaw serving as announcers. From 1983 to 1989, Scully balanced duties for golf and Major League Baseball telecasts for NBC, showcasing his versatility.
In more recent years, NBC has continued to be a prominent broadcaster of golf. Since 2022, the network has televised around 8 PGA Tour events per season, alternating with CBS on the FedEx Cup Playoffs. NBC also serves as the broadcast outlet for two of the men's majors: the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Additionally, the network occasionally airs coverage of selected European Tour and LPGA events, with most of these tours' events broadcast by their sister network, Golf Channel.
The synergy between NBC and Golf Channel has strengthened over the years, with Golf Channel taking over the production of NBC's golf telecasts and co-branding them under the "Golf Channel on NBC" banner. This merger has allowed for a more unified presentation of golf content across both platforms.
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NBC's broadcast of the Ryder Cup
NBC has a long history of broadcasting the Ryder Cup, one of the most prestigious golf events. The network has provided extensive coverage of the tournament over the years, often in partnership with other channels.
In 2002, NBC Sports presented taped coverage of the Ryder Cup on Saturday, while airing the singles live on Sunday. The network utilised a team of experienced broadcasters and analysts, including Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller, and Bob Murphy, with on-course reporters providing additional insights.
For the 2016 Ryder Cup, NBC collaborated with the Golf Channel to deliver comprehensive coverage. Together, they planned to provide 170 hours of programming, ensuring viewers could follow the competition closely. NBC Sports' team for that year included Dick Enberg, Johnny Miller, Dan Hicks, and several on-course reporters.
In 2023, NBC once again broadcast the Ryder Cup, this time across four days, including the opening ceremonies. Dan Hicks and Terry Gannon led the play-by-play commentary, while Paul Azinger and Justin Leonard offered expert analysis. NBC also offered live streams of the event through its digital platforms, making the Ryder Cup accessible to a wide audience.
Beyond the Ryder Cup, NBC Sports is committed to delivering extensive golf coverage. The network provides live coverage, videos, highlights, stats, predictions, and results from various golf tournaments. NBC's platforms include NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, Golf Central, and Golf Today, ensuring that golf enthusiasts can stay up-to-date with the latest news and insights from the world of golf.
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Golf Channel coverage of the Open Championship
The Golf Channel, along with NBC and Peacock, will broadcast the 153rd Open Championship. The Golf Channel will provide coverage of the event on Sunday from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. with "HSBC Live at The Range". From 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., the channel will broadcast highlights of the 148th Open at Royal Portrush. Live coverage of the Open Championship will then be aired from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Replays of the live coverage will be shown from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next morning.
The Golf Channel will also broadcast "HSBC Live at The Range" from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Monday. On Monday, the Golf Channel will also air "This is Open Country" from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., followed by a replay of the live coverage from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
In addition to the Golf Channel, NBC and Peacock will also provide coverage of the 153rd Open Championship. NBC will provide primary TV coverage on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET on both days. Peacock will offer exclusive coverage of the event online, including early coverage of the first and second rounds, featured group streaming, and a Par-3 Channel.
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NBC's coverage of the LPGA
NBC Sports provides extensive coverage of golf, including LPGA events. The network offers a range of content, such as news, live coverage, videos, highlights, stats, predictions, and results from various golf tournaments.
In terms of LPGA coverage, NBC has recently featured the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open, where Lottie Woad made her professional debut and won. NBC's Golf Central crew analysed Woad's performance and her two-shot lead over Nelly Korda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. They also discussed how Woad handled the professional pressure and the strength of her ball striking.
Additionally, NBC covered Woad's victory at the Women's Scottish Open more broadly, with Tom Abbott joining Golf Today to discuss her win and how she was playing her "best golf". Abbott also looked ahead to the AIG Women's Open, where Woad was the favourite following her LPGA debut win.
NBC's Golf Today programme also features discussions on a range of golf topics, including the Ryder Cup, the U.S. Open, and the performance of various golfers such as Joaquin Niemann and Korda. The network also provides coverage of other golf events such as the 3M Open, the Wyndham Championship, and the U.S. Women's Amateur.
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Frequently asked questions
NBC airs around 8 PGA Tour events per season, alternating with CBS on the FedEx Cup Playoffs. It also televises two men's majors, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
NBC first began televising golf events in 1954, with the U.S. Open.
The 1962 U.S. Open was the first time NBC covered golf on a Sunday.
The 1962 Tournament of Champions was the first colour golf telecast by NBC.
