Latest news with #U.S.SeniorOpen
Winnipeg Free Press
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Keegan Bradley as a Ryder Cup playing captain? He has Jack Nicklaus to thank for the chance
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Keegan Bradley has the support of key players and the opportunity to become the first playing captain in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake. And it's all because of Jack Nicklaus. After the Americans won at East Lake against Great Britain & Ireland — back then it wasn't much of a competition — the PGA of America's executive committee changed the bylaws so that a captain could not play. It felt the captain's duties were too extensive. Fast forward to Dec. 16, 1982, when the PGA of America appointed 42-year-old Jack Nicklaus to be the U.S. captain. The committee voted unanimously to allow a captain to play. There were no captain's picks for the 1983 matches at PGA National. The PGA Championship winner was guaranteed a spot on the team and Nicklaus nearly pulled that off, finishing one shot behind Hal Sutton at Riviera. Captain's picks have been introduced, but the rule was left in place for a playing captain. Bradley would have to win the BMW Championship for any chance at the six automatic spots, but there's that small issue of whether he should pick himself. Xander Schauffele has told Bradley he needs to bring his clubs to Bethpage Black for the Sept. 26-28 matches. Patrick Cantlay on Tuesday said, 'If I was captain, I'd pick Keegan.' 'I think he's definitely one of the best American players, and his results have shown that,' Cantlay said at Caves Valley. Bradley has said he would take it up with the assistant captains and the six automatic qualifiers, the same way he would consider other players as picks. He doesn't make his picks until Aug. 27, after the Tour Championship, giving Bradley two weeks of high-end competition. He currently is No. 10 in the standings. As for the automatic six picks, Scottie Scheffler, Schauffele and J.J. Spaun are mathematically secured to make the team. They are followed by Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English, with Justin Thomas just outside the top six. USGA and NBC The USGA is sticking with NBC for coverage of the U.S. Open in a deal announced Tuesday with NBCUniversal that goes through 2032 and will include an extra hour of prime-time coverage for the U.S. Open on the weekdays. NBC's partnership with the USGA dates to 1995 except for Fox Sports taking over in 2015 in a 12-year deal that lasted only five years until it was returned to NBC. NBC will be the exclusive broadcast home of the USGA's three professional events — the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. Peacock will stream all USGA programming on NBC and have exclusive coverage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. The new deal will include 48 hours of U.S. Open coverage — 25 hours on NBC, with 33 hours when the U.S. Open is on the West Coast. The U.S. Women's Open will get 27 hours, seven hours on NBC during the weekend. The U.S. Senior Open will get 18 hours, six on NBC. Versant, the new media company that will be spun out from Comcast Corp., acquired media rights to USGA championships for USA Network and Golf Channel through 2032. USA Network will broadcast the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, and the other nine USGA championships will be on Golf Channel. Rickie rising Rickie Fowler made it back to the postseason by narrowly finishing among the top 70 in the FedEx Cup. That led him to a simple goal. 'The main goal last week was to have a tee time this week,' Fowler said. He got that done with a tie for sixth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship — his highest finish of the year — that moved him to No. 48 and got him to the BMW Championship for only the second time since 2019. Fowler had made it to the penultimate postseason event his first 10 years on the PGA Tour. He knows the good times. And lately, he has seen the other side. That made getting to Caves Valley that much sweeter. 'Sometimes the tough years or those downtimes, you enjoy those,' Fowler said. 'Maybe not necessarily in the moment because they do suck. But that's when I feel like you learn the most and you get the most satisfaction when you kind of overcome those hurdles.' The next stop is East Lake, and that will take some hard work. Only the top 30 advance, and Fowler probably needs his highest finish of the year. But he has a tee time. LIV schedule The Saudi-funded LIV Golf League is starting to reveal part of the 2026 schedule that will include plenty of air miles at the start of the season. LIV will start its fifth season Feb. 5-7 in Saudi Arabia and then head Down Under for its most popular tournament in Adelaide, Australia. March features back-to-back weeks in Singapore and South Africa, while the Mexico City event at Chapultepec will be one week after the Masters. The Andalucia event at Valderrama is moving up one month to be played June 5-7, two weeks before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Sports Business Journal has reported a new event in New Orleans a week after the U.S. Open. The UK tournament is one week after the British Open. Still to be released is its three-tournament closing stretch, held this year in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Cantlay's putting coach British putting guru Phil Kenyon began working with Scottie Scheffler nearly two years ago. Patrick Cantlay is his latest clients. Cantlay said he was in the early stages working with Kenyon and liked how it was going. 'Anything I can do to just get a little better, whether that's a technique change or some little key here and there that I can pick up on, I'm going to try and explore that to see if I can get better,' he said. 'That's really the root of the change.' He is 78th in the PGA Tour's key putting statistic this year, down from 28th four years ago. Divots Melanie Green is leading the Epson Tour points list and already has clinched an LPGA card for 2026. 'Everybody wants to have a phenomenal LPGA career, but to have a phenomenal Epson Tour career as well is great to take you to the next step,' she said. … Justin Rose's victory assured his return to the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019. Rose won the FedEx Cup in 2018 and remains the only player to have captured the cup without having won a postseason event … Scottie Scheffler has gone over the $20 million mark in official PGA Tour earnings for the third consecutive year. Stat of the week Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Scottie Scheffler is assured of being the No. 1 seed at the Tour Championship for the fourth consecutive year. Tiger Woods is the only other player to have been the No. 1 seed three times (2007, 2009, 2013). Final word 'Sometimes the workload is going to be more, sometimes the workload is going to be less. Compared to the last couple years, I would say at this point we're in a 'less' moment in time.' — Patrick Cantlay on serving on the PGA Tour policy board. ___ AP golf:
USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
NBC Sports, USA, Golf Channel will keep U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open through 2032
As expected, the U.S. Golf Association's contract with NBCUniversal has been extended, according to a release sent on Tuesday. Back in 2020, the USGA moved its media rights from Fox Sports to NBCUniversal, a move that ended a 12-year deal with Fox Sports worth about $1 billion. With the deal set to run through the end of 2026, there was speculation that Netflix and others might try to swoop in and snag the coveted viewership, but that sped up talks to close the deal. The new deal will run through 2032. 'We're incredibly proud of the partnership we've built over the years with NBCU and VERSANT, and we're equally excited to continue building on that legacy through our shared passion and dedication – alongside people we're proud to call our friends,' USGA CEO Mike Whan said in the release. 'The value NBCU and VERSANT place on the USGA brand is evident, and this agreement enables the USGA to further advance our mission to positively impact the game, while providing the most expansive coverage and broadest reach to showcase USGA championships.' Here's more from the release: NBC will be the exclusive broadcast home of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. The U.S. Open will continue to have the most broadcast hours of any major championship – a minimum of 25 – and will further cement its legacy with an additional hour of primetime coverage on NBC each year on Thursday and Friday. Peacock will simulstream all USGA programming airing on NBC and will provide exclusive streaming coverage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. As part of the agreement, VERSANT, the new independent media company set to be spun out from Comcast Corporation, has also acquired media rights to the USGA championships for USA Network and Golf Channel through 2032. USA Network will provide coverage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, while Golf Channel will carry coverage of the U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Senior Women's Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Adaptive Open, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup. The new elements of the agreement will begin in 2027 following the conclusion of the current agreement in 2026. The release said the following will be part of the deal: Netflix had bid for the rights, after ESPN, CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery inquired, but the NBCUniversal extension seemed the most logical route. The network has been working with the USGA since 1995, with a break from 2014-2020. 'The USGA has been an important partner of ours for most of the last 30 years and we're extraordinarily proud of our relationship with their leadership team,' said Rick Cordella, president, NBC Sports. 'We have built something incredibly special with the U.S. Open on NBC. We look forward to further advancing and enhancing our coverage of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open across NBC and Peacock through 2032.' 'We're proud to partner with the USGA and present coverage of 11 USGA championships across USA Network and Golf Channel,' said Matt Hong, president of sports, VERSANT. 'The USGA championships represent some of the most prestigious events in all of golf. USA Network's reach and Golf Channel's reputation as the television home of the sport are ideal platforms to bring the USGA championships to golf fans across the country.'
NBC Sports
a day ago
- Business
- NBC Sports
NBCUNIVERSAL, USGA EXTEND MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT THROUGH 2032
Partnership Extension Ensures Ongoing Airtime for 11 USGA Championships and More Broadcast Network Coverage for the U.S. Open Than Any Other Major NBC and Peacock to Present Live Coverage of U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and U.S. Senior Open U.S. Open Adds Four Hours of Broadcast Coverage Across Thursday and Friday, Including An Additional Hour of Primetime Coverage on NBC Each Day Peacock to Carry Exclusive Streaming Coverage and Simulcasts of All USGA Championships Airing on NBC VERSANT's USA Network and Golf Channel to Carry Coverage of 11 USGA Championships Including U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open STAMFORD, Conn., and LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. – August 12, 2025 – NBCUniversal has extended its media rights agreement with the United States Golf Association (USGA) through 2032, both parties announced today. 'We're incredibly proud of the partnership we've built over the years with NBCU and VERSANT, and we're equally excited to continue building on that legacy through our shared passion and dedication – alongside people we're proud to call our friends,' said USGA CEO Mike Whan. 'The value NBCU and VERSANT place on the USGA brand is evident, and this agreement enables the USGA to further advance our mission to positively impact the game, while providing the most expansive coverage and broadest reach to showcase USGA championships.' NBC will be the exclusive broadcast home of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. The U.S. Open will continue to have the most broadcast hours of any major championship – a minimum of 25 – and will further cement its legacy with an additional hour of primetime coverage on NBC each year on Thursday and Friday. Peacock will simulstream all USGA programming airing on NBC and will provide exclusive streaming coverage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. As part of the agreement, VERSANT, the new independent media company set to be spun out from Comcast Corporation, has also acquired media rights to the USGA championships for USA Network and Golf Channel through 2032. USA Network will provide coverage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open, while Golf Channel will carry coverage of the U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Senior Women's Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Adaptive Open, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup. The new elements of the agreement will begin in 2027 following the conclusion of the current agreement in 2026. 'The USGA has been an important partner of ours for most of the last 30 years and we're extraordinarily proud of our relationship with their leadership team,' said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. 'We have built something incredibly special with the U.S. Open on NBC. We look forward to further advancing and enhancing our coverage of the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and U.S. Senior Open across NBC and Peacock through 2032.' 'We're proud to partner with the USGA and present coverage of 11 USGA championships across USA Network and Golf Channel,' said Matt Hong, President of Sports, VERSANT. 'The USGA championships represent some of the most prestigious events in all of golf. USA Network's reach and Golf Channel's reputation as the television home of the sport are ideal platforms to bring the USGA championships to golf fans across the country.' Coverage highlights include: 48 hours of U.S. Open coverage, including 25 hours on NBC (33 when on the West Coast); an increase of four hours of NBC coverage on Thursday/Friday (for a total of five hours per day, including two in primetime, one each day); combining to deliver more broadcast network coverage than any other major championship; 27 hours of U.S. Women's Open coverage, including seven weekend hours on NBC; 18 hours of U.S. Senior Open coverage, including six weekend hours on NBC; 15 hours of coverage for both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women's Amateur and continuing coverage of the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Girls' Junior, U.S. Adaptive Open and U.S. Senior Women's Open; 12 hours of coverage for the Walker Cup (played over two days) and 16 hours of Curtis Cup coverage (contested over three days) when played in the U.S. Golf Channel critically-acclaimed Live From studio show will deliver comprehensive pre-championship and post-round coverage on-site at the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open each year and will continue to deliver its coast-to-coast 'election-night' style coverage surrounding U.S. Open Final Qualifying known as 'Golf's Longest Day.' NBCUniversal has an extensive history as the broadcast partner for the USGA championships, beginning a 20-year run from 1995-2014 and returning as the home of the USGA championships in 2020. USA Network began its coverage of the USGA championships in 2022 with the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open. Golf Channel first presented live coverage of the USGA championships in 1995 – the year it launched as the first single-sport cable network in television history – when it presented live three-day coverage of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. ABOUT THE USGA The USGA is a mission-based golf organization whose purpose is to unify the golf community through handicapping and grassroots programs; to showcase the game's best talent through the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally and 13 other national championships and our museum; to provide unbiased global governance with The R&A through the playing, equipment and Amateur Status rules; and to advance issues important to golf's future, with a focus on driving sustainability, accessibility and inclusion. The USGA also manages day-to-day operations for the U.S. National Development Program, the country's first unified pathway for American talent, and the World Golf Hall of Fame, preserving and celebrating the legacies of the game's greatest figures. As a nonprofit association, our work and our team are driven to act for the good of the game. For more, visit ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. ABOUT VERSANT VERSANT, Comcast Corporation's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) planned spin-off, will be a leading independent publicly traded media company comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions. --NBCUNIVERSAL--
Fox Sports
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Padraig Harrington leads Justin Leonard by 2 shots at Senior British Open
Associated Press BERKSHIRE, England (AP) — Padraig Harrington birdied the final hole Saturday for another 5-under 65 for a two-shot lead over Justin Leonard going into the final round of the Senior British Open as the Irishman goes for his second senior major of the year. Harrington was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round on the Old Course at Sunningdale. He seized the lead with birdies on the 13th and 14th hole, and a closing birdie added to his slight lead. Harrington was at 13-under 197. He has been in the United Kingdom the last three weeks for links golf, starting with the Scottish Open. He won the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado a month ago. Leonard, the only PGA Tour Champions player to make the cut last week in the British Open at Royal Portrush, also had a second straight 65. Thomas Bjorn had a 67 and was three shots behind. Harrington and Leonard are past British Open champions — Leonard at Royal Troon in 1997, Harrington winning the first of two claret jugs a decade later at Carnoustie (2007) and Royal Birkdale (2008). Either one can become the fifth player to win the British Open and Senior British Open, a feat last accomplished by Darren Clarke in 2022. Steven Alker, a two-time Charles Schwab Cup winner who opened with a 73, tried to get back in the game. He shot 66 and was among four players at 8-under 202, five shots behind. The winner is exempt for the 154th British Open next year at Royal Birkdale. ___ AP golf:
Winnipeg Free Press
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Padraig Harrington leads Justin Leonard by 2 shots at Senior British Open
BERKSHIRE, England (AP) — Padraig Harrington birdied the final hole Saturday for another 5-under 65 for a two-shot lead over Justin Leonard going into the final round of the Senior British Open as the Irishman goes for his second senior major of the year. Harrington was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round on the Old Course at Sunningdale. He seized the lead with birdies on the 13th and 14th hole, and a closing birdie added to his slight lead. Harrington was at 13-under 197. He has been in the United Kingdom the last three weeks for links golf, starting with the Scottish Open. He won the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado a month ago. Leonard, the only PGA Tour Champions player to make the cut last week in the British Open at Royal Portrush, also had a second straight 65. Thomas Bjorn had a 67 and was three shots behind. Harrington and Leonard are past British Open champions — Leonard at Royal Troon in 1997, Harrington winning the first of two claret jugs a decade later at Carnoustie (2007) and Royal Birkdale (2008). Either one can become the fifth player to win the British Open and Senior British Open, a feat last accomplished by Darren Clarke in 2022. Steven Alker, a two-time Charles Schwab Cup winner who opened with a 73, tried to get back in the game. He shot 66 and was among four players at 8-under 202, five shots behind. The winner is exempt for the 154th British Open next year at Royal Birkdale. ___ AP golf:
