Johnson, Spieth, DeChambeau, and McIlroy Headline Star-Studded Genesis Invitational Field

Kira K. Dixon to Serve as Reporter for GOLF Channel PGA TOUR Coverage in 2021 – Makes Season Debut at Genesis Invitational This Week

Willie Mack III Joins Beyond The Fairway Podcast

GOLF Channel Continues 2021 PGA TOUR Viewership Gains and Milestones, Pebble Beach Coverage Up Nearly 30% vs. 2020

STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 17, 2021 – The PGA TOUR’s West Coast swing concludes with the Genesis Invitational from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., as GOLF Channel presents live early-round coverage on Thursday and Friday and lead-in coverage on the weekend. This week’s star-studded field is highlighted by World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rory McIlroy.

The Tiger Woods-hosted tournament features eight of the top 10 players on the Official World Golf Ranking and all three 2020 major champions (DeChambeau, Johnson and Collin Morikawa). Adam Scott defends his Genesis Invitational title from last year.

PGA TOUR: GENESIS INVITATIONAL

GOLF Channel Broadcast Team

• Play by Play: Terry Gannon
• Analyst: Nick Faldo
• Tower: Frank Nobilo
• On-Course: Trevor Immelman, Dottie Pepper
• Interviews: Kira K. Dixon

How To Watch – Thursday, Feb. 18 – Sunday, Feb. 21 (all times ET)

• TV – GOLF Channel
• Streaming – NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

*Thursday’s coverage from Noon-2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. ET will be a simulcast of PGA TOUR LIVE featured group coverage

Notable Players This Week

• Dustin Johnson
• Jordan Spieth
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Rory McIlroy
• Brooks Koepka
• Rickie Fowler
• Jon Rahm
• Xander Schauffele
• Justin Thomas
• Collin Morikawa

KIRA K. DIXON TO SERVE AS REPORTER FOR GOLF CHANNEL PGA TOUR COVERAGE IN 2021

Kira K. Dixon will serve as a GOLF Channel PGA TOUR reporter at a number of events in 2021 and makes her debut this week at the Genesis Invitational. Dixon has previously served as Golf Advisor’s Lifestyle Correspondent and host of Golf Advisor Living and Golf Advisor Round Trip on GOLF Channel.

“I’m thrilled to move into a role that has been a dream for the past five years,” said Dixon. “I look forward to bringing our audience reports from PGA TOUR stops throughout the year and being a member of the GOLF Channel team.”

BROADCAST NOTES

• Golf Today and Golf Central: Golf Today and Golf Central will provide pre-and post-tournament coverage on GOLF Channel Thursday-Sunday. Shane Bacon and Damon Hack anchor Thursday, Saturday and Sunday editions of Golf Today alongside Kira K. Dixon. Cara Banks, Notah Begay, Jaime Diaz and Dixon contribute to Golf Central pre- and post-round coverage this week.

• Black History Month: GOLF Channel continues to celebrate Black History Month as February’s studio shows will feature daily segments honoring Black pioneers by telling the stories of their lives in golf.

BEYOND THE FAIRWAY

Willie Mack III, who earned the Charlie Sifford Exemption into the Genesis Invitational this week and made his PGA TOUR debut earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open, joined Doug Smith and Will Lowery on this week’s edition of Beyond The Fairway. Following are highlights from their conversation:

Mack III on how more opportunities and exemptions can help increase diversity in golf: “Financial opportunities and exemptions. We see other players come out and they get seven, eight exemptions when they come out of college, so somehow we have to change that and get more of a different background and get some diversity into the game of golf…It’s the opportunities. It’s not only African Americans that need it, but just people in general. Everybody that plays the game of golf and wants to be on the PGA TOUR, we all need the same chance. It’s kind of not the same chance out there, and I feel like somehow we need to change that.”

Mack III on earning the Charlie Sifford exemption into the Genesis Invitational and what he means to him: “For him being the first African American on the PGA TOUR, I owe him everything. I think not only me, but Tiger Woods and everybody after Charlie Sifford, who knows if any of us would be playing the game of golf today if it wasn’t for him. To be able to have an exemption named after him, it’s breathtaking and I’m actually speechless about the situation. You look back more than 10 years ago and you would never think that this exemption would exist.”

Mack III on Tiger Woods’ influence in his picking up the game of golf: “I remember me and my dad watching football, flipped the channel to golf, and Tiger was on. We just fell in love and were talking to each other, ‘Next week, let’s hit some balls (at the driving range).’ We went, loved it and that’s how we got to where we are today.”

GOLF CHANNEL CONTINUES 2021 PGA TOUR VIEWERSHIP GAINS AT PEBBLE BEACH

GOLF Channel’s early round and weekend lead-in coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am averaged 807,000 viewers, up 28% vs. last year’s coverage on the network. Additional viewership highlights:

• Thursday coverage on GOLF Channel averaged 487,000, up 31% vs. 2020 and marking the second most-watched First Round of Pebble Beach Pro-Am on GOLF Channel since 2007;
• Sunday lead-in coverage on GOLF Channel averaged 1.450 million viewers, up 27% vs. last year to rank as second-most Final Round lead-in of the event since 2007.

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