The Upstate of South Carolina will be showcased in primetime on the fastest growing cable television network. Officials from South Carolina Charities, Inc. revealed that for the first time in the Web.com Tour event’s history, coverage of the 2014 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation will air in primetime and be produced in high definition on Golf Channel.
“Bringing the tournament to a worldwide audience is an exciting part of putting on this event each year. Not only does the tournament itself get attention across the globe, but the broadcast also gives us an excellent opportunity to tell the world about the Upstate,” said Bob Nitto, president of SCCI’s Board of Directors.
The 2014 tournament will air on Golf Channel from 6:30-8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16, and from 7-9 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18.
As an Official Event of the PGA TOUR, the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation will gain additional worldwide exposure through the TOUR’s distribution channels including PGATOUR.com, XM/Sirius Radio and a network of international TV partners.
Another announcement released today was the addition of Lisa Cornwell to the 2014 celebrity list. The full celebrity list will be announced on April 8. Cornwell is the newest member of Golf Channel’s broadcast team and a co-anchor of the network’s signature news show, “Golf Central”. While participating in the tournament, Lisa will provide updates from the tournament site to “Golf Central”.
“I’ve enjoyed the new energy of the Web.com Tour through Golf Channel’s coverage, but experiencing it in person will be even more exciting,” said Cornwell. “I’m really looking forward to meeting all the great players and people who make the Tour what it is today.”
An accomplished amateur player, Lisa is a four-time Arkansas State Amateur champion, having won her first title at the age of 14. She played college golf at Southern Methodist University and the University of Arkansas. Lisa has played numerous rounds with her cousin, the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton. Prior to joining Golf Channel, Cornwell most recently hosted a college football show titled “SEC Press Pass,” a syndicated show she founded in 2011.
As in past years, Golf Channel’s primary coverage of the tournament will be from Thornblade Club, covered by Whit Watson as the host, Craig Perks as analyst, Phil Blackmar with coverage from the tower, and Kay Cockerill and Rich Beem providing the on-course coverage.
The BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation is the only event held in Upstate South Carolina that is broadcast around the world for four days. A total of 2.9 million people tuned into Golf Channel’s coverage of the 2013 Web.com Tour, which has consistently been the highest viewed Web.com Tour event on the network.
In 2013, Golf Channel scored its most-watched year ever for the third consecutive year. The success in 2013 was that every major tour saw year-over-year viewership increases, including the Web.com Tour, which was up 34 percent YOY (+70 percent over a three-year span). This milestone built on the momentum of most-watched years in 2011 and 2012, and has resulted in a 54 percent increase in total-day average viewership over the three-year span since Golf Channel joined the NBC Sports Group.
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s best news, instruction and original programming.
The 2014 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation will take place May 15-18 at Thornblade Club, The Reserve at Lake Keowee and, new for 2014, Green Valley Country Club.