U.S. SENIOR OPEN

ESPN2, NBC to provide coverage from Inverness

7/24/2011

Gary Koch

The U.S. Senior Open will receive 14 hours of live network television coverage as it is contested this week at Inverness Club.

The first two rounds on Thursday and Friday will be shown on ESPN2 from 3-7 p.m. each day.

Coverage shifts to NBC Sports on the weekend, when the Saturday and Sunday rounds will each be telecast from 3-6 p.m.

Dan Hicks, NBC's lead golf announcer since 2000, will head up the weekend coverage, but will be absent his usual and well-known sidekick, Johnny Miller, who is not working this tournament.

Instead, Gary Koch will join Hicks in the 18th hole tower and provide lead analysis. Koch, an occasional competitor on the Champions Tour, posted six victories during his PGA Tour playing career.

Other talent assigned to the NBC telecast will include on-course reporters Roger Maltbie and Dottie Pepper as well as commentators Jimmy Roberts and Mark Rolfing.

The partnership between NBC and the United States Golf Association dates to 1995 and currently is contracted through 2014. The U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and U.S. Senior Open have been telecast by NBC since '95, and the U.S. Amateur Championship since '96.

ESPN is also on board through 2014 to televise the opening two rounds of the USGA's three Open championships.

The ESPN2 talent for this week's Senior Open was not available at press time, although there is usually some collaboration with NBC.