The U.S. Open Championship golf tournament from the Black Course at Bethpage State in Farmingdale, N.Y., tees off Thursday, June 18, at 10am ET on ESPN. Tiger Woods, who won last year’s U.S. Open in an 18-hole playoff thriller against Rocco Mediate, returns to the site of his 2002 U.S. Open win.
ESPN and NBC share coverage of the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, with NBC taking over coverage of the third and final rounds. ESPN and GOLF CHANNEL have plenty of highlights and news/analysis shows surrounding the open.
Full tournament TV schedule with additional broadcast plans from NBC, ESPN and GOLF CHANNEL after the jump:
[Update: ESPN has coverage of the final round (delayed from Sunday) on Monday, June 22, from 9-11:30am ET, and has coverage all day on ESPN360.com. NBC will pick up the remaining coverage from 11:30am until the conclusion.)
2009 U.S. Open Championship TV Schedule
Thursday, June 18:
10am-3pm — U.S. Open Championship, First Round (Part I), ESPN
3-5pm — U.S. Open Championship, First Round, NBC
5-7pm — U.S. Open Championship, First Round (Part II), ESPN
Friday, June 19:
10am-3pm — U.S. Open Championship, Second Round (Part I), ESPN
3-5pm — U.S. Open Championship, Second Round, NBC
5-7pm — U.S. Open Championship, Second Round (Part II), ESPN
Saturday, June 20:
2-8pm — U.S. Open Championship, Third Round, NBC
Sunday, June 21:
1:30-7:30pm — U.S. Open Championship, Final Round, NBC
NBC
NBC Sports will provide more than 16 hours of high-definition U.S. Open coverage – the most extensive coverage provided for any golf event and the only one with network coverage of first- and second-round play:
Thursday 3-5pm ET
Friday 3-5pm ET
Saturday 2-8pm ET
Sunday 1:30-7:30pm ET
NBC SPORTS GOLF TEAM: Hicks, Miller and Maltbie will be joined on NBC Sports’ broadcast team by tower reporters Gary Koch, Bob Murphy and Peter Jacobsen; course reporters Mark Rolfing and Dottie Pepper; interviewer/essayist Jimmy Roberts; Golf World’s Tim Rosaforte; and Bob Costas, who will contribute opening commentary and interview segments in addition to periodically resetting the scene and handling the trophy presentation.
ESPN
ESPN will provide comprehensive multi-platform coverage of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship from Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., including live telecasts of the first two rounds on ESPN on Thursday and Friday, June 18-19. Additionally, there will be coverage of the national championship across 15 multimedia platforms: ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com (international and domestic), ESPNDeportes.com, ESPN Radio, ESPN VOD, Interactive Television (ITV) and ESPN Mobile TV.
ESPN will deliver 87 hours of U.S. Open programming across its television networks and digital platforms, including 14 hours of live first- and second-round action (10am–3pm ET and 5-7pm each day on ESPN), SportsCenter presented by IBM at the U.S. Open preview and highlight shows, plus The Best of the U.S. Open presented by Titleist, which airs in primetime (8-11 p.m.) Thursday and Friday and re-airs of the third and final rounds over the weekend. All telecasts will be in high definition.
Chris Berman, who has covered the U.S. Open on ESPN since 1986, and Mike Tirico will host ESPN’s live coverage Thursday and Friday. Curtis Strange and Andy North, both two-time U.S. Open Champions, will serve as analysts alongside Roger Maltbie and Gary Koch; along with hole announcers Terry Gannon, Gary Koch, Bob Murphy, Karl Ravech, Mark Rolfing and Scott Van Pelt and on-course reporters Bill Kratzert, Dottie Pepper and Judy Rankin. North and Scott Van Pelt will anchor SportsCenter reports from Bethpage. Tom Rinaldi and Jimmy Roberts will contribute interviews and reports and ESPN The Magazine columnist Rick Reilly will provide essays and commentaries.
Among the features planned in ESPN’s television coverage:
• Rocco Mediate: One-year after his U.S. Open Playoff loss to Tiger Woods
• A Look Back at 2008 U.S. Open
• First tee jitters
• How to perform in New York City
• Aaron Stewart: Payne Stewart’s son, 10 years after Payne’s win at Pinehurst
• North’s Notes: Andy North on Bethpage Black
GOLF CHANNEL
Thursday and Friday, beginning at 8am and Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am ET, the Live From the U.S. Open show will preview each round, featuring player interviews, analysis, and up-to-the-minute leader board updates.
In prime time, Golf’s coverage starts at 8pm ET Thursday through Saturday, and 7:30pm ET on Sunday, to break down each round. The shows will encore throughout the night all week.
The Live From the U.S. Open team comprises Vince Cellini, Kraig Kann, Rich Lerner, Steve Sands, Kelly Tilghman, Frank Nobilo, Brandel Chamblee, Charlie Rymer, Alex Miceli, John Feinstein, Jim Gray, John Hawkins, Tim Rosaforte and Rex Hoggard.
Kann and Rymer will host the early Live From shows Thursday and Friday from the network studios in Orlando. Peter Jacobsen will join Friday’s early coverage, while 1986 U.S. Open champion Raymond Floyd will appear on the early Saturday show.
In addition, GolfChannel.com’s team of writers will contribute to the popular “Shag Bag” blog with entries and posts throughout the week, along with daily columns, news articles features and breaking news. Hoggard, Jay Coffin, Randall Mell and David Allen will report on-site from Bethpage Black throughout the week.
I find Johnny Miller the most refreshing of all of the commentators. Who I find most annoying is Kelly Tighlman of the Golf Channel.
He doesn’t dislike Woods, that’s a goofy statement. It’s his job to discuss the golfers play and choices. Your entire post needs to be get rid of…..it adds nothing.
I love the game of golf. My problem is with the ego maniac Johnny Miller. It is all about how he did it or what a terrible judgement call the golfer has made. It is very obvious he dislikes Tiger. All the commentators are so gracious to all the players but please —-get rid of Johnny Miller…..He adds nothing.