June 29, 2012
U.S. Women’s Open Golf First, Second Rounds Live on ESPN Platforms
One of the most difficult courses in the history of the U.S. Women’s Open will test the world’s top women’s golfers as ESPN2, ESPN3 and WatchESPN air four hours of live coverage of each of the first two rounds of the championship on Thursday and Friday, July 5-6, from 4-8 p.m. ET from the Blackwolf Run Golf Club in Kohler, Wis.
With its challenging greens and ample hazards, Blackwolf Run’s design resulted in a six-over-par winning score by Se Ri Pak in 1998, the last time the U.S. Women’s Open was held at the course. The mark is tied with two others for the highest winning score in the last 34 years of the event.
So Yeon Ryu, who won last year’s U.S. Women’s Open held in Colorado Springs, Col., will try to become the first player since Karrie Webb in 2001 to win the prestigious event in consecutive years, while World No. 1 Yani Tseng will be looking for her first U.S. Women’s Open win. And popular veteran Paula Creamer will be playing for her first win since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open.
Terry Gannon will anchor ESPN’s coverage, joined for analysis by World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin. ESPN’s U.S. Women’s Open team for the Thursday and Friday telecasts also will include two-time U.S. Open champions Curtis Strange (hole announcer) and Andy North (on-course reporter), with Roger Maltbie, Kay Cockerill and Jane Crafter from NBC’s golf team also contributing to the telecasts.
All U.S. Women’s Open programming on ESPN2 and ESPN3 will also be available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app, which are accessible to fans who receive their video service from an affiliated provider. ESPN Mobile TV will have live mobile video simulcasts of ESPN2’s first- and second-round telecasts.
In addition, ESPN.com and espnW.com will have full coverage of the event with writer Mechelle Voepel on location in Kohler.
espnW.com also will run an in-depth feature looking back at the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run, which Pak won in a 20-hole playoff over Jenny Chausiriporn. ESPN Classic will remember the 1998 playoff between Pak and Chausiriporn with a three-hour airing of the event on Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m.
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Media Contact: Andy Hall, 386-492-2246 or andy.hall@espn.com