ESPN will offer "more coverage than ever" of the PGA Championship, with "ambitious plans for professional golf's first major of the year" at TPC Harding Park on Aug. 6-9, according to Chuck Barney of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. This will mark the first time in 30 years ESPN has covered the Championship under an 11-year media-rights deal with the PGA. ESPN+ "will bring 134 hours of live play across all four days," with ESPN and ESPN+ offering "12 hours of live play each day from the first and second rounds of the tournament." ESPN+ "will open the coverage with the first tee shot both days" at 10:00am ET, a first for the event, and "continue to follow play with traditional coverage" until the end of play. ESPN "will pick up the coverage from there." Scott Van Pelt will anchor ESPN's coverage and will be "joined in the 18th tower" by David Duval (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 7/29).
REPLACEMENT FOUND? Former Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman announced on Twitter that she would be joining CBS Sports as a member of its announcing team at the Championship, and GOLFWEEK's Adam Schupak noted Tilghman's announcement "comes one day after Davis Love III said this would be his final week serving as a TV announcer for CBS Sports." It is "unclear whether the PGA Championship coverage will be a one-off or if Tilghman will be filling Love's role for the foreseeable future" (GOLFWEEK.com, 7/29).
