GOLF CHANNEL TO SHOWCASE "CHRONICLES OF A CHAMPION GOLFER," FEATURING RECOLLECTIONS FROM PAST OPEN CHAMPIONS AHEAD OF THE 145TH OPEN

Episodes to Premiere Wednesday, June 22 and Showcase Open Champions: Woods, Norman, Watson, Els, Nicklaus & Clarke Over Three-Week Stretch

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 10, 2016) - As momentum and anticipation build ahead of The 145TH Open at Royal Troon, July 14-17, NBC Sports Group will present six installments of Chronicles of a Champion Golfer, a compelling documentary series featuring first-person recollections of past Open Champions having earned the title: Champion Golfer of the Year.

"As we count down the weeks until The 145TH Open and NBC Sports' inaugural coverage of golf's original major, Chronicles of a Champion Golfer will showcase for our viewers the unmatched tradition and atmosphere surrounding The Open in recognizing some of its most storied champions," said Molly Solomon, executive producer for Golf Channel. "From the iconic leaderboard adjacent to the 18th hole grandstand to some of the game's most historic course venues, the detailed and often emotional first-person accounts demonstrate the sheer gravity of what it means to a player's career to be able to add 'Champion Golfer of the Year' to their resume."

Over a three-week stretch leading into The Open, Golf Channel will premiere back-to-back episodes in primetime on Wednesday nights beginning at 9 p.m. ET, as the network prepares for its inaugural coverage of the Championship. In addition, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) is scheduled to air Chronicles of a Champion Golfer episodes in July ahead of The Open. The six former Champion Golfers of the Year who will be featured as they recount the moments in which they ultimately lifted the Claret Jug include:

Wednesday, June 22

Tiger Woods (2000, '05, '06) 9 p.m. ET

Greg Norman (1986, '93) 9:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, June 29

Tom Watson (1975, '77, '80, '82, '83) 9 p.m. ET

Ernie Els (2002, '12) 9:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, July 6

Jack Nicklaus (1966, '70, '78) 9 p.m. ET

Darren Clarke (2011) 9:30 p.m. ET

NBC Sports' Exclusive Stretch of R&A Events This Summer: The 145TH Open (July 14-17) from Royal Troon kicks off NBC Sports' three-week stretch of consecutive R&A events this summer. Golf Channel and NBC will carry live coverage of The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex, July 21-24, and the RICOH Women's British Open, July 28-31. The Open also will commence NBC Sports' unprecedented 12-week stretch of premier golf events, including the Rio Olympics, PGA TOUR's FedExCup Playoffs, and Ryder Cup.