What could be better for golf fans than the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach? How about the U.S. Open in prime time on NBC?
Mike Davis, the senior director of rules and competition for the USGA, announced this past Saturday that the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach will be televised until 11 p.m. EDT on Saturday, with a 10 p.m. EDT finish for the final round.
The 2008 Open was also covered in prime time in 2008 when it was held at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Two years ago, third-round television coverage went until 10 p.m. EDT, with the fourth round ended at 9 p.m. EDT. Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate tied for the lead, and Woods won in a Monday playoff.
What could be next – a return to night golf? The Monday Night Golf series proved to be an initial success, drawing more viewers than the final round of the 1999 U.S. Open, and being second only to the final round of the Masters Tournament in terms of golf broadcasts that year. Ratings increased significantly for the second match, but they declined rapidly after that, and the event was finally cancelled after the 2005 edition.
The U.S. Open golf tournament returns to Pebble Beach for the fifth time on June 17-20, 2010. Lucas Glover is the defending U.S. Open Champion.