I’ve always been interested in women’s sports since I began coaching my daughter’s soccer team more than 30 years ago.
So I was delighted to hear the first all-women golf broadcast team in U.S. television history will call NBC Sports’ coverage of the ShopRite LPGA Classic at the Bay Course at Seaview in Galloway, N.J., on Golf Channel on Oct. 1-3.
The broadcast team will include play-by-play announcer Cara Banks, analysts Judy Rankin and Paige Mackenzie along with on-course reporters Karen Supples and Kay Cockerill.
Tournament coverage will be produced by long-time NBC Sports and Golf Channel producer Beth Hutter, who has produced LPGA coverage for more than 15 years and recently made history as the first woman to produce the U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club and women’s golf coverage at the Tokyo Olympics.
“We’re thrilled to assemble this incredibly accomplished group of women for our broadcast of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Golf Channel,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer for NBC Olympics and Golf Channel and the first woman to serve in that role for a national sports network.
“Our NBC Sports team features talented women at all levels – both on-camera and behind-the-scenes – who are essential to making our coverage a success on every platform, and we’re honored to celebrate their work as part of this broadcast.”
NBC Sports made history in March 2020 with the first all-women broadcast for an NHL game. Earlier this year, NBC Sports producer Rene Hatlelid became the first woman to produce the Indianapolis 500 – “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – on NBC, and Lindsay Schanzer became the first woman to produce a Triple Crown race, leading NBC Sports’ productions of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
NBC Sports is producing more than 500 hours of women’s golf coverage in 2021, the most hours and events ever dedicated to the women’s game in a single year.
Major kudos to NBC!
Feature Photo: Clockwise (from top left): Judy Rankin (analyst), Cara Banks (play-by-play), Paige Mackenzie (analyst), Beth Hutter (producer), Kay Cockerill (on-course reporter) and Karen Supples (on-course reporter). Credit: Getty Images, Golf Channel
