http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan/27/cbs-to-show-farmers-final/
CBS to show Farmers finish
Farmers finish to be on CBS
Story by John Maffei
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The saying in TV circles is that Tiger Woods moves the needle.
When he's in contention on the final round of a PGA Tour event, ratings usually jump dramatically.
CBS officials didn't respond to calls and e-mails Sunday, but the general feeling is that Monday's conclusion of the final round of the fog-delayed Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines wouldn't
be on CBS if, say, Brad Fritsch were leading.
Tournament coverage on TV starts at 11:10 a.m. on the Golf Channel and runs to 1 p.m. CBS picks up the coverage at 1 p.m. and will carry it to the conclusion
A Golf Channel spokesman said the network showed three Monday finishes in 2010 and one in '11.
With 11 holes to play, Woods - who leads the tournament by six shots over defending champion Brandt Snedeker and Nick Watney - should finish between 5:30-6 p.m. on the East Coast.
Networks usually have local programming leading into evening news shows. So Woods figures to provide a nice lead into the news.
"CBS wanted to put it on and wanted to finish at 2:30 p.m. local time," said Mark Russell, PGA Tour tournament director. "They're our partner, so we went with it."
Asked if he knew if the network's decision was based on Woods, Russell took a mulligan.
"I have no idea," he said. "I'm not a network executive in New York. "They're our partner and they wanted to show it and we accommodated them."
The decision to start late instead of a rumored earlier start puzzled some players because the tour originally said it would try to accommodate golfers who needed to try to Monday qualify for the Phoenix Open.
The players in the Farmers field who need to qualify for Phoenix will not make it in time.
"It’s kind of funny that we’re teeing off at 11," said Watney, who is six shots behind Woods. "We could have not even played this fourth round or made the cut to 60 and tried to play 36 today. It’s kind of strange, but it’s the same for everybody.
"I’m a little surprised. Even with starting at 11 we’re not going to be in primetime on the East Coast.
I’m trying to figure that one out."
Billy Horschel, who played with Woods on Sunday, said he and Woods talked about possible start times while standing on the sixth tee.
"Tiger has a big effect on TV times, and it’s justified with what he’s done in his career," Horschel said. "We figured it would be up to the network executives.
"I guess we get to have more sleep now.”
The players who need to qualify to play in Phoenix, might have a sleepless night.
"I'm not really concerned with qualifiers," Russell said when asked if he thought it was fair players would be denied the chance to play in Phoenix.
"Is it fair we missed Saturday with the fog?” Russell said. “This is a great tour stop in San Diego and CBS wanted it on TV.
"If we had known Saturday CBS wanted this time ... that's hindsight.
"We did figure we'd finish in the morning on the Golf Channel."
CBS to show Farmers finish
Farmers finish to be on CBS
Story by John Maffei
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The saying in TV circles is that Tiger Woods moves the needle.
When he's in contention on the final round of a PGA Tour event, ratings usually jump dramatically.
CBS officials didn't respond to calls and e-mails Sunday, but the general feeling is that Monday's conclusion of the final round of the fog-delayed Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines wouldn't
be on CBS if, say, Brad Fritsch were leading.
Tournament coverage on TV starts at 11:10 a.m. on the Golf Channel and runs to 1 p.m. CBS picks up the coverage at 1 p.m. and will carry it to the conclusion
A Golf Channel spokesman said the network showed three Monday finishes in 2010 and one in '11.
With 11 holes to play, Woods - who leads the tournament by six shots over defending champion Brandt Snedeker and Nick Watney - should finish between 5:30-6 p.m. on the East Coast.
Networks usually have local programming leading into evening news shows. So Woods figures to provide a nice lead into the news.
"CBS wanted to put it on and wanted to finish at 2:30 p.m. local time," said Mark Russell, PGA Tour tournament director. "They're our partner, so we went with it."
Asked if he knew if the network's decision was based on Woods, Russell took a mulligan.
"I have no idea," he said. "I'm not a network executive in New York. "They're our partner and they wanted to show it and we accommodated them."
The decision to start late instead of a rumored earlier start puzzled some players because the tour originally said it would try to accommodate golfers who needed to try to Monday qualify for the Phoenix Open.
The players in the Farmers field who need to qualify for Phoenix will not make it in time.
"It’s kind of funny that we’re teeing off at 11," said Watney, who is six shots behind Woods. "We could have not even played this fourth round or made the cut to 60 and tried to play 36 today. It’s kind of strange, but it’s the same for everybody.
"I’m a little surprised. Even with starting at 11 we’re not going to be in primetime on the East Coast.
I’m trying to figure that one out."
Billy Horschel, who played with Woods on Sunday, said he and Woods talked about possible start times while standing on the sixth tee.
"Tiger has a big effect on TV times, and it’s justified with what he’s done in his career," Horschel said. "We figured it would be up to the network executives.
"I guess we get to have more sleep now.”
The players who need to qualify to play in Phoenix, might have a sleepless night.
"I'm not really concerned with qualifiers," Russell said when asked if he thought it was fair players would be denied the chance to play in Phoenix.
"Is it fair we missed Saturday with the fog?” Russell said. “This is a great tour stop in San Diego and CBS wanted it on TV.
"If we had known Saturday CBS wanted this time ... that's hindsight.
"We did figure we'd finish in the morning on the Golf Channel."
