U.S. Open In Primetime

For the first time, the U.S. Open will be televised in primetime for viewers outside the Pacific time zone.

"What a great way to spend Father's Day weekend, with the best golfers in the world playing America's championship in primetime," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics.

NBC Sports announced its broadcast schedule today (it was previously reported in Golf World). The network has four-day coverage, sharing the first and second rounds with ESPN. The fact that the Open is played this year at Torrey Pines, near San Diego, makes the primetime telecast possible.

Here is NBC's schedule:

• 
  
• Thursday, June 12: 3-5 p.m. ET
  
• Friday, June 13: 3-5 p.m. ET
  
• Saturday, June 14: 4-10 p.m. ET
  
• Sunday, June 15: 3-9 p.m. ET
  

NBC's news release with the announcement points out that three (including 2008) of the next five U.S. Open are on the West Coast. And that makes future primetime broadcasts a possibility, as well.

While golf telecasts have occasionally stretched into primetime in the past, this will be the first scheduled primetime golf telecast that I can recall. Well except for one. But the U.S. Open sure beats Battle at Bighorn/Battle at The Bridges.

(Note: As pointed out by courtgolf, I completely forgot about all the Hawaii tournaments -- LPGA, Grand Slam, etc. -- that have hit the airwaves in primetime on the mainland.)