March 9, 2026
Smylie Kaufman Makes Primetime “Live From” Debut on Tuesday, Contributing On-Course Segments Alongside Main Desk of Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, and Paul McGinley
Golf Channel to Provide First- and Second-Round Coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship Starting at 1 p.m. ET Thur.-Fri.
Jim Furyk Continues in Golf Channel Booth as Lead Analyst Alongside Terry Gannon; Roger Maltbie Returns as On-Course Commentator, Gary Koch Serves as Analyst
Latest Edition of “The Tiger Effect – 30 Years of Influence” Features Tiger and Max Homa Breaking Down Memorable Shots of His Career, Including “Better Than Most” Putt on 17th Hole
Friday’s Golf Channel Coverage Includes Fan-Favorite Segment “Happy Hour with Smylie” Live From the 17th Hole
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 9, 2026 – Golf Channel will surround the 2026 PLAYERS Championship with comprehensive live championship and studio coverage from The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach., Fla., beginning today with Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS at 3 p.m. ET.
Golf Channel presents live first- and second-round coverage on Thursday and Friday beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Seventeen-time TOUR winner and U.S. Open Champion Jim Furyk, made his debut in the Golf Channel booth last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, will serve as an analyst alongside play-by-play commentator Terry Gannon this week. Furyk earned five top-five finishes at THE PLAYERS in his career, including runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2019. Roger Maltbie will also serve as an on-course commentator and Gary Koch will be an analyst for Golf Channel’s coverage this week.
Friday afternoon’s coverage on Golf Channel will feature the fan-favorite “Happy Hour with Smylie” alongside the iconic 17th hole, as Smylie Kaufman calls the shots and conducts live interviews with PGA TOUR players on-site. This year, Kaufman has been joined by Joel Dahmen, Keith Mitchell, Ben Griffin and more during Happy Hour segments.
The flagship event of the PGA TOUR, THE PLAYERS has been played at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course each year since 1982. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is the defending champion after winning last year’s tournament in a playoff over J.J. Spaun. Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1, won THE PLAYERS in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to win the championship in back-to-back years. This year’s field is expected to include 23 of the top 25 players int he World Golf Rankings.
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Golf Channel will provide live coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship this Thursday and Friday beginning at 1 p.m. ET on both days.
DAY | Golf Channel | NBC/Peacock |
Thursday | 1-7 p.m. | |
Friday | 1-7 p.m. | |
Saturday | 2-7 p.m. | |
Sunday | 1-6 p.m. | |
*All times ET |
Golf Channel Broadcast Team
Notable Players in the Field
LIVE FROM THE PLAYERS
Golf Channel’s coverage begins today at 3 p.m. ET with Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS and continues tonight at 7 p.m. ET, followed by full-day coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. ET. In total, Golf Channel will present roughly 50 hours of live studio coverage from alongside the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Rich Lerner anchors primetime Live From coverage each evening alongside analysts Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley. Smylie Kaufman will make his debut on the primetime edition of Live From beginning this Tuesday, contributing on-course segments throughout the week from TPC Sawgrass.
The newest edition of “The Tiger Effect – 30 Years of Influence” will premier Wednesday night, featuring Tiger Woods and Max Homa breaking down the most memorable shots of Woods’ career, including his famous “better than most” putt on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during the 2001 THE PLAYERS Championship.
This week’s comprehensive coverage will also include a local flavor with various vignettes and segments showcasing various locations within the Jacksonville area including the original island green at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, the seven bridges of Jacksonville, and Jacksonville’s iconic Baha cantina TacoLu.
Day | Live From THE PLAYERS |
Monday | 3-5 p.m. / 7-9 p.m. |
Tuesday | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. / 7-9 p.m. |
Wednesday | 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. / 6-9 p.m. |
Thursday | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. / 7-9 p.m. |
Friday | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. / 7-9 p.m. |
Saturday | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. / 7-9 p.m. |
Sunday | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. / 6-8 p.m. |
*All times ET |
Live From THE PLAYERS Broadcast Team
