ESPN Announces Extensive, Multi-Platform Coverage of the MASTERS TOURNAMENT

ESPN will provide extensive, multiplatform coverage of the Masters Tournament at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club, including live telecasts of the first two days of Tournament play and expansive news, information and analysis on television and digital outlets for the entire week of golf's first major of the season.

ESPN and ESPN DEPORTES will air 4.5 hours of live Round 1 and Round 2 action on Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8, from 3-7:30 p.m. ET with an edited encore presentation in prime time each night from 8-11 p.m. on ESPN.

ESPN also will air the traditional Masters Par 3 CONTEST on Wednesday, April 6, from 3-5 p.m. followed by a one-hour SPORTSCENTER at the Masters special at 5 p.m.

Prior to the live television windows Thursday and Friday, live updates from Augusta will air on SPORTSCENTER all morning and afternoon until coverage begins at 3 p.m. Thursday morning's ceremonial first tee shot with legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will air in the 8 a.m. hour of SportsCenter.

Mike Tirico will host ESPN's Thursday and Friday telecasts and will conduct player interviews from Augusta National's Butler Cabin. Tirico and ESPN golf analyst Curtis Strange will join CBS' golf announcer crew for the telecasts.

SportsCenter at the Masters ESPN's flagship news and information program SPORTSCENTER will feature live updates from Augusta National Golf Club throughout the Masters Tournament beginning the morning of Monday, April 4, and continuing through the end of the event on Sunday, April 10.

On the first day of competition, Thursday, April 7, SportsCenter:AM will have reports from Augusta in the 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. hours, then viewers will be brought up-to-date every 30 minutes on SPORTSCENTER with in-progress highlights, scores and interviews from 9 a.m. until ESPN's telecast of live play begins at 3 p.m. Live SPORTSCENTER updates also will air on Friday before the 3 p.m. television coverage begins.

A one-hour SPORTSCENTER at the Masters special will air Wednesday, April 6, at 5 p.m. on ESPN with a preview of the tournament. Host Scott Van Pelt will be joined by analysts Andy North and Dottie Pepper, and reporters Tom Rinaldi and Gene Wojciechowski. The SPORTSCENTER special follows ESPN's telecast of the Masters Par 3 Tournament from 3-5 p.m.

On Tuesday, April 5, SPORTSCENTER will air the news conferences of several prominent players live (schedule to be determined) and will report the first-round groupings as soon as they are announced.

Van Pelt, Mike Tirico and Matt Barrie will host SPORTSCENTER reports from the Masters with North, Strange, Pepper, Rinaldi and Wojciechowski.

Image courtesy of ESPN Press