Open is a prime-time event
On Sunday, give dad the remote
Open is a prime-time event

By Mel Bracht Comments 0
Published: June 13, 2008

For Father's Day weekend, NBC sportscaster Dan Hicks suggests that dad be allowed to watch the U.S. Open, which will be extending into prime time — 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday — on NBC for the first time. Torrey Pines Golf Course's location near the Pacific Coast makes the prime-time broadcasts possible.

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Phil Mickelson, left, and Tiger Woods wait to putt on the 12th green on Thursday. The two are paired for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, and NBC hopes the two fan favorites will be together in the final pairing. Associated Press

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"It's really a day to spend with your family, but I think this is a unique opportunity to do that,” Hicks said. "After you have given your dad that eighth straight striped tie, I think you should hand over the remote after dinner and just let him settle in and watch the U.S. Open going into prime time.”

If dad wants to be a real couch potato, he also can watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals from 8 to 10:30 p.m. on KOCO-5. But he should try to talk to his wife and the kids during commercials.

The prime-time broadcasts should boost NBC's ratings. The network also is hoping that fan favorites Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who are paired for the first two rounds, will be in the final pairing again for the final round.

"With Mickelson growing up just a few minutes away. I don't think there's any other major championship he wants to win more than this one,” Hicks said. "And the fact that he's paired with Tiger, who grew up 90 miles down the road ... I think it would be a pretty unbelievable scenario if on Father's Day those guys, in the late afternoon sun at Torrey Pines, were battling it out.”

Before the tournament, NBC analyst Johnny Miller predicted a golfer would need to post a 4-under to win the tournament.

"Guys like Phil and Tiger know the course so well, know every break on the green,” Miller said. "Somebody could even go lower than that because of the familiarity of the whole thing.”

Joining Hicks and Miller are tower reporters Gary Koch and Bob Murphy; on-course reporters Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing and Dottie Pepper and interviewer/essayist Jimmy Roberts. Bob Costas will contribute commentary and interview segments, and will be joined by Curtis Strange and Peter Jacobsen.

NBC will use 48 cameras — up from its normal 30 for golf coverage — including a "frog cam” on the 18th.

"If the ball just barely trickles off that green, it's going down to the water so we'll have good coverage of that,” producer Tommy Roy said. "If NASCAR has a gopher cam, I guess that's our ‘frog cam.'”