ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Big Break V: Hawaii champion Ashley Prange of Noblesville, Ind., will make her LPGA Tour debut next week in Portland, Ore., at the LPGA Safeway Classic, Aug. 18-20, televised exclusively on The Golf Channel. The cable network will air prime-time coverage of the Safeway Classic beginning Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
Prange, 24, captured The Big Break V Championship in May with a 5 and 4 victory over Jeanne Cho in the season finale to earn her a sponsor exemption to the 2006 Safeway Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland. Currently competing on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Prange stands fourth on the money list with two victories in 2006.
Brian Hammons and Dottie Pepper will serve as host and analyst of the telecast. LPGA Tour veterans Kay Cockerill and Rosie Jones will handle all of the action from the course, with Brandi Seymore conducting post – round interviews. Prime-time coverage of the Safeway Classic will air Friday – Sunday 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET.
The Golf Channel will update viewers on Prange’s week at the Safeway Classic beginning Thursday during the cable network’s Live >From the PGA Championship news program from Medinah CC. Live From the PGA Championship will air immediately following network coverage of the PGA Championship (8 p.m. ET Friday, 7 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday). Coverage of the Safeway Classic will follow Live From Friday – Sunday.
Prang will join a tournament field headlined by 10 of the top-15 money leaders on the 2006 LPGA ADT Money List, including defending champion Soo-Yun Kang and 2006 major champion winners Karrie Webb (Kraft Nabisco Championship) and Sherri Steinhauer (Weetabix Women’s British Open). Also returning to the Safeway Classic includes stars and veterans Juli Inkster, Pat Hurst, Natalie Gulbis, Mi Hyun Kim and Paula Creamer.
Others making their first visit to Columbia Edgewater CC include Morgan Pressel, 2005 United States Women’s Amateur champion Brittany Lange and rookie sensation Ai Miyazato.
With its sixth season scheduled to debut Sept. 26, The Big Break has been one of The Golf Channel’s most successful shows in the network’s 11-year history. The series features golfers putting it all on the line for a chance to play on some of the world’s top tours, such as the LPGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour, European Tour and Canadian Tour.
Cable television’s undisputed leader in live tournament coverage, The Golf Channel will continue to air a minimum of 10 official LPGA events each year through 2009, as well as carrying complete, shot-by-shot coverage of the 2007 and 2009 Solheim Cup match-play competitions.
Safeway Classic TV Times
Friday - Sunday 10 - 12 p.m. ET (TD)
Replays
Friday – Sunday 2:30 – 4 a.m. ET
For more information contact Jeremy Friedman at 407-355-4058,
or Mark Mitchell at 407-355-4063.
