Golf Channel’s Coverage of The Open Drives Record Viewership and Builds Upon 5 Straight Quarters of Year-over-Year Growth

Golf Channel Digital Streamed 58 Million Minutes during The Open,  More Than Any Previous Quarter

The momentum Golf Channel has generated in 2016 continues with its most-watched July in the network’s 21-year history. July saw Golf Channel post its most-watched day ever and place as the No. 1 sports network during the network’s inaugural coverage of The Open, overall building upon five straight quarters of year-over-year growth. Ultimately, Golf Channel drew more than 16 million unique viewers in July (+17% vs. July ’15) – most-viewed month year-to-date – and had 17 programs average more than a half million viewers (+31% vs. July ’15, 116 programs +500k viewers YTD, +29% vs 2015 YTD). And Golf Channel continues to deliver the most-affluent audience in television in Total Day and Primetime, according to data released by The Nielsen Company.

COVINGTON, GA – the #1 ball-fitter in golf and a recognized industry innovator, announced today Angel Ilagan has joined the company and will assume the role of President and CEO.

Ilagan brings more than 30 years of experience as a strategic and results-oriented leader with a proven track record of developing and growing businesses. As President and CEO, he will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Bridgestone Golf's operations and growing its position in the marketplace. He will provide strategic leadership across all of the company's core business functions, including product planning, sales and marketing, customer operations, Bridgestone's industry-leading golf equipment production and more.

"I'm honored to join a category leader like Bridgestone Golf and build upon the tremendous affinity that customers in the golf world have for our brand," said Ilagan. "Bridgestone Golf is uniquely positioned both in product and technology to capitalize on the continued evolution of the marketplace and I couldn't be more excited about what lies ahead. I look forward to building on the company's strengths in technology, research and development, and manufacturing while leveraging my consumer product experience to grow the business in exciting ways."

I've been tasked with the impossible: Ranking golf's 9 greatest achievements, in order. How do you even do that?

Who is this schmuck to decide which is better than the other when just about any one of us would dine on a haggis-only diet everyday for the rest of our lives to have accomplished just one of them?

With the realization that ranking these achievements in an order all of us could agree on, is nearly as difficult as reaching just one of the feats that follow. As I run to take cover, here goes nothing...

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The first Olympics in South America. The first time for golf in 112 years. So imagine the deep sense of honor for Adilson da Silva when the only Brazilian in the 60-man field was chosen to hit the first tee shot.

"One of the most special times in my life," he said.

The honor is not his alone.

Joining him on the first tee Thursday at Olympic Golf Course will be Andrew Edmondson, who has been part of da Silva's unlikely golf career for the better part of 30 years. Edmondson asked to be his caddie for the week, and both men could only smile at circumstances that led to this occasion.

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On Wednesday at the Billy Casper Pro-Member Tournament, four different golfers recorded holes-in-one, including two in the same grouping on the same hole.

Whenever you see a headline like this, you immediately do a double-take.

So let me try and put this into perspective.

The National Hole In One Association has been recording holes-in-one for over thirty years, and have determined the odds of players hitting one. Golf Digest simplified the information into a nice infographic, but here's what we learned.

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