On-Air Talent:
Tom Abbott, Golf Central Reporter
Tom is a reporter and anchor for Golf Central, and host to the network's live European Tour coverage. Tom is also a regular host of Golf Central Updates and the voice behind the Top 10 shows, in addition to hosting a number of specials throughout the year. A contributor to Golfchannel.com, Tom files a bi-weekly column for the Web site focusing on the European golf scene. Tom also works closely with Golf Channel corporate clients, hosting golf clinics, company days and speaking at dinners throughout the year.
Tom joined Golf Channel in November 2005 and served as the main presenter for the network's UK channel for two years. Prior to Golf Channel, he was a presenter for WCAV-TV, where he helped to create CBS-19 News in Charlottesville, Va. He also spent time in Atlanta with WGCL-TV, and in Macon with WPGA-TV. Tom earned a golf scholarship to Mercer University in Macon Ga., where he graduated with a degree in Media and Business. Prior to his time in the United States, he was a talented amateur golfer representing Surrey and England Schoolboys.
Adam Barr, What's in the Bag/Golf Central/PGA Tour Reporter
Adam Barr delves into the world of golf equipment as a reporter and analyst for Golf Central and the host of What’s In The Bag?, a weekly show devoted to everything about the tools of the game. He also serves as a correspondent on PGA Tour telecast and as the network’s senior correspondent for business and legal issues, as Barr practiced law for six years before switching to golf. Shortly after joining Golf Channel in 1997, Barr covered the Casey Martin golf cart case from it's inception in Oregon to the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Barr grew up in Pittsburgh during the best sports years (two World Series and four Super Bowls), and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Duquesne University School of Law. He lives near Orlando with his wife and son.
Casey Bierer, Reporter
Casey Bierer brings nearly 20 years of television experience to the Golf Channel. Bierer began his career in Los Angeles in the mailroom of APA, one of Hollywood’s oldest and largest full-service talent agencies. He was quickly promoted to the position of television literary agent. Bierer later worked for Imagine Films (Ron Howard and Brian Grazer) as a feature film development executive. He then returned to the agency business and Stone Manners where he headed the literary department before launching his own successful Los Angeles-based management and production company.
In 2004, Bierer began his stint at the Golf Channel producing the viewer favorite series “What’s in the Bag?” In 2005, he was tabbed as Golf Channel’s second staff on-air business reporter. His on-air role has steadily expanded to include various studio work, live tournament responsibilities, and host duties for specials and Original Production series.
Bierer lived in Livingston, New Jersey until the age of eleven before moving to Walpole, New Hampshire. At Vermont Academy, a prep school for boys, he excelled in academics and sports. Bierer majored in physical therapy and sports medicine at Boston University. He enjoys spending time at the family home in Pinehurst, North Carolina. His loyal dog Tucker is never far from his side.
Steve Burkowski, Reporter/Producer
Steve Burkowski was born May 24, 1972 in New York, New York and graduated from the University of Florida in 1994. In 2000, Steve joined the Golf Channel as a Production Assistant on Golf Central, where he cultivated the college golf coverage until the birth of College Central.
Prior to joining the Golf Channel, Steve worked in Columbia, South Carolina at WVOC and Sports radio 1400, where he served in many capacities. He covered the Masters, was the voice of Lady Gamecock basketball, host of "The Wake-Up" and "The Cheap Seats" and was co-host of the local pre-game football and pre-game basketball shows for the University of South Carolina. Burkowski plays to a 5 handicap and offers this as a tip when you play golf, "turn your mind off to turn your game on."
Curt Byrum, Analyst
Former PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour player, Curt Byrum is a member of the Golf Channel’s tournament team, handling analyst duties for Nationwide Tour and select PGA Tour events. Prior to the network, Byrum competed for more than 15 years on the PGA Tour, highlighted by a 1989 Hardee’s Classic victory. His brother Tom also won the same year on Tour at the Kemper Open. Byrum was an All-American in New Mexico. As a member of the Nike Tour (now the Nationwide Tour) he earned victories at the 1999 NIKE South Florida Classic and the 1993 White Rose Classic.
Mark Cannizzaro, Grey Goose 19th Hole Analyst
Mark Cannizzaro has covered golf for the New York Post since 1993, writing game stories, columns and long-form features. He's covered seven Ryder Cups, and more than 45 majors for the Post. He is also the Post's New York Jets beat writer and covers a number of other sports, including NCAA basketball tournament. In addition to his Post duties, Cannizzaro is a regular contributor for ESPN's First Take and ESPN News and is the U.S. columnist for Golf World UK. A graduate of Ithaca College where he played soccer and tennis, Cannizzaro didn't develop his passion for golf until after college. A 12 handicap, he never travels without his clubs and lives in Highlands, N.J. and Manhattan with his wife, Carolyn.
Donna Caponi-Byrnes, On-Course Reporter/LPGA/Champions Tour
Donna Caponi-Byrnes is an on-course reporter for the Golf Channel's coverage of the Champions Tour, and also serves as an analyst for select LPGA Tour broadcasts. Caponi-Byrnes’ expertise as a player comes from 25 years on the LPGA (1965-1989 tour). Winner of 24 LPGA events, including victories at the 1969 and 1970 U.S. Women’s Open, the 1978 Peter Jackson Classic (when it was an LPGA major), the 1979 and 1981 LPGA Championships and the 1979 Dinah Shore, Caponi-Byrnes was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. She was named by GOLF Magazine as one of the “100 Heroes of the First Century” and serves as a PGA professional at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., home of the LPGA’s Nabisco Championship. Caponi-Byrnes’ past television credits include work on ESPN, NBC, CBS and TBS.
Vince Cellini, Golf Central Host/Grey Goose 19th Hole Host
Vince Cellini joined the Golf Channel in 2003 after an award-winning stint as anchor for CNN sports and various other Turner networks. Cellini currently is the host of Golf Central. In his Golf Channel career, his duties have included The Grey Goose 19th Hole, Big Break, The Big Break All-Star Challenge shows and special field assignments, including serving as host of Natural Golf Makeover Challenge. He's also hosted Top Shelf Wednesday and Golf Central Prime Time.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Cellini began his sports broadcasting career at WJW-TV, where he was a three-time regional Emmy Award nominee for sports reporting. He joined CNN in 1989, where he won a 1996 Cable Ace Award for his work on CNN Sports Tonight and was a two-time nominee (1995 and ’97). He was also elected to the Ohio Radio Television Hall of Fame in 2000. It was on CNN that Cellini was co-anchoring with Carol Lin when the September 11th attacks began, making him a prime player in a pivotal moment of history. Cellini attended the College of Wooster where he was a four-year letterman as a tight end setting records including most receiving touchdowns in a career. Cellini and his wife Lisa have three children, Vincent, Adam, Alex and a Jack Russell terrier named Jake.
Brandel Chamblee, Analyst
As an analyst for the Golf Channel in 2004, Brandel Chamblee made a full-time transition from playing on the PGA Tour – where he won the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open – to the broadcast booth. An All-American at the University of Texas, his career highlights include sharing the first-round lead at the Masters in 1999 and finishing among the Top-100 on the Tour money list for the sixth straight year in 2000. Chamblee is a contributing analyst for the Golf Channel’s Sprint Pre/Post Game and Live From… telecasts.
Kay Cockerill, On-Course Reporter/LPGA/Champions Tour
A two-time All-American at UCLA and the 1986 and 1987 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, Kay Cockerill is an on-course reporter for the Golf Channel’s live tournament coverage of the LPGA and Nationwide Tour. She's been with the Golf Channel since its inception and her experience on the course comes from her strong knowledge of the game, as she played the LPGA tour from 1988 – 97.
Cockerill received the 1992 Budget Service Award and 1993 “Good Sport Award” from Sports Illustrated for Kids for her outstanding community service and dedication to golf. Cockerill, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.
Beth Daniel, Analyst
Beth Daniel was the leading money winner on the LPGA in 1980, 1981 and 1990 and finished in the top ten on the money list twelve times between 1980 and 2003. In 1990 she was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.
When she won the 2003 BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open at age 46, she became the oldest winner of an LPGA Tour event. She's won 33 titles on the tour including one major, the 1990 LPGA Championship, and three runner-up finishes. She has played on eight Solheim Cup teams, in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2005 and was the assistant captain of the 2007 Solheim Cup team. In 2007, she joined the Golf Channel as a substitute analyst for LPGA Tournament coverage. Her first event was the 2007 Safeway Invitational.
Nick Faldo, PGA Tour Analyst
Nick Faldo serves as the lead analyst for the Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA Tour. He's one of golf’s most compelling personalities, both on and off the course, and is one of Europe’s most successful players ever. Faldo’s playing credentials include 42 worldwide victories – three Masters, three Open Championship titles and eleven Ryder Cup appearances – and he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1997. He topped the Official World Golf Rankings for a total of 98 weeks. His business interests are considerable, ranging from golf instruction schools, golf course design, hotels and restaurants and estate wines. His prior work as co-analyst for ABC Sports’ golf coverage garnered him critical acclaim.
Jerry Foltz, Nationwide Tour Host/PGA Tour On-Course Reporter
Jerry Foltz is the Golf Channel’S host for Nationwide Tour broadcast, as well as serving as an on-course reporter for select PGA Tour events. A professional golfer since 1986, Foltz brings his expertise from the player’s perspective to the network’s viewers as he follows the players on the course. Foltz’s career accomplishments include his victory at the 1995 NIKE South Carolina Classic, a win at the 1994 Taco Bell Newport Classic, runner-up status at the 1991 Ben Hogan Pensacola and Elizabethtown Opens and seven career holes-in-one.
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Foltz was an All PAC-10 selection in 1985 and winner of the 1989 Arizona Amateur Championship. Foltz lives by the words “Golf is an art, not a science.” He and his wife have one son, Jackson.
Inga Hammond, Reporter Golf Central/PGA Tour
Respected sports journalist Inga Hammond joined the Golf Channel in 2007 and can be seen as an anchor and reporter for Golf Central and serving as a correspondent for PGA Tour telecast. Hammond spent the last three years as a reporter and anchor for USA Network's PGA Tour Sunday. Her resume includes hosting NBC’s Olympic coverage on Bravo during the 2004 Athens games and working as an anchor and reporter for FOX Sports in Los Angeles since 2002. Prior to that stint, she worked as an anchor and reporter for CNN Sports and CNN/Sports Illustrated, beginning in 1996.Hammond started her sports career in 1995 at KNXV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix, Ariz. Other credits include working as a news anchor and reporter at the CBS affiliate in Seattle, Wash. the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis, Minn. and the ABC affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. A graduate of Indiana University, Hammond received a degree in journalism and political science.
Brian Hammons, Host Champions Tour
One of the original Golf Channel on-air personalities, Brian Hammons is the voice for the network’s LPGA Tour coverage as well as the Champions Tour. He joined the Golf Channel from WXIN-TV (FOX) in Indianapolis, Ind., where he served as the weeknight sports anchor for the station’s nightly newscasts. His duties included serving as studio host of Indiana Pacers telecasts (pregame, halftime and postgame shows) while also anchoring “Sportsview,” the station’s Sunday night sports highlight show. His resume also includes stints at ABC, ESPN, Prime and NBC Sports as a motorsports announcer. While here at the Golf Channel, Hammons starred as the original anchor of the networks award-winning news show Golf Central and currently does play-by-play for some of the PGA Tour events.
John Hawkins, Grey Goose 19th Hole Analyst
John Hawkins is a 12-year veteran at Golf World Magazine, having won numerous awards from the Golf Writers Association of America for his PGA Tout coverage. Prior to Golf World, he spent eight years as a general assignment writer and columnist for the Washington Times.
Brian Hewitt, GolfChannel.com Insider
Brian Hewitt joined the Golf Channel team in January of 2003 after six years of writing and reporting for Golfweek magazine. Before that he served as the golf writer for the Chicago Sun-Times. During his time at Golfweek Hewitt brought his insightful perspective to Golf Channel viewers as a frequent guest on Viewer’s Forum. Hewitt serves as a Golf Channel insider for Golf Central and writes three columns a week for GolfChannel.com. His weekly segment “From The Tips,” delivering behind-the-scenes reports from the PGA Tour and others areas in the world of golf appears on Wednesday’s Golf Central.
Kraig Kann, Host Sprint Pre/Post Game/The Approach with Callaway Golf
One of the Golf Channel’s originals, Kraig Kann has been a part of the on-air talent team since 1995. He currently hosts the Sprint Pre/Post Game show Thursday through Sunday “quarterbacking” a team of analysts in a lively breakdown of the day’s tour events. You’ll also see him at golf’s major championships as one of the network’s hosts on Live From…. This is his second stint as host of the Sprint Pre/Post Game after spending 2006 as primary anchor of Golf Central. He also is the host of The Approach with Calloway Golf. Known for his versatility during his 12 years at the Golf Channel, Kann has hosted virtually every show on the network. He’s served as host of Academy Live, Golf Talk Live and Leaderboard Report as well as handled the play-by-play for the Golf Channel’s domestic PGA, Tour, LPGA, Nationwide and Canadian Tour events.
A Chicago area native, Kann’s prior stints include television stops in Kalamazoo, Mich., Fort Myers, Fla., Columbus, Ga., and Columbia, Mo. Kann is a 1988 graduate of the University of Missouri. He and wife Kimberly reside in Windermere, Fla., with their three children.
Rich Lerner, Reporter/PGA Tour/Golf Central
Since 1997, Rich Lerner has been a mainstay at the Golf Channel where his distinctive essays have punctuated coverage of golf’s major championships and the Ryder Cup. Lerner can be seen conducting player interviews and delivering his signature essays to doing play-by-play commentary for select PGA Tour tournaments and serving as show host. Referred to by golf writer Lorne Rubenstein as “an essayist and reporter of distinction,” Lerner was honored with the Women’s Sports Foundation Journalism Award for his documentary, Se Ri Pak, A Champions Journey. His work also helped the Golf Channel land a Cable Ace Award. From Tiger Woods: Millennium Man to Courage on the Fairways to New York Stories, Lerner has brought a number of in-depth specials to the Golf Channel. In his series, Golf Chronicles, Lerner delves into a variety of subjects, including the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the 1986 Masters, Annika Sorenstam and the youthful wave on the LPGA Tour.
Rich earned a degree in broadcasting from Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition, he received The Hands of Peace Award for his continuing efforts to curb violence against women and children in his hometown of Orlando, Fla. Lerner and his wife, Robin, have two sons, Jesse and Jack.
Todd Lewis, Reporter/Golf Central
An avid golfer with a single-digit handicap, Lewis brings more than 15 years of sports broadcasting and journalism experience to the GOLF CHANNEL. Lewis was an eight-year member of the on-air team at CBS affiliate WKMG in Orlando, most recently as sports director. Lewis also worked for Orlando-based Sun Sports cable television network, serving as a reporter for the Florida Gators football pre and post game shows and host for the Summertime Golf Show, a weekly 30-minute golf travel show.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Lewis’ broadcasting career began in 1991 in Winston-Salem, N.C. as a sports reporter for independent WXII. He then joined NBC affiliate WECT in Wilmington, N.C., as a sports anchor and reporter, producing and anchoring the weekend sportscasts, where he received Associated Press Best Sports Feature award in 1995.
His next career move took him to Spokane, Wash., at ABC affiliate KXLY as weekend sports anchor. Lewis returned to his home state of North Carolina in 1998 as weekend sports anchor for CBS affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, before moving to Orlando and WKMG in 1999.
Mark Lye, Analyst
Mark Lye is back in the announcer’s booth as an analyst for select Champions Tour events. When not in the booth, he serves as an on-course reporter and plays in several events. Lye also brings his expertise to PGA TOUR telecasts, Sprint Post Game and Golf Central. Most recently, he was inducted into the California Golf Writers Hall of Fame along with the likes of Phil Rodgers and Tiger Woods in February 2007. Lye has been with the GOLF CHANNEL since its launch in January 1995.
Andrew Magee, Analyst/Approach with Callaway Golf/Big Break Ka'anapali
The Paradise Valley, Ariz. resident joined Golf Channel in 2007 as an analyst for The Approach with Callaway Golf and for the Sprint Pre/Post-Game shows. He is also the co-host with Stina Steinberg for Big Break Ka'anapali.
A four-time winner on the PGA Tour, Magee’s first victory came in 1988 at the Pensacola Open. In 1991, he won two events and was awarded Golf Digest's Most Improved Golfer Award. His most recent win was the 1994 Northern Telecom Open.
Born in Paris, France, where his father was working at the time as a geologist for Mobile Oil, Magee is the only golfer in PGA Tour history to record a hole-in-one on a par-4 hole during a Tour event. He did this with a driver at the 332-yard 17th hole of the 2001 Phoenix Open when his ball caromed off Tom Byrum's putter on its way to the bottom of the cup. Byrum, in the group ahead, was squatting down looking over a putt.
In February 2006, Magee underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his left kidney at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The operation was successful and he was out playing on the TOUR in April.
Along with professional golfers Scott Verplank and Bran Watts, Magee runs ClubCorp Pro-Am in Dallas to benefit health clinics at his former junior high school. He received the 1999 Southern Company Citizens Award for his work with charities. In addition, Magee and CBS sports analyst Gary McCord organized the Santa Claus Classic, a charity event in the Phoenix area that buys and delivers toys to needy children.
John Mahaffey, On Course Reporter/Champions Tour
Texas native John Mahaffey serves as an on-course reporter for Champions Tour telecasts on the Golf Channel. He joined the Champions Tour as a player in 1998 after a lengthy career on the PGA Tour, where he collected 10 victories, including the 1978 PGA Championship and the 1986 Players Championship. His lone victory on the Champions Tour was the 1999 Southwestern Bell Dominion, which was played in San Antonio, Texas, 14 years after he won the Texas Open in the same city on the PGA TOUR. Mahaffey started reporting for the Golf Channel in 2004, and he continues to split time competing in and reporting for Champions Tour events. He is known for his comic impersonations of other tour players; in fact, his imitation of Chi Chi Rodriguez's voice was thought to be even better than the real thing.
Dave Marr III, Host/Reporter Champions Tour
David Marr III serves as the main interviewer for the Golf Channel's Champions Tour coverage and hosts Champions Tour Learning Center, a weekly, 30-minute show dedicated to game improvement and featuring a variety of players currently competing on the Champions Tour. He also reports for Golf Central from the Champions Tour majors and provides historical perspective during the network’s coverage of major championships. He made his debut with the Golf Channel as its Golf Central Updates anchor, anchored Golf Central and hosted Golf Talk, The Grey Goose 19th Hole, Golf Academy, Leaderboard Report, and Drive, Chip and Putt as well as other shows.
Marr served as a commentator for WHDH-TV (NBC, Boston) during the 1999 Ryder Cup Matches. He is the son of 1965 PGA Championship winner, 1965 Ryder Cup player and 1981 Ryder Cup Captain Dave Marr. A New York City native, Marr III is a graduate of Bucknell University.
Alex Miceli, Analyst/Approach with Callaway Golf
The “Stat Man” on Golf Channel's topical talk show The Approach with Callaway Golf, journalist and television personality Alex Miceli has been involved in golf since founding golf.com in 1993. In 2000, Miceli founded the Golf Press Association (GPA), an independent golf news service that provides golf content to newspapers, magazines and web sites and is its President & Publisher.
Since starting GPA, Miceli has written for numerous, newspapers, magazines and web sites and is currently a contributing writer for Golfweek magizine.
A graduate of Southern Illinois University and University of Baltimore Law School, Miceli is a native of Chicago and resides in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Roberta and teenage daughters Katherine and Alexandra.
Frank Nobilo, Analyst
A New Zealander whose playing career was cut short due to injuries, Frank Nobilo serves as an analyst for select PGA TOUR events, while also contributing as lead analyst for the network’s Champions Tour telecasts, and in the studio shows. A veteran of several professional golf tours worldwide, Nobilo won the PGA Tour's 1998 Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic, two Sarazen World Opens and 14 wins worldwide. He played numerous World and Dunhill cups for his native New Zealand and was also a three-time member of the International Presidents Cup team. When he is not working, Nobilo enjoys Formula 1 motor racing, home improvements and photography. He and his wife Selena have a teenage daughter, Bianca.
Peter Oosterhuis, Analyst/Host/Tournament Coverage
Peter Oosterhuis is recognized as one of golf’s best commentators and a Golf Channel mainstay by donning several hats in 2008, including tower analyst for PGA Tour coverage and supporting the network’s ample offering of studio shows surrounding its golf coverage. In addition, he serves as a contributing analyst for the Sprint Post Game and Live From… telecasts. Oosterhuis competed for the Europeans in six consecutive Ryder Cup competitions from 1971-81, and shares the record for most wins in singles – six – with Nick Faldo. A former player on the European and PGA Tour, Oosterhuis garnered more than 20 victories worldwide. He was runner-up in the 1974 and 1982 Open Championships, and led the European Tour Order of Merit for four consecutive years (1971-74) – a record that stood until Colin Montgomerie’s fantastic stretch between 1993-97.
Iain Page, Golf Central Reporter
Iain Page joined the Golf Channel in 2004 and serves as a host and reporter for Golf Central, the network’s nightly news program. An avid golfer with an eight handicap, Page brings more than 10 years of broadcasting experience to the Golf Channel. In his Golf Channel career, in addition to his duties with Golf Central, he has hosted the Grey Goose 19th Hole, the Approach with Callaway Golf, Bank of America Leaderboard Report, and Golf Central Updates. Page is also an accomplished reporter and has reported from over 30 PGA Tour events.
Page practiced law for six years before pursuing his dream of becoming a television sportscaster. Following a stint as a local sports anchor at WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, Page joined ESPN in 1996. While at ESPN from 1996 to 2000 Page hosted SportsCenter, that network’s flagship news program, ESPNews the network’s 24 hour sports news network, NBA 2 Night and was a play by play announcer for college basketball. During his time at ESPN Page was also a regular contributor to ABC World News Now.
Page holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University as well as a law degree from George Washington University. Page and his wife, Veda, live in Windermere, Florida with their three sons (triplets) Khalid, Aidan and Dillon.
Dottie Pepper, On Course Reporter/Tournament Coverage
A member of the Golf Channel team since 2005, Dottie Pepper serves as the lead analyst for the network's LPGA telecasts, and serves as an on-course reporter for a select number of PGA Tour events. She also continues to contribute to studio-based shows, including Golf Central and Sprint Post Game. During her 17 year professional career Pepper has recorded 17 victories, including two major championships, and was a member of six Solheim Cup teams, where her patriotism and passion for the event were renowned.
Her most successful year was 1992 while winning four times and leading the tour in scoring average and winnings. She was named Rolex Player of the Year, won the Vare Trophy and the Golf Writers Association of America’s Female Player of the Year award. In 2000, she was recognized during the LPGA’s 50th Anniversary as one of the LPGA’s top-50 players and teachers.
Mike Ritz, Reporter/Tournament Coverage/Golf Central
Mike Ritz is the first reporter hired by the Golf Channel and joined Brian Hammons and Kraig Kahn as one of only three original Golf Channel on-air personalities still with the team. Through the years, Ritz has covered every Tour extensively and has taken on a variety of jobs. His main duties have been as a reporter and anchor for Golf Central; while he's also hosted Academy Live, dozens of Golf Channel specials and has worked on our live tournament coverage as both the play-by-play host and player-interviewer.
He earned his Bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin and his Master's at the top journalism school, Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Mike was a walk-on member of the Wisconsin golf team — qualifying and playing his junior and senior years for the Badgers. He currently plays to a 2 handicap.
Before obtaining his dream job at the Golf Channel, Mike worked as a reporter at several local television stations in three of the largest markets in the country: Los Angeles, Dallas and Washington, D.C. While working in Washington he covered The White House, as well as the Redskins. Mike's a D.C. native, growing up in the Maryland suburbs.
Mark Rolfing, On Course Reporter/Host/Tournament Coverage
Mark Rolfing, who made a popular debut as guest host of Golf Talk in 2002 with Johnny Miller, appears as a contributing analyst for the Sprint Post Game in addition to being a part of the Golf Channel's live PGA Tour and Champions Tour coverage in Hawaii. A television professional with more than 20 years of experience as a reporter, commentator and host for such networks as NBC, ESPN, ABC and CNBC, Rolfing’s easy-going personality and knowledge of the game has paid dividends during interviews with many of golf’s biggest stars. Rolfing is also the host of Golf Hawaii, a magazine-style series that has appeared on the Golf Channel 12 weeks a year since 1998. Rolfing is a member of the DePauw University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame.
Tim Rosaforte, Golf Channel Insider
Tim Rosaforte joined USA Sports in November 2002 as a contributing analyst for USA's Sunday morning golf program, PGA Tour Sunday. Rosaforte lends an insider's look into the PGA Tour and its players and is no stranger to television, having served as a frequent contributor to the Golf Channel and as a past president of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA).
The veteran golf writer and senior writer for Golf World has covered every one of golf's major championships and every Ryder Cup since the early 1980s. His television credits include commentary on Inside the PGA Tour, co-hosting The PGA Tour Florida Style, reports on the Golf Channel's Golf Central, and serves as analyst on other studio shows.
Rosaforte has been honored 30 times with writing awards during his 20-year career, including first place in the GWAA's magazine Feature and Column categories. He is also the author of three books: Raising the Bar: The Championship Years of Tiger Woods, Heartbreak Hill: The Anatomy of a Ryder Cup, and Tiger Woods: The Making of a Champion. He also has covered golf for Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Golf Illustrated, and Links magazines, as well as several Florida newspapers.
Rosaforte was born on October 25, 1955 in Mount Kisco, New York and attended the University of Rhode Island, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism. He resides in Jupiter, Florida with his wife, Genevive, and two daughters, Genna and Molly.
Steve Sands, Reporter/Golf Central/Tournament Coverage
Steve Sands brought nearly a decade of sports broadcasting experience with him when he joined the network in 2001. Steve hosts Golf Central and Sprint Pre/Post Game from the studio and on site at PGA Tour events. He also handles interviews on live PGA Tour broadcasts and reports from PGA Tour events. Since 2004 he has hosted Golf Channel’s Masters coverage from Augusta National Golf Club. He has also hosted, and reported from, all 3 other major championships, as well as THE PLAYERS and Ryder Cup. Steve graduated from Colorado State University where he holds a degree in Technical Journalism. He began his career as a sports anchor and reporter at a cable television station in Ft. Collins, CO while still in school. A native of Washington, D.C., Steve is a passionate sports fan who loves all of his hometown teams.
Brandi Seymour, Reporter/Tournament Coverage
Brandi Seymour joined Golf Channel in 2002. Prior to joining the network, she worked for Leeza Gibbons, entertainment PR and advertising. Currently, Seymour can be seen hosting features and conducting post-round interviews during live Nationwide Tour telecasts. Her Golf Channel career began behind the camera as an associate producer before transitioning to on-air. It would eventually include LPGA, Nationwide and PGA Tour Q-school coverage. Seymour’s love of golf began in Los Angeles where she played on the men’s golf team at Bishop Montgomery high school. Her efforts there, led to a college golf scholarship to Oregon State University, where she played on the Women’s golf team for four years. When she’s not covering or playing golf, Seymour enjoys travel, design, dance, history and philanthropy.
Val Skinner, Reporter/Tournament Coverage
Val Skinner (born June 24, 1960) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. Skinner was born in Bay Head, New Jersey. She was the 1974 Nebraska Junior Girls champion and the 1976 Nebraska High School State champion and won both these titles in 1978. She was also the 1980 Nebraska Match Play champion. She played her collegiate golf at Oklahoma State University where she was 1980 and 1982 Big Eight champion and the 1982 Big Eight Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.
She began her professional career on the Women Professional Golfers’ European Tour (WPGET) as the Ladies European Tour was known at the time and had four wins. She gained exempt status for the LPGA Tour in 1983 by finishing tied for third at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She has six LPGA career victories and was a member of the 1996 U.S. Solheim Cup team and Captain of the 2003 U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup team.
Stina Sternberg, Co-Host Big Break Ka'anapali
Co-hosting her first Big Break, Golf For Women Senior Editor Stina Sternberg, who joined the magazine in 2000 after a one-year stint as assistant editor of Golf Digest Woman, is a former teaching pro and professional club fitter. A 2001 recipient of the International Network of Golf’s Equipment Writing Award, Sternberg heads up GFW’s instruction and equipment coverage and writes the popular “Glad You Asked” advice column. In 2004, she hosted “Two Days in Paradise,” a monthly travel segment on USA Network’s PGA TOUR Sunday. Currently, she serves as host for the Golf Channel's Golf With Style: Global Challenge, the cable network’s in-depth tour of the world’s most luxurious and glamorous destinations, and was a panelist on Fore Inventors Only.
Prior to entering the publishing industry, Sternberg was owner and head golf professional of the Great Golf Pro Shop and Indoor Teaching Center in Westport, Conn., where she personally conducted more than 600 lessons a year. Simultaneously, she was the co-owner and pro shop director of Sisjo Golf Club in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In 1993, Sternberg spent a year as host and field reporter for the Sportnytt sports show on Swedish Network Television in Stockholm, Sweden. In the years following, she moonlighted as a freelance New York correspondent for Swedish television and radio, reporting on American sports and entertainment news and hosting a weekly radio segment called “Stina’s Report from New York.”
Sternberg was a member of the PGA of Sweden’s teaching division from 1996 to 2000. She began playing golf at the age of 7 and entered the golf industry as a 14-year-old, repairing golf clubs in pro shops on weekends and holidays.
Kelly Tilghman, Host/PGA Tour Coverage
Kelly Tilghman, the first full-time female play-by-play commentator in the history of the PGA Tour, has been one of the Golf Channel's most versatile on-air personalities. In 2008, she began her collaboration with lead analyst Nick Faldo to form the lead broadcast team for the majority of the network’s PGA TOUR telecasts. One of the original cast, Tilghman formerly served in such roles as co-anchor for Golf Central, host of Sprint Post Game and Live From … telecasts, as well as a variety of Golf Channel original programs, including Academy Live and The Grey Goose 19th Hole. Tilghman’s early duties included serving as an on-course reporter for the network’s live tournament team. From 1992-96, Tilghman played professional golf in Australia, Europe and Asia, and also served as a teaching and touring pro.
Tilghman grew up in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., where her family owned and operated a golf course for 22 years. She earned a scholarship to play on Duke University’s women’s golf team, where she won the 1990 Lady Paladin Invitational hosted by Furman University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.
Ted Tryba, Analyst/Golf Central/Sprint Pre/Post Game
Ted Tryba, born January 15, 1967 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, has two victories on the PGA Tour. His best finish in a major was a T-31 at the 1999 PGA Championship. He also played the Nationwide Tour during his career. Ted has been featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. An Orlando resident, Tryba joined the Golf Channel team as an analyst in October 2007.
