Discovery Inc, the PGA TOUR and Channel Nine have announced that Nine will bring the 2019 Presidents Cup to life for viewers in Australia when International Team Captain Ernie Els and United States Team Captain Tiger Woods bring the unique team competition to Australia next year.
The broadcast agreement provides Nine with the free-to-air rights to more than 27 hours of live competition throughout the tournament.
Tom Malone, Nine’s Director of Sport, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Discovery and the PGA TOUR on this incredible event. It is golf’s ultimate test – America versus the rest of the world, where the prize money is pride and bragging rights. With Tiger and Ernie as captains, the stakes have never been higher, and you can guarantee the focus of the sporting world will be on Royal Melbourne.”
The 2019 Presidents Cup will bring the very best for fans interested in world-class team competition with the top 12 players from the United States taking on the top 12 from across the globe, excluding Europe. Australia will serve as the “home country” for the International Team. The return to Melbourne, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history it has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, as the event was previously held in Melbourne in 1998 and 2011 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Melbourne also holds the distinction as the site of the lone International Team’s victory in 1998, which saw Peter Thomson’s International Team defeat Jack Nicklaus’ U.S. Team, 20.5 to 11.5.
“The Presidents Cup is a showcase of everything that golf stands for from the thrilling competition, to the sportsmanship shown by the two teams to the charitable impact that will be created by the event for Australia and throughout the world,” said Matt Kamienski, executive director of the Presidents Cup. “Nine are perfect partners for our domestic programming to help us bring these elements of the event to life in front of the best sporting fans in the world.”
While golf fans can expect an incredible atmosphere and unmatched access to the competition, the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne will be a social, lifestyle and business gathering that will bring all backgrounds and interests together to enjoy a week-long festival atmosphere.
The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money. Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice. Since the event’s inception, more than $49.1 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a record charitable donation of $10.7 million from the 2017 event alone.
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club will host the evet on December 9-15, 2019.
