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LPGA Announces 2004 Television Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 11, 2004 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has announced its 2004 television schedule for the first 25 events of the season, with 23 televised tournaments featuring more than 175 first-run hours of event coverage. The balance of the 2004 television schedule will be announced in the near future.

‘Our strong and diverse 2004 television schedule continues a trend of excellence and immense global reach for the LPGA Tour,’ said LPGA Commissioner Ty M. Votaw. ‘LPGA events will once again be made available to millions of LPGA fans across the globe, bringing the talents of our celebrity athletes to record numbers of viewers.’

The LPGA has seen immense growth in television viewership the past two seasons. Network household viewership rose 26 percent from 2001 to 2003, and viewership for the coveted 25-54 demographic jumped 42 percent over the same period. For cable television viewership, the LPGA saw a 19-percent increase in overall viewership from 2001-03, with viewership in the 25-54 demographic increasing by 37 percent.

‘We have seen considerable growth in television viewership since the first year of our strategic plan, which is on target with our plan’s goal of increasing our viewership numbers annually,’ said Votaw. ‘The sports marketplace is increasingly competitive, especially in regard to television exposure, so I am very pleased with our increasing numbers in that environment.’

Broadcast networks ABC, NBC and CBS will all feature LPGA events in 2004, with the majority of tournaments appearing on ESPN, ESPN2 and The Golf Channel, as well as TNT.

All four of the LPGA’s majors will be on network television for the fourth year in a row and will feature a combined 38.5 hours of coverage in 2004. The Kraft Nabisco Championship will have weekend coverage on ABC, while the McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola will have weekend coverage on CBS. The U.S. Women’s Open will once again be seen on NBC on the weekend, and the Weetabix Women’s British Open will have weekend coverage on ABC.

In addition to the considerable broadcast network coverage of the majors, ESPN2 will carry early round coverage of the Kraft Nabisco Championship and ESPN will show early round coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open, while The Golf Channel will carry early-round coverage of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola. For the second-straight year, TNT will air the first two rounds of the Weetabix Women’s British Open.

ESPN and ESPN2 are carrying the 11 State Farm LPGA Series events. Both ESPN and ESPN2 are seen in more than 80 percent of U.S. homes, representing more than 87 million subscribers each. LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) member Suzy Whaley, who competed in the PGA Tour’s Greater Hartford Open in 2003, has been added as a commentator for four ESPN telecasts in 2004, beginning with the Franklin American Mortgage Championship benefiting Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, May 13-16.

The Golf Channel, which is available in more than half the U.S. television households, representing nearly 60 million subscribers, will televise eight of the Tour’s first 25 events and an additional portion of the balance of the 2004 schedule. The Golf Channel has aired LPGA tournaments since the cable network was launched in 1995.

International distribution of LPGA telecasts has grown exponentially over the last few decades. In 2003, more than 187 million households were reached through international television distribution, compared to 23 million in 1996. In addition, more than 30 of the LPGA’s tournaments were televised internationally in 2003, up from just 12 in 1996.

Featuring the world’s best women golfers, the LPGA’s membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2004 features 33 events, with total prize money of more than $43 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $150 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world’s preeminent women’s professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working to increase the involvement of women and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.

For more details contact: Neal Reid, LPGA, 386-274-6200