Tuesday, April 17, 2018

1.2 Million Viewers Tuned into Shotmakers' Two-Night Premier on Golf Channel

Taking Place at Topgolf Las Vegas, Seven Teams Remain, Where Precision Shotmaking Meets Intense Strategy

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – Shotmakers, Golf Channel’s innovative new competition taking place at Topgolf Las Vegas, had 1.2 million viewers watch the network’s two-night premiere (Monday, April 9 and Tuesday, April 10). It also marked the youngest primetime audience for a premiere on the cable network since 2016, with more than 50% of the audience between the ages of 25-54, according to data released by the Nielsen Company.

Shotmakers continues tonight at 9 p.m. ET with seven teams remaining in the competition. Last week, Team Strikers (Robbie Biershenk/Victoria Lovelady) and Team Aces (Jamie Puterbaugh/Tisha Abrea) were the first two teams eliminated. One team will be eliminated both tonight and Tuesday.

Teams currently remaining in Shotmakers:

IMPACT, sponsored by CDW:
SUSANA BENAVIDES (27, Cochabamba, Bolivia) Professional golfer, only Bolivian-born golfer to compete on the LPGA Tour, former top-ranked amateur in South America.
TOMMY BIERSHENK (44, Greenville, S.C.) Former PGA TOUR professional, two-time All-American at Clemson University, golf course owner.

SHARKS, sponsored by Corona Premier:
TANIA TARE (29, Auckland, New Zealand) Professional golfer, trick-shot artist, record-holder for lowest single round while competing for Florida International University with a 63.
MAURICE ALLEN (36, Pine Hills, Fla.) Former World No. 1 World Long Drive competitor, 3-time World Long Drive winner, All-American at Florida A&M in track.

LIGHTNING, sponsored by MGM Grand:
KENZIE O’CONNELL (26, Denver, Colo.) Golf teaching instructor, Women With Drive ambassador.
CHAD PFEIFER (36, Caldwell, Idaho) Professional golfer, decorated U.S. Army Corporal (retired) who credits golf saving his life, two-time Warrior Open champion, amputee (lower leg).

SEEKERS, sponsored by Waste Management
CHRISTINA LECUYER (35, Conway, Ark.) Professional corporate/charity golf host and media personality, two-time All-American from the University of Central Arkansas, former professional golfer.
MATT COUSENS (26, London, England) PGA teaching professional, 2017 Topgolf Tour Championship runner-up with fellow Shotmakers competitor Brad Barnes.

WARRIORS, sponsored by Avis:
NIKKI BONDURA (25, Sacramento, Calif.) Golf lifestyle blogger, co-owner of Women With Drive.
BRAD BARNES (23, London, England) 2017 Topgolf Tour Championship runner-up with fellow Shotmakers competitor Matt Cousens.

RINGERS, sponsored by Massage Envy:
HAILEY OSTROM (24, Phoenix, Ariz.) Professional golfer currently competing on mini tours.
ANDREW BACHELDER (36, Fort Worth, Texas) 2015 Warrior Open champion, decorated U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant (retired) who credits golf with saving his life.

HAWKS, sponsored by Topgolf:
CHELSEA PEZZOLA (25, Scottsdale, Ariz.) Professional golfer, standout junior golfer at IMG Academy, two-time Academic All-Big Ten at University of Michigan.
PETER CAMPBELL (33, Carlsbad, Calif.) Former PGA TOUR professional, golf instructor, 2016-17 Topgolf Tour Championship finalist with fellow Shotmakers competitor Jamie Puterbaugh.

Shotmakers began with nine co-ed teams of two pairing up in head-to-head competitions that test precision, distance and control, all while facing intense pressure and strategic decision-making. The 18 competitors include a former PGA TOUR professional, mini-tour professional golfers, an Olympian, former collegiate athletes, a World Long Drive competitor, a trick-shot artist, decorated military veterans, and champions from the Topgolf Tour.

The competition utilizes Toptracer by Topgolf, the leading technology used on PGA TOUR televised broadcasts that immediately shows competitors their ball’s flight, speed, distance and curve on screen, as well as the games made popular at the 41 Topgolf venues around the world. Teams compete for cash and prizes in each competition and will be eliminated until one team is left standing as the champion of Shotmakers.

Shotmakers is co-hosted by 3-time college national player of the year Amanda Blumenherst and golf host Shane Bacon, along with Golf Channel reporter Chantel McCabe and social media correspondent Alexandra O’Laughlin. Shotmakers features seven rounds of competition airing two nights a week– Monday and Tuesday nights – at 9 p.m. ET, concluding Monday, April 30. The series also will be distributed across Golf Channel’s international platforms, airing in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Shotmakers Website / Team Stats: www.Shotmakers.com

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