Golf news: First event set for Fox; Begay recovering from heart attack; Big April for Golf Channel

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I know golf is being played somewhere. Just not in Chicago, where spring remains a rumor.

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Fox golf debut: We will get a sneak peak of how Fox Sports will cover golf with the the Franklin Templeton Shootout. Greg Norman’s tournament will air on Fox and Fox Sports 1 from Dec. 11-13.

Obviously with Norman’s new Fox connections, it was a natural that the event would land on the network. Norman will team with Joe Buck in the 18th tower. By then, we all will know how Fox will fill out the rest of its golf team.

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Begay recovering: Sorry to hear the news about Notah Begay, 41, who is recovering from a heart attack. According to a report at GolfChannel, Begay’s family has a history of heart disease.

Begay issued a statement: “I’m extremely grateful for the expert care I received from Dr. Jenkins and his staff,” Begay said. “I anticipate a full recovery and feel lucky to be at home resting with my family. I appreciate the outpouring of well wishes I’ve received from family, friends and fans and I will be back covering golf once I’m fully recovered.”

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Big month: Who needs Tiger? The official release:

Golf Channel scores most-watched April ever, continuing the viewership momentum built upon three consecutive years of record audience growth since becoming a part of the NBC Sports Group in 2011. For 24-hour Total Day (6AM-6AM), 130,000 average viewers per minute were tuned into Golf Channel in April, representing a 2% year-over-year increase compared to April 2013 (128,000), according to data released today by The Nielsen Company.

Golf Channel April Viewership Comparison:

2014                130,000

2013                128,000           +2%

2012                115,000           +14%

2011                101,000           +29%

2010                86,000             +51%

This record month is especially impressive given that April 2014 did not feature Tiger Woods competing at the Masters. Golf Channel’s Masters Week coverage remained the network’s most-watched week of 2014 (160,000) and was surrounded by an average of +30% increase in viewing for the three other weeks in April. Overall, 16.5 million unique viewers tuned into Golf Channel in April, which is a 7% increase over March (when Woods last played) and the most since August 2013 (16.9 million).