Golf Channel is an American cable television network of the NBC Sports Group that focuses on coverage of the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida. Golf Channel is available in the United States, Canada a few nations in Asia and Latin America through cable, satellite, and wireless transmissions. Worldwide, it is available in over 100 million households.

The network was launched on January 17, 1995. The idea of a 24-hour-a-day golf network came from media entrepreneur Joseph E. Gibbs of Birmingham, Alabama, who first thought of such a concept in 1991. Gibbs felt there was enough interest in golf among the public to support such a network, and commissioned a Gallup Poll to see if his instincts were correct. With the support of the polling behind him, Gibbs and legendary golfer Arnold Palmer then secured $80 million in financing to launch the network, which was among the first cable networks developed to cover one singular sport. The first live tournament the channel televised was the Dubai Desert Classic, held from January 19-22, 1995.

Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat.

Nicknamed "Zo", Mourning played at center. His tenacity on defense twice earned him NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and perennially placed him on the NBA All-Defensive Team. He made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant and later won his only NBA Championship with the Heat. He has also played for the Charlotte Hornets and New Jersey Nets. On March 30, 2009, Mourning became the first Miami Heat player to have his number retired.

During his time at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, he led the team to 51 straight victories and a state title his junior year (1987). As a senior he averaged 25 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocked shots a game. He was named Player of the Year by USA Today, Parade, Gatorade, and Naismith. Mourning played college basketball for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He led the nation in blocked shots his freshman year and was an All American his last year there.

Rory McIlroy, MBE (born 4 May 1989) is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He is formerly the World Number One. On 19 June 2011 he won the U.S. Open, setting a record score of 16-under-par on his way to an eight-shot victory. He has been cited as the most exciting young prospect in golf and having the potential to become one of the highest earners in sports in terms of endorsements.

McIlroy has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year he turned professional and soon established himself on the European Tour. He had his first win on the European Tour in 2009, and on the PGA Tour in 2010. He represented Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup.

McIlroy was born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. He is the only child of Gerry and Rosie (née McDonald) McIlroy; he attended St. Patrick's Primary School and then Sullivan Upper School.

Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. By winning a total of 18 career major championships while producing 19 second place and 9 third place finishes in major events on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years, he is widely regarded as the most accomplished professional golfer of all time. Nicklaus did not play that many tournaments because he wanted to focus on the Majors, but is still second on the PGA-tournament winning list, with 73 victories.

After winning two U.S. Amateurs in 1959 and 1961, and challenging for the 1960 U.S. Open, Nicklaus turned professional toward the end of 1961. The 1962 U.S. Open was both Nicklaus' first major championship victory and his first professional win. This win over Arnold Palmer began the on-course rivalry between the two. In 1966, Nicklaus won the Masters Tournament for the second year in a row, becoming the first golfer to achieve this, and also won The Open Championship, completing his career slam of major championships. At age 26, he became the youngest to do so at the time. In 1968 and 1969, Nicklaus did not win a major tournament. He then won another Open Championship in 1970.

Jamie Sadlowski (born July 7, 1988) is a Canadian professional long driver, golfer and ice hockey player from St. Paul, Alberta. One of the longest drivers in the world with a personal best of 445 yards, he won the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship successively in 2008 and 2009 and has competed in over hundred long driving events and demonstrations.

Sadlowski was born in St. Paul, Alberta on July 7, 1988, the son of a highway-repair man. Since his youth, Sadlowski has been a keen ice hockey player and competed for three years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and was defenseman and team captain for Bonnyville Pontiacs. He has two brothers; his brother Brandon is also a hockey player. He first entered a long drive competition in Edmonton at the age of 14, and claims to have been able to hit a ball over 400 yards at just 16. His father refers to him as a "freaky boy".

Sadlowski won the World Long Drive Junior Championships in 2005 and 2006. In the adult competition he has defeated rival and distance record holder Mike Dobbyn several times in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship finals in 2008 and 2009 but, unlike Dobbyn, is of average height and slight of build at 5'10" and 168 pounds. He won $250,000 for winning his first world title in 2008, and $150,000 defending it in 2009 during the economic difficulties. As of 2011 he has a personal best drive of 445 yards. He won the 2008 finals as number 1 seed against number 2 seed Dewald Gouws, with a drive of 418 yards, hitting 434 yards in an earlier round. He reached the semi finals in the 2010 championships but lost to eventual champion, England’s Joe Miller, with a best of 388 yards as compared to Miller's 396.