NBC, Golf Channel Use New Technology To Measure Wind At British Open

NBC and the Golf Channel are using ultrasound technology used by the British national sailing team to measure wind direction and speed as they cover the 2016 British Open — which begins Thursday at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland and ends Sunday– for the first time.

NBC, Golf Channel Use New Technology To Measure Wind At British Open

“We’ve been actually testing it all the way through our Florida and Texas events, and it went very well,” NBC lead golf producer Tommy Roy said in a conference call. “We have five wind detection devices spread out over the golf course. And actually, the technology, is from the British sailing team that’s going to be competing down in Rio where they detect their wind with ultrasound. So instead of an anemometer with a little cup spinning in a circle, they do it with ultrasound.”

The network is covering its first major since losing the U.S. Open to Fox, while the Golf Channel is airing its first major ever. NBC has 99 cameras at its disposal, and 11 cameras are stationed on the 123-yard eighth hole alone.

Former Open champions Johnny Miller (1976) and Nick Faldo (1987, 1990 and 1992) are serving as lead analysts with Miller working with Dan Hicks on NBC and Faldo joining Terry Gannon on the Golf Channel.

The analyst roster has been bolstered thanks to the recent additions of ESPN’s Mike Tirico and CBS’s David Feherty. 

The Golf Channel is providing coverage from 12:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, followed by “Golf Central Live” from 3 to 4 p.m. NBC will offer coverage from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

PHOTO: TROON, SCOTLAND – APRIL 21: The green on the par 3, 8th hole ‘The Postage Stamp’ with the par 4, 7th hole behind on the Old Course at Royal Troon venue for The Open Championship in 2016, on April 21, 2015 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)