NBC Sports making history with all-women broadcast team for ShopRite LPGA Classic

NBC Sports is making U.S. television history.

The network is utilizing an all-women broadcast team to call the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Golf Channel, starting on Oct. 1, at Seaview’s Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey.

Cara Banks is taking the play-by-play duties with Judy Rankin and Paige Mackenzie as analysts while Karen Stupples and Kay Cockerill are serving as on-course reporters. Longtime producer Beth Hutter, who has produced LPGA coverage for more than 15 years, is calling the shots behind the scenes.

On Thursday, in advance of the tournament Stupples and Banks were asked if they felt a sense of history surrounding the event.

“That’s an interesting question. I think for all of us, we all have been doing this for a long time,” Stupples said. “Like this isn’t our first rodeo in terms of broadcasting. We come here and we do a job, and we do it week in and week out to the best of our ability regardless.

“However, I do feel there’s a nice little special bond between all of us because we have this opportunity to do this. I feel like we’ve all worked together at various stages in various different positions, but much like we talked about the Solheim Cup and the Ryder Cup, we actually can come together as a team for this week and work at this together.

“I feel like that we have a nice little bond that will never be broken now because we have this, and this is a shared experience.”

Banks, meanwhile, admitted that she was feeling a little pressure

“I would say for me it probably feels a bit more historic than it does for everyone else, because it is my first time doing this role; whereas it could be another week for everyone else, but a bit different because we have this unique setup,” she said. “I’ll probably feel the pressure a little more than everyone else, and you know, it’s great to have some media coverage and attention and people wanting to give us some exposure for what we’re trying to do.

“I can’t speak to them, but that’s how I would expect it to feel between us.”

“We’re thrilled to assemble this incredibly accomplished group of women for our broadcast of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Golf Channel,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer for NBC Olympics and Golf Channel. “Our NBC Sports team features talented women at all levels – both on-camera and behind-the-scenes – who are essential to making our coverage a success on every platform, and we’re honored to celebrate their work as part of this broadcast.”

Earlier this year former Golf Channel employee Lisa Cornwell caused a stir when she aired out allegations of mistreatment by Golf Channel executives on the No Laying Up podcast, which led to a Washington Post report where women who worked at the network said sexism fuels a “boys’ club” culture.

In March of 2020 NBC Sports featured the first all-women broadcast for an NHL game. Earlier this year, Rene Hatlelid then became the first woman to produce the Indianapolis 500 on NBC. Lindsay Schanzer also became the first woman to produce a Triple Crown race, leading NBC Sports’ Preakness and Belmont Stakes productions on NBC.