TV technicians walk out on Golf Channel broadcast
Tournaments in Hawaii, Bahamas, Florida affected.
Union workers for video and audio production at Golf Channel events walked out Sunday over stalled contract negotiations, leading to limited coverage of the final round at the Sony Open in Honolulu and two other events in the Bahamas and Florida.
Golf Channel said it has been negotiating an agreement for nine months with International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union for tournament technicians at golf tournaments, such as the camera crew.
The strike involves only tournaments that Golf Channel produces.
The network also produces the CareerBuilder Challenge, scheduled next week in Palm Desert, California. CBS Sports produces the following week at Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods plays on the PGA Tour for the first time in a year.
The video and audio crew had talked about walking out during the third round Saturday but held back for another meeting, now set for Tuesday.
Sony Open: Tom Hoge was at 16-under 194 after the third round Saturday, one shot ahead of Brian Harman (68) and Patton Kizzire (64).
Diamond Resorts Invitational: Scott Parel beat fellow PGA Tour Champions player Scott Dunlap on the first hole of a playoff to complete a wire-to-wire victory.
The 52-year-old Parel won the 32-player professional division with a par on the extra hole, the 203-yard 18th at Tranquilo Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. Dunlap hit a fat shot short into water and made a double bogey.
Parel and Dunlap finished with 93 points in the 54-hole Modified Stableford event. John Daly was third with 88 points.
Five-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson, playing from the same tees as the men, was seventh with 80 points. Former tennis player Mardy Fish won the 52-man celebrity division for the second time in three years, finishing with 75 points.
European Tour: With his wife Keri as his caddie, Chris Paisley beat the challenge of home favorite Branden Grace to win the South African Open by three shots and claim his first European Tour title.
Ahead by one overnight, Paisley increased the gap at the top with a final-round 6-under 66 at Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg to finish at 21-under 267.
Chase Koepka, the younger brother of U.S. Open champion Brooks, finished with a 71 for 13-under 275 overall and in a tie for seventh.