NBC is hoping for a rerun of its smashing evening ratings from the 2008 U.S. Open, which Tiger Woods won in dramatic fashion at Torrey Pines. The network will aim to air a portion of its weekend 2010 Open coverage from Pebble Beach in prime time (7-10 p.m. Eastern), including the Sunday finish. As reported by Jon Show of SportsBusiness Journal, the network and the USGA "have also discussed moving coming U.S. Opens in the Pacific time zone to prime time in the East. That includes the '12 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco and the '15 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay outside Tacoma."

The news comes on the heels of the HSBC Champions tournament from Shangai, which Golf Channel featured in live telecasts that began at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and serendipitously featured among the contenders not only Woods but also wunderkind Rory McIlroy, a rebounding Ernie Els and a resurgent Phil Mickelson, who proved a wildly popular winner. Bet NBC would lock in that foursome for Pebble right now!