As millions get ready to watch THE PLAYERS Championship on Peacock, highly trained professionals are working behind the scenes to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. The Comcast all-stars working at TPC Sawgrass include Johnny Betancourth, Shane Doolin-Junco, Kenneth Merritt and John Redenius. The team helped bring next-gen connectivity to the golf course by installing the sophisticated technology needed to power the Internet and bring the tournament to life.
THE PLAYERS Championship takes place March 12 to 17 in Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. 144 golfers will compete for the largest purse of any single professional golf tournament—a record $25 million. Comcast Business is a proud partner of the premier sporting event.
Betancourth and Merritt, both Comcast Business technicians, are part of the on-the ground team that laid fiber optics to every hole. They worked with partners and vendors to connect the course to high-speed Internet. The techs said it’s a career highlight to be part of the action. Merritt has been working on the project for the last five years.
“It’s a great honor to be able to do this. I’ve been able to work on THE PLAYERS Championship for quite a few years,” said Merritt. “It comes with its challenges, like hiding the cord properly and knowing it’s all temporary, but the payoff is so rewarding.”
This year marks the first time Betancourth is on the green. He said he’s just thrilled to be a part of the project and to learn the ropes from Merritt.
“I am so privileged to be part of this team this year,” said Betancourth. “My first year working THE PLAYERS Championship has been great. I’ve gotten exposure to things that we don’t normally do in our day-to-day work, and it’s been a great learning experience.”
These Comcast Business techs helped deploy an array of advanced connectivity solutions including a private wireless network, which offers wireless broadband speed and capacity with reliability and low latency, multiple 10G-supported circuits, advanced WiFi and more.
Together, these technologies power TPC Sawgrass, along with The PLAYERS Championship and the PGA TOUR so they can captivate and engage golf fans on and off the course by focusing on:
- Enhanced experiences: TOURCAST, available through the PGA TOUR app, allows fans to follow their favorite athletes live, delivering more highlights than any other PGA TOUR tournament in real-time, including those on the iconic 17th hole of the Stadium Course.
- Real-time insights: The PGA TOUR’s scoring system, which includes data tracking camera, radar, and laser systems, is being deployed to provide real-time stats and insights like ball speed and carry distance that will be featured on NBC’s broadcast and streaming platforms.
- Exclusive content: Comcast Business hospitality guests will enjoy exclusive access to real-time streaming video content, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the championship’s inner workings, delivered over a private wireless 5G network.
- WiFi presence analytics: Enterprise-level technology will showcase WiFi presence analytics, offering heat mapping of TPC Sawgrass’ most popular viewing areas.
John Redenius is a Comcast Business Senior Technician. He’s a staple at the golf course since he’s spent the past 15 years working on THE PLAYERS. Redenius handles all the fiber orders that come in for the tournament.
“This project has grown tremendously over the years,” said Redenius. “It is a challenge when things change year-to-year but this team has always risen to the occasion.”
Redenius’ favorite part of the project is all the connections he makes along the way. He said it’s all worth it when he finally sees the tournament streamed live to fans across the world.
“It is awesome to see the exposure that Comcast gets during THE PLAYERS. When people see Comcast Business onsite, word travels fast and people choose our services because of what they hear about the experience at the course,” said Redenius. “And then, to watch on TV and be able to say, ‘I helped work on that’ is the best.”
Shane Doolin-Junco is a Comcast Business Installation & Service Supervisor. He’s the glue that brings the team together. Doolin-Junco, a self-identified “golf nerd,” always jumps in to help his team and ensures they get the job done right.
“Being able to go out on the course and see how it changes from January until now is really something special,” said Doolin-Junco. “Of course, the green is phenomenally kept and it’s so cool to see how those groundskeepers work with the staff, vendors and, of course, our Comcast employees to make the tournament experience top-notch. These team members were chosen because we knew they could be adaptable and have the knowledge to succeed. Any day something comes up, they find a way through it and come out winning.”
Learn more about how Comcast Business is Powering Next-Gen Connectivity and Fan Experience at THE PLAYERS® Championship.
