'Feherty' hits the fairway for Golf Channel with record debut

Irreverent new series "Feherty" gave Golf Channel its most-watched premiere in the cabler's 16-year history with 569,000 viewers Monday.

Featuring longtime golf analyst David Feherty, the series topped the 527,000 viewers who tuned in for the 2009 premiere of “The Haney Project: Charles Barkley.”

The “Feherty” milestone came just after Golf Channel’s U.S. Open coverage showed a 7% year-over-year increase — 62% in primetime (thanks in part to the Open being on the East Coast this year, allowing Golf Channel to come on the air with its after-event coverage sooner.).

"Feherty" is Golf Channel’s first original series created since becoming part of the NBC Sports Group. The premiere featured an interview with Hall of Famer Lee Trevino. Barkley will appear on a future episode, as will Tom Watson and Don Cheadle.