Masters 2014 TV schedule and coverage for Thursday’s opening round

The unofficial start to golf season has arrived as the field is ready to tee it up for the first round of the 2014 Masters. Tiger Woods is notably absent for the first time in 20 years, but the other 49 of the top 50 players in the world will be in action beginning on Thursday. Historically, television coverage of the Masters has been limited by design and that is again the case this year, but viewers will be able to use online streams to catch more of the action.

The first players will tee off at 7:45 a.m. ET, but television coverage won’t begin until more than seven hours later. Every player will have either completed their round or be on the course by the time ESPN’s television coverage begins at 3 p.m. In order to see any of the early action live, viewers will need to utilize one of a few online streams.

Masters.com and CBSSports.com will offer dedicated streams to Amen Corner and holes Nos. 15 and 16. The Amen Corner stream will begin at 10:45 a.m. with the Nos. 15 and 16 stream beginning an hour later at 11:45 a.m. In addition to the two dedicated hole streams, there will be a pair of featured group streams, beginning at 9:35 a.m. The streams will follow a pairing throughout their round, before moving on to another pairing and finally closing with a third group. The stream will move on to the next group after the first completes its round. The featured group streams are the best chance for viewers to watch some of the bigger names, especially those playing early before TV coverage.

ESPN will broadcast live for more than four hours, with coverage running from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan are among the host of notable names teeing off in the afternoon. Each should be featured predominantly on the broadcast. Those who are unable to watch the coverage live can watch a replay beginning at 8 p.m.

Radio coverage, highlight shows and streams will supplement the main first-round coverage. Here is a complete look at the coverage schedule on Thursday.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Live Masters on the Range - CBS Sports Network

3 - 7:30 p.m.: Live first round coverage - ESPN

8 - 11 p.m.: Replay of first round coverage - ESPN

11:30 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.: Highlights of the first round - CBS

Available at Masters.com and CBSSports.com

10:20 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Amen Corner live stream

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Live Masters on the Range

11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m.: Nos. 15 and 16 live stream

Noon - completion: Featured Group 1 and Featured Group 2 streams.

2 p.m. - completion: Masters Radio - Masters.com