Whether it’s regarded as the fifth major or just another event on the PGA Tour, there is no denying that the Players Championship is the biggest Tour event of the season. The event draws a stronger, deeper field than what you might find at a major championship, and while it won’t get ESPN treatment like the Masters, there will be extended coverage beginning with the first round on Thursday.
How to watch 2014 Players Championship online, TV schedule and more
The PGA Tour’s biggest event is ready to begin and there will be increased television coverage, including a six hour broadcast on Thursday.
Sam Greenwood
First-round coverage of a regular event might typically include three or four hours of television broadcasts. That has been increased to six hours of coverage on Thursday, with Golf Channel broadcasting from 1 to 7 p.m. ET. Terry Gannon and Nick Faldo will lead the broadcast during the first round.
The Golf Channel broadcast will also be available online thanks to a live simulcast stream from Golf LiveExtra. The stream is available to viewers with a cable supplier that carries Golf Channel. There will also be a featured hole stream and a featured group stream. The featured group stream will follow one threesome in the morning and another group playing in the afternoon wave. The trio of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson are slated to be the featured group in the morning, and they tee off at 8:39 a.m.
The featured hole stream is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be focused on the famed No. 17 with additional look-ins on No. 8 and No. 18. The 17th at TPC Sawgrass is among the most famous holes in all of golf and typically provides high drama. The hole may not make a player’s chance of winning, but it can certainly break it. With nearly 50 shots finding the water last year, the featured hole stream will be a must-watch for many.
In addition to the online and television coverage, viewers will be able to use PGA Tour Radio to follow along with the first round. The network will broadcast for seven hours on Thursday, with coverage running from noon to 7 p.m. Here is a complete look at the media options for the round.
First round coverage
Television:
1 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel
Online streams:
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream for both AM and PM group
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured holes stream (No. 17, with additional coverage of Nos. 8, 18)
1 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream
Radio:
Noon to 7 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)
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