The Barclays 2014 live stream: How to watch online, TV coverage and more

It will be a Friday afternoon in late August, so you’re probably not inclined to spend it in front of TV or computer. But the afternoon wave for the second round of the Barclays is absolutely loaded. It’s one of the more uneven tee sheets I’ve seen on the PGA Tour this year, for whatever reason. The Tour is usually good about spreading the biggest stars across the tee sheet, splitting them up between the AM and PM waves during the first two rounds. But this week, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, and Jordan Spieth, among others, are all playing on the same side of the draw.

Unfortunately for the Thursday crowd and TV audience, all those players were out first thing in the first round and done with their round by about Noon or 1 p.m. ET. That was well before the TV coverage window, and there weren’t many top names to show for Golf Channel late in the afternoon. The leader, Bo Van Pelt, finished up his round by chipping in for eagle and breaking a jam at the top of the leaderboard. But there just wasn’t the firepower you’d expect to be split up during the first round of the first event of the FedEx Cup.

So Friday’s TV coverage will be the exact opposite, with not only a set of the group just one shot off the lead but also all those superstars playing for the cameras. McIlroy, the headliner this week and for all events in the near future, regressed on Thursday after spending a week off partying and traveling to celebrate his incredible run this summer. He’s tied for 102nd place to start the second round and will probably need to grind out a round in the mid-60s to make the cut. McIlroy seemed unperturbed by the disappointing 3-over 74 to start his postseason, saying it was “inevitable” based on the time he spent away from practicing. He was expected to get some work in after that round, and the assumption is he’ll back playing closer to the top player in the world who has won his last three starts.

Golf Channel will go live at 2 p.m. ET, and carry coverage until 6 p.m. or until all the big names and leaders are done for the day. They stayed on late during the first round to cover some of the leaders and final groups coming into the clubhouse, so expect that again on Friday. McIlroy, who is No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings, will be out with No. 2 Jimmy Walker and No. 3 Bubba Watson at 1:06 p.m. ET. So the majority of their round will fall in the coverage window, and they should finish up around 5:30 p.m. ET. Mickelson tees off about a half-hour prior to that, with Fowler and Scott during the intervening tee times. There will be plenty for the GC cameras to show.

If you’re unable to watch on TV, there were be multiple stream options throughout the day. PGATour.com will have their featured groups stream up and running by 8 a.m. ET, likely covering the Matt Kuchar-Sergio Garcia-Jim Furyk group in the morning and the Bubba-Rory tee time in the afternoon. Golf Channel will also have their usual simulcast of the TV coverage going via their LiveExtra service.

Here’s the media schedule for Friday’s second round:

2 to 6 p.m. -- Golf Channel

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream

2 to 6 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream

Noon to 6 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)