U.S. Open 2015 viewing guide: Coverage schedule and how to watch live online from Chambers Bay

There are many ways in which the 2015 U.S. Open is one of the most unique in the 115-year history of the championship. The course is receiving much of the pre-event hype, but a big change this year is the transition from the USGA’s traditional broadcast partner, NBC, to FOX, which is producing a major golf broadcast for the first time ever.

The bidding war drama over the U.S. Open rights is fairly well-known history at this point. FOX swooped in with a bid in excess of $1 billion (Golf Digest reported it at $1.2 billion) for a 10-year deal to all the USGA championships, the main prize, of course, being the U.S. Open. Bailing on NBC, however, reportedly caused a significant rift in the organization and was major point of contention in a power struggle on the Executive Committee. Mike Davis and Tom O’Toole, considered the “traditionalist” part of the leadership, emerged with full control. But NBC was left with The Players as their marquee golf event (in non-Ryder Cup years), and that likely played into their recent move to acquire rights to the British Open.

Just as the course, the eight-year old links-style Chambers Bay, is unknown to so many pros, how FOX will approach a major golf event is a bit of a mystery and has been the subject of intrigue and inquiring media folk. Will there be dancing robots? Who is going to call this thing? Do they have anyone who has produced a golf broadcast before?

Mark Loomis, a veteran producer with golf experience, was brought on board to run the show. Joe Buck will get the main anchor duties and Greg Norman will be the main analyst, taking the spot of Johnny Miller. Whether you love him or hate him, and most -- including the players -- shaded toward the hate side, Miller always made the U.S. Open broadcast more interesting. Sure, he might be unduly harsh and you were going to hear about his 63 at Oakmont whether you wanted to or not, but with a little perspective, he was always entertaining to have on the call. It’s better than an analyst who has nothing but glowing reviews and positive fluff for every player or shot. I would expect Norman to be comparably critical and candid instead of fluffy and nice.

Part of FOX’s arrangement with the USGA includes coverage of their other championships. They have tested out some of their golf talent and broadcast quirks with a few of the lesser events held earlier in the year, and reviews have been mostly negative (See: “Fox’s amateur hour shows much work remains before U.S. Open airs”). You would imagine they’re saving their best for the U.S. Open and will have all those mistakes covered up in time for Chambers Bay, where critics will be watching closely. They have little margin for error given all the publicity surrounding the big switch from NBC to this neophyte.

The FOX deal not only means NBC is gone, but so is ESPN, which owned coverage for a majority of the first two rounds. That ... may be a good thing, given the persistent cringe that Chris Berman put golf watchers in throughout his U.S. Open anchoring. Boomer pisses people off in a variety of sports, but the nicknames and bombast was a dramatic departure from the usual golf broadcast and sent golf viewers flying off the handle. Golf Twitter would become a vortex of Berman hate.

That’s all gone in 2015, and FOX -- either on the mothership or their sports-only network -- will have the coverage all four days. They start their U.S. Open era with a west coast venue and the rare opportunity for primetime golf throughout the weekend. That’s something the USGA has embraced over the past decade, previously at places like Torrey Pines, Olympic and Pebble Beach. The U.S. Open is always a sun-up to sun-down slog through the first two rounds, and the Seattle-area location should allow for golf deep into the evening. It doesn’t get dark until well after 9 p.m., and the back-end of the 156-man field may play that late. The broadcasts will run until 10 and 11 p.m. back east.

In addition to the TV broadcast, FOX, along with USOpen.com, will offer a variety of streams to watch online. This is the typical array of featured groups and featured holes streams we get at most majors and big PGA Tour events. There will also be a simulcast stream of the TV coverage on FOX Sports Go, which can run on desktop or as a mobile app. Here’s the full media schedule for the week (All times ET):

Noon to 8 p.m. ET -- FOX Sports 1

8 to 11 p.m. ET -- FOX

USOpen.com

FOX Sports Go

1 p.m. to 11 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

Noon to 8 p.m. ET -- FOX Sports 1

8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET -- FOX

USOpen.com

10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET -- Featured groups stream

10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET -- Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- “U.S. Open 360”

FOX Sports Go

1 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET -- TV simulcast stream

1 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- Featured groups stream / Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15 / “U.S. Open 360” stream

1 p.m. to 11 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

2 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- FOX

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- FOX Deportes

USOpen.com

2 p.m. ET to TBD -- Featured groups stream / Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15 / “U.S. Open 360”

FOX Sports Go

2 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET -- TV simulcast stream

2 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- Featured groups stream / Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15 / “U.S. Open 360” stream

2 p.m. to 10 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET -- FOX

7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET -- FOX Deportes

USOpen.com

2 p.m. ET to TBD -- Featured groups stream / Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15 / “U.S. Open 360”

FOX Sports Go

2 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET -- TV simulcast stream

2 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET -- Featured groups stream / Featured holes stream, Nos. 12 and 15 / “U.S. Open 360” stream

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