U.S. Open 2015 TV schedule and coverage for Thursday’s Round 1

If you tune in to the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament on Thursday and expect traditional U.S. Open coverage from a traditional U.S. Open type course, you’re in for a major surprise. Not only will the course look a little different with the links-style Chambers Bay hosting, but television coverage will be significantly different with Fox making its major championship broadcast debut.

While ESPN and NBC combined to broadcast the U.S. Open for a number of years, FOX won the bid for the rights as part of a 10-year deal worth a reported $1.2 billion. This is the first year of the deal with Joe Buck, Greg Norman and others making their coverage debuts in place of Chris Berman and the typical ESPN crew. Although the voices will be different, there won’t be a lack of first round coverage. FOX Sports 1 and FOX will combine to air nearly 12 hours of live television coverage. FOX Sports Go will provide a simulcast online stream of the television coverage with an additional stream for featured groups, holes and the “U.S. Open 360” coverage. Those without access to FOX Sports Go can watch featured group streams, featured hole streams of Nos. 12 and 15 and the “U.S. Open 360” coverage on USOpen.com.

With so many coverage options, viewers shouldn’t have many problems following the action live from Chambers Bay. Players will begin hitting the course at 10 a.m. ET, just two hours prior to the start of television coverage. Online coverage will begin at 10 a.m. with all of the streams up and running by 10:30 a.m. There will also be radio coverage available from 1 to 11 p.m. on PGA Tour Radio.

All of the biggest names will tee off after full online coverage begins with Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Angel Cabrera set to be the first notable group off when they step to the first tee at 10:33 a.m. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and defending champion Martin Kaymer are among the other players set to tee off before noon. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods will highlight the evening coverage, with all five scheduled to tee off after 5 p.m.

Viewers will be able to watch all of the big names live, but the course will also draw plenty of attention. Chambers Bay will make its major championship debut and there is still some uncertainty in how well it will hold up. Many expect difficult conditions, especially around the greens, where the combination of firm greens and massive undulations could cause problems for the field.

The combination of a loaded major championship field and a difficult, relatively unknown course could make for a must-watch first round. Here is a complete guide to all of the coverage on Thursday. All times are ET.

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

8 to 11 p.m. -- FOX

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

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

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. -- “U.S. Open 360”

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

1 p.m. to 10 p.m. -- 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)

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