Golf

How to watch the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational live online, TV schedule, radio and more

The PGA Tour’s new paywalled subscription streaming service gets its first big run through this week at Firestone’s South Course.

by Brendan Porath

Aug 5, 2015, 11:00 PM UTC

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

It’s a transitional year at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where 48 of the top 50 players in the world are on hand once again at one of the PGA Tour’s marquee events.

It feels a little odd, however, to have an otherwise healthy Tiger Woods absent at Firestone Country Club, a place he’s owned for the past 16 years. Woods has missed this event once -- in 2008 when he was recovering from knee surgery. And he’s had some of his lowest moments here in recent years -- the near-DFL DGAF tied for 78th in 2010 and last year’s Sunday withdrawal with yet another back injury.

But Tiger has never missed it because he wasn’t qualified. This year, sitting at 262nd in the Official World Golf Rankings, Tiger was miles from qualifying (you need to be top 50 or won an event in the year since the last Bridgestone). There’s no exemption for his past excellence like there is at the four majors. Woods is nothing like the player who owned Firestone for more than a decade, but it’s still weird, even in this awful season, to start the week at in Akron with a healthy Tiger sitting at home and waiting for the PGA Championship.

While the Masters is the marquee golf property for CBS, this stretch is probably their biggest of the season. They get this WGC event and its elite field -- their only WGC -- then the season’s final major at Whistling Straits next week, and the opener of the FedExCup Playoffs to end the month. So Jim Nantz, who took Tiger’s tournament off last week, will be a little more excitable this week at Firestone and start working himself into shape for the PGA. CBS will take over on the weekend for their usual coverage at the end of the third and final rounds.

In addition to Tiger’s absence, the networks are also taking a bit of a hit this week with Rory McIlroy still on the shelf. The world No. 1 and Chris Kirk are the only two from the top 50 not in the field. With Rory still out, Jordan Spieth is the obvious headliner and he’ll get all the love from the cameras. Spieth tees off late on Thursday during the TV window and he’ll be on the featured groups stream when he goes out early on Friday.

That featured groups stream is now behind a paywall. PGA TOUR Live, the Tour’s new subscription streaming service, launched last week at the Quicken Loans National but this will be its first run through a widely watched and popular event. MLB Advanced Media is running the streaming operation and it will be comparable to the “PGA TOUR Live At” streams you’ve grown accustomed to in recent seasons. Only now you have to pay a monthly subscription fee ($4.99) to watch these featured players on Thursdays and Fridays. So that’s probably not going to make people happy.

Not all of PGA Tour Live’s coverage, however, will be behind the paywall. There will be a featured holes stream in the afternoon of the first two rounds and throughout the day of the last two rounds. That does not require a subscription. The networks, Golf Channel and CBS, will also have their usual simulcast streams up and running during the TV coverage windows.

Here are all your media options for the week in Akron: