Back when they had the rights with the USGA, Golf Channel used to market and promote U.S. Open sectional qualifying as “golf’s longest day.” They would set up shop all across the country at the different sectional sites and file reports and highlights during the 36-hole marathon.
British Open 2018: Start time, TV schedule for Friday
Golf Channel is back for another 15-hour broadcast throughout the day and night.
Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
The Open isn’t a 36-hole day, but it is just as long, and probably longer, and has served as a much more popular replacement for the longest broadcast day of the year. The coverage runs almost 15 hours, beginning with the very first group on the first tee at 1:30 a.m. ET. It’s an endless first two days that really no other network makes the commitment to at the other majors. That’s the benefit of Golf Channel getting the rights in conjunction with their network partner, NBC. The Golf Channel is going to show, well, golf. So they’re happy to go live for 15 hours and not worry about bumping something else on the network off the air. It’s the first major that has ever landed on the cable channel and they’ve embraced that role for three years now.
Embrace the “baked out” life of The Open
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A 14.5-hour broadcast means a rotating cast of characters and we get everyone throughout the night and day. Terry Gannon and Justin Leonard usually lead off, with Mike Tirico, Nick Faldo, the lead duo of Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller, and others all taking the reins during the day. We’ll get that again on Friday, most likely with Gannon anchoring early alongside Leonard and then Faldo. The superstar players tend to hit the course from the 4 a.m. ET hour onward, if you’re worried about grinding it out from the very first minute and maybe want to catch a few extra hours of sleep.
In addition to all the TV coverage, there are also four different stream offerings. There is a simulcast stream, which requires a cable login. And then there are three other streams that are free and don’t need that login password. Those are staggered throughout the overnight hours from 1:30 to 4 a.m. running into the Friday work day.
Here are all your media options for the second round at the British Open:
Friday’s second round coverage (all times Eastern)
Television:
1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Golf Channel
Online streams:
1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Golf Channel broadcast simulcast stream
1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — “Spotlight” coverage
4 a.m. to 3 p.m. — 3-hole stream focusing on Nos. 8 to 10
4 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Marquee groups stream
Streaming Service:
Radio:
2 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio (Ch. 92/208)
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