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Why Distance Control Matters More Than Direction on Approach Shots

Photo by Lo Sarno on Unsplash Statistical analysis of amateur golf performance consistently reveals a counterintuitive finding: distance control errors on approach shots cost recreational golfers more strokes than directional errors, even though most golfers practice and worry about direction far more. The Statistical Pattern Shot-tracking data from systems used across recreational and competitive golf shows that amateur golfers are typically far more likely to miss an approach shot short or long of their intended distance than they are to miss significantly left or right of their intended line. A shot that's 15 yards short or long frequently finds trouble — a bunker, water, or simply a much longer subsequent putt — in a way that a shot 10 yards left or right of the pin, but still on the green, does not. Why This Happens Directional misses are usually caused by face-to-path errors, covered in our ball flight laws article , which tend to be relatively consistent for an individual g...

Open Championship Saturday Live Stream: How to Watch Round 3 Moving Day on NBC

green pine trees on green grass field near mountain under white clouds during daytime
Photo by Dan Congdon on Unsplash

Moving Day at the 2026 Open Championship. Round 3 at Royal Birkdale is when the Claret Jug race takes real shape. Here is how to watch Saturday's third round live, what channel The Open is on today, and what to expect from Moving Day.

What Channel Is The Open On Today — Saturday July 18 (US Times)

  • Peacock: from 1:30 AM ET — Live from the first Saturday tee shot
  • NBC: from approximately 7:00 AM ET — Main Moving Day broadcast. Free over the air with an antenna
  • Golf Channel: Evening — Live From The Open post-round coverage

How to Watch Moving Day Free

NBC is free over the air with a digital TV antenna. A basic antenna picks up NBC in virtually every US market at no cost. The 7:00 AM ET start means you can watch Moving Day at The Open from Saturday breakfast time — a considerably more civilised viewing experience than the 1:30 AM and 4:00 AM starts of the weekday rounds.

Moving Day at Birkdale

Saturday at Birkdale is when the leaderboard separates into genuine Claret Jug contenders and players whose major championship week is effectively over. The combination of weather conditions and the course's natural difficulty means that Moving Day scores can vary enormously — a 62 was shot at Birkdale on a Saturday in 2017 (Branden Grace's record round). Whatever the conditions provide, Saturday typically produces the most dramatic leaderboard movement of the week.

Tomorrow: Championship Sunday

Sunday July 19 is final round day at the 2026 Open. NBC from 7:00 AM ET — free with an antenna. Peacock from 1:30 AM for the full day. The Claret Jug ceremony follows the final putt. Set your alarm for Sunday morning.

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