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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 Thursday Live Stream: How to Watch Round 1 at Royal Birkdale Today

An aerial view of a golf course with a pond
Photo by Paola F on Unsplash

Round 1 of the 154th Open Championship is underway at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Here is how to watch Thursday's first round live in the US, what channel The Open is on today, and the full streaming options.

What Channel Is The Open On Today — Thursday July 16 (US Times)

  • Peacock: from 1:30 AM ET — Live coverage from the first tee shot at Birkdale. Featured Groups and live streaming all day
  • USA Network: approximately 4:00 AM – 3:00 PM ET — Main Round 1 broadcast for US viewers
  • Golf Channel: Evening ET — Live From The Open post-round studio coverage

How to Stream The Open Round 1 Today

Peacock is the most comprehensive option — live from the first shot at 1:30 AM ET with Featured Groups and full coverage all day. A Peacock subscription starts at $7.99/month. USA Network carries the main broadcast from 4:00 AM and is available through YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. The Open Championship app and theopen.com provide free Featured Groups coverage and live scoring with a free account.

The Time Difference

Royal Birkdale is five hours ahead of Eastern Time. When you wake up on Thursday morning in the US, the leaders will likely already be well into their rounds. Check the leaderboard on the Open app before tuning in to see where things stand.

What to Watch For

Birkdale's opening round will be defined by the wind conditions — check the Southport weather before watching, as Thursday's conditions will tell you everything about the likely scoring range. Any player at four under par or better through 18 holes will have found exceptional form. Scheffler, Clark, and McIlroy are the players to follow most closely.

Tomorrow: Round 2 and Cut Day

Friday is cut day at The Open — the top 70 players and ties, plus anyone within 10 shots of the leader, advance to the weekend. Same viewing schedule as today on Peacock and USA Network.

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