The men’s major season reaches its climax this month at The 153rd Open, with extended coverage from Royal Portrush exclusively live on Sky Sports.
The tournament returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 2019, when Shane Lowry impressed to claim his maiden major title, while Xander Schauffele is back as defending champion after last year’s victory at Royal Troon.
Rory McIlroy tees it up on home soil for the first time since completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters in April, with McIlroy looking to register a second major win of the season and claim a first victory in Northern Ireland as a professional.
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Rory McIlroy’s best shots from his historical victory at The Masters, where he completed the career Grand Slam
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is the pre-tournament favourite once again as he chases a fourth major victory in as many years, with Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood among the others in action in a star-studded field.
Sky Sports is the home of the majors, including The Open, with nearly 80 hours of live coverage throughout the week and round-the-clock coverage of the four tournament rounds. Here’s all you need to know to make sure you don’t miss any of the action…
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Watch our pick of the best shots in the history of tournament, including Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth
When does coverage of The Open start?
Live coverage begins at 6.30am on Friday on Sky Sports Golf, with at least 15 hours of action each day, with bonus feeds available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App.
‘Saturday at The Open’ and ‘Sunday at The Open’ offer updates from the course alongside shot centre challenges, special guests, fun features and much more over the weekend, with that coverage starting at 9am on Saturday and 8am for Sunday.
Early play from the final two rounds will start on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports App before full coverage begins on Sky Sports Golf at 11am on Saturday and 10am on the final day, running through until long after the final putt is holed.
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A look at Rory McIlroy’s best shots from his 2014 Open Championship win, the first of back-to-back major wins
What extra coverage of The Open will be on Sky Sports+?
There will be four separate Featured Groups to follow each day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, with those groups and timings confirmed once the tee times are announced.
The Featured Hole feed will be a ‘Par-three channel’ and cover the iconic par-three sixth and 16th holes, with that offering available from 2pm over the first two rounds, 1pm on Saturday and midday on Sunday.
Two extra sessions of “The Open: At the Range” will also be live during both Thursday and Friday’s round, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with all extra streams part of Sky Sports+ on Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app.
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A look back to The Open in 2016, when Henrik Stenson defeated Phil Mickelson in a final round masterclass at Royal Troon
The Open 2025: key TV times (all BST and on Sky Sports Golf)
Friday July 18
0630-2130 The Open – Day two LIVE!
*Featured Groups from 0947, Par-3 Channel from 1400 and The Open: Live at the Range all live on Sky Sports+ app
Saturday July 19
0900-1100 Saturday at The Open LIVE!
1100-2030 The Open – Day three LIVE!
*Featured Groups (timings TBC) and Par-3 Channel from 1300 on Sky Sports+ app
Sunday July 20
0800-1000 Sunday at The Open LIVE!
1000-1930 The Open – Day four LIVE!
*Featured Groups (timings TBC) and Par-3 Channel from 1200 on Sky Sports+ app
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Watch highlights from the final round of The Open from Royal Troon, where Xander Schauffele shot a stunning six-under-par 65 to claim the Claret Jug
Which players are in the Featured Groups?
Friday
0947 Bob MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
0958 Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland
1459 Xander Schauffele, JJ Spaun, Jon Rahm
1510 Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler
How to watch The Open in the UK and Ireland
Got Sky?
TV: Sky Customers can watch on Sky Sports Golf, with coverage available at various points throughout the week on Sky Sports Main Event.
App: Sky Customers can also watch on the Sky Sports app
Not got Sky?
Stream: Non-Sky Customers can stream the action with no contract with a NOW Day or a cancel-anytime Month pass
Live blog: Anyone on the move can follow live coverage of The Open in a dedicated live blog throughout the week.
FREE Highlights: Watch near-live clips and post-round highlights on the Sky Sports app
What else do I need to know?
Daily ‘Live at the Range’ shows will bring you the latest news, interviews and insights from around the course, as the players prepare for major action, with two sessions – starting at 9am and 2pm – for each practice day.
Wednesday’s ‘Live at The Open’ show will bring exclusive interviews, pundit predictions and more from the Sky Sports team, while daily one-hour highlights will be available on Sky Sports Golf after each round.
Sky Sports News will be on-site throughout the week and provide you with regular updates from around the course, with Jamie Weir hosting a special preview edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast from Royal Portrush.
How to watch The Open with the Sky Sports app
Sky Sports Subscribers can:
- Download or open the Sky Sports app
- Head to the ‘Watch’ section
- Tap on the Sky Sports Golf channel
- Sign in with your Sky iD (*you’ll only need to do this once)
*Sky iD help: How to find or create your Sky iD
What is NOW?
NOW is an instant streaming service offering access to all 12 Sky Sports channels, every Sky Sports+ stream, and much more. It’s an app, so customers can sign up and stream instantly across over 60 devices. It offers contract-free membership options, so customers can cancel anytime! See the latest NOW TV membership prices.
What other programming from The Open is available?
Sky Sports Golf once again has documentaries and features from past editions of the event, including extended highlights of Tiger Woods’ three victories, while this year’s offering new programmes focused on some iconic winners.
“This is Open Country” is one-hour documentary that celebrates success at The Open from across Ireland and Northern Ireland, with McIlroy, Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke all winners of the Claret Jug this century.
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As the biggest names in world golf prepare to descend on Royal Portrush, new documentary ‘This is Open Country’ airs on Sky Sports to celebrate Ireland’s past major champions
The special programme includes exclusive interviews with all four players along with former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and major winner Graeme McDowell among the others to contribute.
“Underdogs” goes behind the scenes to provide fresh insight into the sporting miracle that never was during The Open in 2009, where Tom Watson narrowly missed out on major glory aged 59 as Stewart Cink claimed the Claret Jug.
Who is part of the Sky Sports team at Royal Portrush?
Portrush native and 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell joins the Sky Sports broadcast team for the first time, alongside three-time Open winner Sir Nick Faldo.
Coverage will be presented by Nick Dougherty, with expert analysis from the Sky Sports Golf team including; Dame Laura Davies, Paul McGinley, Rich Beem, Wayne Riley, Iona Stephen, Henni Zuel, and Sarah Stirk.
What extra innovations are part of The Open coverage?
Sky Sports will feature cutting-edge technology to elevate the viewing experience of The Open, including:
Spidercam: Making its world-first debut in live golf coverage, Spidercam will deliver unique angles and sweeping aerial shots over the 18th green, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before.
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Ahead of this week’s Open at Royal Portrush, check out the top shots from the 2019 tournament
Platform Golf: A moveable stage in the Open Zone, with projected putting lines to replicate real putts from the course, giving viewers unique insight into the strategy behind key moments on the greens.
Sportsbox AI: Converts swing footage into 3D avatars for detailed analysis, offering fans a deeper understanding of each players’ technique and form.
SkyScope: Sky’s award-winning AR tool, allowing 360° swing breakdowns with lifelike avatars and immersive analysis.
Who will win The Open? Watch the final men’s major of the year throughout the week live on Sky Sports? Live coverage continues Friday om 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream The Open and more top sport with no contract.
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