When Phil Mickelson nabbed his sixth major at the PGA Championship last month at age 50, he made history as the oldest player to ever win a major tournament. Now, Mickelson is entering the US Open at 51 and is in a position to win a career Grand Slam if he takes the championship.
The US Open starts on Thursday, June 17, from the Torrey Pines golf course in San Diego, California. Players shoot the final round on Sunday, June 20.
Maybe you want to see if Mickelson can add the US Open notch to his belt. Or if Bryson DeChambeau will defend his championship. Either way, this a PGA major you won’t want to miss.
How to Watch US Open Golf
When you’re in the United States, watching the US Open is as simple as kicking back in your recliner and turning on the television. But licensing and broadcasting rights are specific to each country that wants to carry major PGA tournaments.
If you’re visiting a country abroad, your subscription service might not work. Or you may be living in a country that isn’t showing the championship at all, and wish you could subscribe to a provider that carries it.
So how do you watch the US Open abroad? Fortunately, this problem can be solved pretty quickly. You’re going to need to take two steps:
- You’ll need a VPN. A VPN cloaks your identity and allows you to take on a new IP address from anywhere in the world, all in a matter of seconds.
- Once you’ve got a VPN, you’ll need to sign up for a country-specific subscription service for the US Open, or at least a free trial.
If you’ve already got a VPN and want to get started right away, take a look at the two main providers below that are broadcasting the US Open. Both have their pros and cons. If you need some more guidance on VPNs, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on how to download the best one for streaming later in the article.
NBC: Live Coverage, Golf Channel, and Peacock
NBC will have you bouncing around its network a bit. It’s airing the US Open on several different channels under its umbrella, including NBC, the Golf Channel, and its free streaming service, Peacock.
NBC will be broadcasting the best windows of the US Open (Saturday, June 19 from 11 am – 9 pm and Sunday, June 20 from 12 pm – 8 pm ET). NBC still hasn’t cut the cord completely, so it relies on American-based TV service providers to get its content to the majority of its customers.
But luckily there’s a way around this. There are two great US-based online subscription services, YouTube TV and FuboTV) that give access to American channels like NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, and a host of others. Though these providers aren’t cheap (they cost around $65 a month) they offer free trials you can cancel anytime. You’ll just need a VPN with an American IP address to register for them.
The Golf Channel will be showing the first and second US Open rounds (Thursday 12:30 pm – 7:00 pm and Friday 12:30 pm – 6:00 pm) though late finishers could roll over onto NBC’s main channel, which picks up later coverage. NBC owns The Golf Channel, but FuboTV also carries it in its package.
The Peacock network is NBC’s free streaming service, though they also have a premium plan for about $5 a month. If you pay for their premium service, you get access to The Golf Channel, but not NBC live. The good news: they’ll be providing preliminary and post-round coverage for free. The bad news: that’s about all you’ll get from a free Peacock stream.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| American-based English coverage of the US Open. | Lots of channel-hopping to get to the US Open coverage you want. |
| FuboTV and YouTube TV provide access to full US Open coverage for a free trial you can later cancel. | Could be a bit confusing to navigate. |
| Free trials allow you access to hundreds of other US-based channels, based on your IP location. |
Sky Sports (UK)
Sky Sports is the United Kingdom’s official channel for live sports. You’ll need a VPN set to a UK IP address to access it.
If you’re a non-Sky subscriber, you can follow the golf action with a NOW TV pass, a contract-free option. This gives you access to preview coverage, post-round interviews, and other extras.
The NOW TV pass costs £20 per month (about $28), or you can sign up for a day pass at about £9.98 per day (about $14). If you sign up for a day pass, it also includes a month of mobile membership. If you don’t mind a long-term contract, you can even get a full Sky Sports subscription. With a full subscription, you’ll have access to Sky Sports Golf, as well as any other sports they carry, including boxing, international soccer and basketball, and racing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No channel hopping. | No free trials. |
| Simple setup: preview shows, live golf, and post-interviews in one place. | Must set up an account and commit to daily or monthly plan. |
| Monthly or daily no-hassle plans for non-Sky subscribers. |
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Watch the US Open with a VPN
Now that we’ve looked at the providers, here’s a step-by-step guide to downloading a VPN so you can start watching the US Open right away, no matter where you are in the world. Just follow these steps:
- Choose a trustworthy VPN provider. As far as streaming golf or any sport goes, we recommend ExpressVPN. This provider is one of the best out there, with fast connections that let you watch any stream from anywhere in the world uninterrupted.
- Register with your chosen VPN provider by following their steps and adding a payment method.
- Download the VPN software on your device. This can be your computer, phone, or iPad. It also works on your Smart TV.
- Open the VPN software. Now log in with your created account.
- Choose the right server location to connect to. If you want to register through YouTube TV or FuboTV, choose a USA server. For Sky Sports, you need to select a UK server.
- Connect to the server and go to your stream of preference. Enjoy the US Open!
Also, keep in mind that you may need a country-specific payment method when signing up for free trials and subscription services. In many cases, you’ve got to be a resident of the country (USA in the case of YouTube TV) in order to get a subscription. If you log in with your Google account, you may give away that you’re not a resident of said country.
US Open Broadcast Schedule
The 121st US Open kicks off on Thursday, June 17 from Torrey Pines in San Diego, California. First off, here is the schedule for USA golf coverage.
| Day | Time (ET) | USA coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 17 | 9:45AM – 12:30PM 12:30PM – 7:00PM 7:00PM – 10:00PM 10:00PM – 11:00PM | Peacock The Golf Channel NBC Peacock |
| Friday, June 18 | 9:45AM – 12:30PM 12:30PM – 6:00PM 6:00PM – 9:00 PM 9:00PM – 10:00PM 10:00PM – 11:00PM | Peacock The Golf Channel NBC The Golf Channel Peacock |
| Saturday, June 19 | 11:00AM – 9:00PM | NBC |
| Sunday, June 20 | 10:00AM – 12:00PM 12:00PM – 8:00PM | The Golf Channel NBC |
Here’s the schedule for UK coverage.
| Day | Time (ET) | UK coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 17 | 15:30-03:00 | Sky Sports Golf |
| Friday, June 18 | 15:30-03:00 | Sky Sports Golf |
| Saturday, June 19 | 14:00-02:00 | Sky Sports Golf |
| Sunday, June 20 | 15:00-01:00 | Sky Sports Golf |
