How to watch the 2024 Open Championship | UK TV channel & more

Jonathan Victoria • 16 Jul 2024 Guides

Everything you need to know ahead of the 2024 Open Championship.

Golf’s most prestigious major will be contested once again this weekend and with the quality of the competition this season, it could be anyone lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday.

As the last major of the season, you won’t want to miss a moment of the action across the weekend, so we’re here to bring you the important information ahead of the competition, including how to watch the 2024 Open Championship, its history and more.

How to watch the 2024 Open Championship

Every moment of the 2024 Open Championship will be available to watch live on Sky Sports as part of their deal with the PGA Tour.

The Open on Sky Sports

Sky Sports is the exclusive home of PGA Tour golf in the UK, so if you’re looking to watch this weekend or any weekend during the season, you’ll need a valid Sky Sports subscription.

If you’re already a Sky TV customer without Sky Sports, you can add it to your existing package, while for new customers, there are a range of Sky Sports package deals to choose from.

The entire weekend will be shown live on two Sky Sports channels; Sky Sports Golf, the dedicated golf channel; and Sky Sports Main Event, the flagship channel.

Sky Sports will be showing wall-to-wall coverage every day, running from the first tee shot on Sunday right through until the final putt is sunk on Sunday.

Extra coverage will be shown when play isn’t underway, including the ‘Live At The Range’ show, which gives a daily behind-the-scenes look at the course and build-up, news and interviews on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the weekend begins.

‘The Open Verdict Live’ will be a live show after each day of play that will discuss the key talking points from the round, looking at the high flyers as well as the best moments from across the field.

Key times (BST)

Thursday

6:30am - 9:00pm – The Open: Day One Live

9:00pm - 10:00pm – The Open Verdict Live

Friday

6:30am - 9:00pm – The Open: Day Two Live

9:00pm - 10:00pm – The Open Verdict Live

Saturday

9:00am - 11:00am – Saturday at The Open Live

11:00am - 8:00pm – The Open: Day Three Live

8:00pm - 9:00pm – The Open Verdict Live

Sunday

8:00am - 10:00am – Sunday at The Open Live

10:00am - 7:00pm – The Open: Day Three Live

7:00pm - 7:30pm – The Open Verdict Live

History of the Open Championship

The Open Championship, better known simply as The Open, is the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in the world, having been founded in 1860.

It is one of the four major golf tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar and the only one to be contested in the UK. It is also the fourth and final major played, contested each year in mid-July.

While it was founded in 1860, 164 years ago, 2024 will be the 152nd edition of the tournament. The only times it wasn’t held were in 1871 (no trophy available), 1915-1919 (World War I), 1940-1945 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19).

The name “The Open” stems from the fact that in theory, the tournament is open to all challengers - from the leading players on the PGA Tour right down to amateur golfers. However, that doesn’t mean anyone gets to be part of the field.

Players who do not receive an invite or have an exemption to the tournament must go through multiple highly competitive qualification rounds to qualify.

Winners of The Open are colloquially named Champion Golfer of the Year and are awarded the coveted Claret Jug. For some, the trophy holds as much if not more prestige than a green jacket won at The Masters.

The location of the Open Championship changes each year but typically remains in north England or Scotland, the home of golf. 

Many fans would name St Andrews in Scotland as the most iconic host venue, although fans of tradition may name the original host venue, Prestwick Golf Club, also found in Scotland. 

The venues are selected by The R&A, one of the governing bodies of golf worldwide, and will rotate each year, although they have always been a links golf courses, meaning they are courses generally built upon sandy coastlands, providing a tough challenge of dealing with the elements as well as a firmer playing surface.

Where is the 2024 Open Championship being played?

This year's Open Championship will be played at Royal Troon Golf Club, located in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

About Royal Troon Golf Club

Established in 1878, Royal Troon, as it is more commonly known, is comprised of 45 holes split into three courses, with the Old Course typically playing host to the major tournaments held there.

Including this year’s edition, Royal Troon has hosted The Open 10 times, putting it joint-seventh for most times hosted along with Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

The last Open Championship held at Royal Troon was in 2016, when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson won his one and only major championship, breaking the tournament record for aggregate score (264) and score to par (-20).

When is the Open Championship 2024?

The Open begins this weekend, starting on Thursday 18th July and will finish on Sunday 21st July.

2024 Open Championship field

The field for the Open Championship this year includes previous champions of the tournament as well as many other winners of the other majors.

Legends such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els are returning to the competition. The former Champion Golfer of the Year winners will be joined by 49 out of the world’s top 50 players, including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.

There are also many debutants looking to make an impact at their first time of asking, none more so than Ludvig Aberg, who has been sensational in his full rookie season this year, already rising up to number four in the world.

12 amateurs round out the field this year. They will fight for the Silver Medal, given to the leading amateur at the end of the week.

Open Championship winners

There have been 89 different winners of the Open Championship in history, with 27 of those players having won multiple times.

Tiger Woods is the most successful active player competing this year, having won three titles. 

The reason why there was no Open Championship in 1871 was that the previous year's champion, Young Tom Morris, won three consecutive titles, which in the rules states that the winner is then allowed to keep the ‘Challenge Belt’, the original award for winning The Open.

Quite possibly the funniest fact about The Open is that the oldest winner and the youngest winner was father and son, and their record wins came in back-to-back years.

Tom Morris Sr., or better known as Old Tom Morris, won his fourth and final title in 1867 at 46 years old, then his son came along and won his first of four titles in 1868 at age 17.

Past 5 winners

2023 – Brian Harman

2022 – Cameron Smith

2021 – Collin Morikawa

2019 – Shane Lowry

2018 – Francesco Molinari

All-time records

Most wins

Harry Vardon – 6 (1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1911, 1914)

Youngest winner

Tom Morris Jr. – 17 years & 156 days (1868)

Oldest winner

Tom Morris Sr. – 46 years & 102 days (1867)

Most consecutive wins

4 – Tom Morris Jr. (1868-1870, 1872)

Lowest score over 72 holes

Henrik Stenson (2016) & Cameron Smith (2022) – -20