Shinnecock Hills does not forgive.
It is wind-battered. It is fast. The greens are unforgiving firm patches of grass that will make the world’s best golfers look like beginners with putters tied behind their backs.
J.J. Spaun returns as the defending champion, but nobody is sleeping easy about him yet. He pulled off the shock at Oakmont last year. He’s got the Valero Texas Open trophy to his name and played in the Ryder Cup. That makes him respectable. But in golf, history rarely repeats itself unless the person has been dominant since.
Scottie Scheffler? He is the man to beat. The bookies love him. Rory McIlroy is right there on his heels, still riding the Masters wave. They think it’s over. They think it should be easy.
It is never easy.
Where to Watch in the States
USA Network gets the early duty. NBC gets the glory hours.
Here is how it breaks down for linear TV:
Thursday
– 6:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on USA Network.
Friday
– Early bird: NBCSN 6:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
– Main show: NBC 1:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m.
Saturday
– Morning: USA Network 10:00 a.m. – noon.
– Afternoon: NBC noon – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday
– Morning: USA Network 9:00 a.m. – Noon.
– Championship action: NBC Noon -7:00 p.m.
Want streams? Peacock is the official partner.
The digital schedule runs parallel but has different hours:
Thursday
– Peacock: Round 1 (5-8 p.m.), All-Access (7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.)
– Featured Groups: USOpen.com, USGA app (7:30 a.m.-Finish)
Friday
– Peacock: Round 2 (6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., then 1:30-7:30 p.m.), All-Access
– Featured Groups: Peacock, USOpen.com
Saturday & Sunday
– All-Access and Featured Groups move with the Peacock feed. Round 3 on Sat starts at noon. Round 4 on Sun starts at noon.
You can also hit the NBC Sports app. Or USOpen.com. Lots of ways in. One way out.
Outside the U.S.? Use a VPN
Borders are arbitrary. Streaming services know this.
If you are in Canada, the UK, or Australia, your local broadcasters hold the rights. This means your browser will likely scream “404 Error” when you try to hit Peacock or NBC Sports from abroad.
Enter the Virtual Private Network.
It sounds tech-heavy. It’s just a tunnel. It routes your internet traffic through a server in a different location. If you pick a New York server, Netflix, Peacock, or Sky Sports sees you as a local resident. Not a foreigner with no rights.
It encrypts your data, sure. Protects you on shaky hotel Wi-Fi. But the main reason to use one for golf? Access.
Note: Check the Terms of Service. Some platforms hate VPNs. They block the IP addresses associated with VPN servers. If that happens, try a different server. Or switch providers.
Here are the local options if you don’t want to fight geo-blocks:
Canada
TSN holds the bag.
– Channels: TSN1, 2, 3, and 5.
– Streaming: TSN Plus costs CA$25/month. You get F1. Nascar. Tennis. Golf.
UK
Sky Sports.
– Channels: Sky Sports Golf.
– Streaming: Now (the streaming arm of Sky) costs £35 for a monthly Sports Pass. You can pay for just the Sunday for £15 if you are brave. Or cheap.
Australia
Foxtel broadcasts it. Most people stream it.
– Service: Kayo Sports.
– Price: AU$30 for basic (1 screen). AU$46 for Premium (3 screens).
– Trial: New customers get one week free. Take it. Watch the cut-off. See who chokes.
How to Actually Make the Stream Work
Three variables matter: Your ISP, Your Device, Your VPN.
If ExpressVPN won’t show up in the location list? Search for the city manually. It is usually listed there.
Two common failures happen to smart TV users:
- The Router Fix. Roku devices don’t take VPN apps. Chromecast doesn’t take them. If your smart TV has no app store, install the VPN on your Wi-Fi router. Or create a mobile hotspot with the VPN active and plug that into a streaming stick. Suddenly, the TV sees the world as if it were sitting in Manhattan.
- The Address Check. Your streaming account knows where you live. If you are logged in from a foreign IP address but your registered address is still London, some services (especially sports networks) will kick you out. Change the physical address in your profile to match the location of the server you are connecting to. It works 80% of the time.
And pick a private browser. Brave is good. Chrome logs too much.
Golf is boring. Until it isn’t. Shinnecock makes sure you pay attention.
