Watch the Open for FREE on Thursday!

Don’t have Sky Sports? Well, that doesn’t matter on Thursday as the broadcasting giant has announced that the entire first round of the Open will be shown free of charge.

This year’s championship at Royal Troon is the first time that Sky Sports will show golf’s oldest major – moving from BBC last year – and all of Thursday’s action will be available on Sky One, online or to anyone with access to its NOW TV platform.

For the first time in history, the first group will be shown on Sky Sports at 6.35am – with home hero Colin Montgomerie having the honour alongside Luke Donald and Marc Leishman.

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Speaking about the initiative, Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, told The Telegraph: “The way people consume televised sport is changing and it is very important that we appeal to a younger audience in particular.

“We are excited about the array of options that are available for fans of all ages to watch the Open this year and our aim is to give them an outstanding viewing experience.”

NOW TV

Launched four years ago, NOW TV, which is available on 60 devices, gives customers the ability to buy day or week-long passes to Sky Sports instead of having to take out a longer subscription.

A day pass is priced at £6.99, while a week-long pass can be purchased for as little as £10.99. For that price, you will get 51 hours of live golf throughout the four tournament days!

How do you sign up?

Simply visit the NOW TV website, select a Sky Sports pass and choose between a day, week, or even month.