The Open 2021 live stream: how to watch major golf online from anywhere

Golf's great and good have descended on Royal St George's in the UK for the final major of the season, The Open Championship. Read on as we explain how to watch a 2021 Open live stream online from anywhere in the world, whether or not you're watching on TV (with or without cable) or streaming.

Jon Rahm was looking to make it two majors in as many months, having become the first Spaniard to win the US Open champion three weeks ago - but his first round was a struggle. He condemned Louis Oosthuizen to his sixth runner-up finish at a major, just two months after finishing second at the PGA Championship. After a stellar first 18 at Sandwich, will the South African's rotten luck end? 

2014 and 2017 winners Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are once again in the hunt for the Claret Jug, along with a smattering of players from the British Isles. While Brooks Koepka has so far had the upper hand in his much talked about rivalry with Bryson DeChambeau. And world number one Dustin Johnson is sitting in an ominous position on the leaderboard, too.

Darren Clarke shocked the world of golf wrote his name into the history books the last time The Open came to Royal St George's, the Northern Irishman playing so well that he could afford to finish with a pair of bogeys.

It was an unforgettable event, and you can follow our guide as we explain how to watch a 2021 British Open live stream from anywhere this time around.

Who has a free Open golf live stream in 2021?

You can get a free live stream of The Open at TheOpen.com, which is showing action from featured groups and featured holes 14, 15 and 16. You do have to enter some details, but sign up is free.

That's great if you're only interested in following the players it selects for you, but not so good if you want full and proper coverage. Aside from the TheOpen.com live stream, we've listed more comprehensive viewing options below.

How to watch Open live stream from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch a British Open golf live stream, including in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and almost anywhere else in the world. Scroll down for a full breakdown of options, but note that if you're currently abroad, you’ll need to use a VPN service to dial in to a location that lets you watch the Open online in the same way you would at home.

A VPN is perfect for this, as it allows you to change your IP address so you appear to be in your country of residence, where you usual streaming services and subscriptions are based. You may be surprised by how easy it is to get stared using one, too.

Use a VPN to watch Open golf online from anywhere

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How to watch The Open: live stream golf in the UK

UK-based golf fans will know that Sky Sports has the rights to PGA Tour coverage in Blighty - and the same is true of The Open.

Live coverage of The Open 2021 is available through the Sky Sports Golf channel from July 15-18, and it's as comprehensive as it gets, starting at 6.30am BST for Rounds 1 and 2, at 9am for Round 3, and at 8am for Round 4. 

Subscribers also get to watch on the move using the Sky Go app, which is available on nearly all modern phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and consoles. For those without Sky, the best option is a Now Sky Sports monthly membership.

Watch UK golf coverage from abroad To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good VPN as detailed above. 

British Open live stream: how to watch for FREE and without cable in the US

In the US, coverage of the British Open is split between NBC, its streaming service Peacock TV, and the Golf Channel. It's an extremely convoluted broadcast schedule, but the thing to note is that the bulk of the action is on Peacock.

Coverage switches between Peacock and the Golf Channel for Rounds 1 and 2. It then bounces around from Peacock to the Golf Channel to NBC for Rounds 3 and 4.

If you've got it on cable, simply head to the Golf Channel website and log in with your cable credentials to stream its coverage online.

How to watch US Open online without cable

Streaming service Peacock only costs $4.99 per month after a FREE 7-day trial, and as mentioned above, it's the place to watch the majority of the British Open action.

Meanwhile, Sling TV is perhaps the best value cord-cutting service out there right now. Its Sling Blue plan hosts NBC and the first month currently costs a mere $10 (down from the standard $35), while an $11 Sports Extra add-on nets you the extra Golf Channel coverage as well.

Another great option if all you're after this week is the golf is FuboTV, as it includes both the Golf Channel and NBC in its Starter plan. 

At $65 per month, it's pricier than Sling but still a reasonable alternative to traditional cable with the flexibility to cancel at any point - and if you haven't had Fubo before, you can take advantage of its FREE TRIAL and watch the British Open 2021 without paying a penny, if that's how you choose to play it.

Watch British Open online from abroad

You needn't find yourself in a pickle when you're abroad, either, as using a good VPN as described above will let you watch the streaming services and content you pay for at home, from anywhere in the world. This means you can watch the British Open 2021 online from anywhere.

How to watch British Open 2021: live stream golf in Canada

Canadian golf fans will find that TSN is providing coverage of the 2021 British Open, between its stable of TV channels and digital streaming options. However, it's sticking to the main action at the weekend.

For Round 3, coverage starts online at 5am ET / 2am PT, before switching over to TV at 7am ET / 4am PT. For Round 4, coverage starts online at 3am ET / 12am PT, before switching to TV at 7am ET / 4am PT for the grand finale.

If you get TSN as part of your cable package, then you'll just be able to log in to the TSN website with details of your provider and get access to a British Open live stream.

It's a walk in the park for cord-cutters too, who can subscribe to TSN Direct on a streaming-only basis from just $7.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.

Just remember that if you're abroad right now you can use a VPN to magically transport yourself back in Canada to live stream British Open 2021 coverage just like you would at home.

2021 British Open live stream: how to watch the golf online in Australia

Golf fans Down Under can live stream the British Open 2021 on Fox Sports or Kayo. 

You'll need to have a paid subscription to watch on Fox Sports or via a Foxtel subscription. For a cheaper alternative, you can live stream British Open 2021 golf online through slick streaming platform Kayo. 

Newbies can take advantage of a FREE Kayo trial to see if the service is right for them. For those who decide to keep it, Kayo price plans start from a super affordable AUD$25 a month – really good value considering how much premium live sports action it hosts. 

Coverage starts at 3.30pm AEST for Round 1, at 5.30pm for Round 2, at 7pm for Round 3, and at 6pm for Round 4. 

Not in Australia? Aussies abroad looking to watch a British Open live stream should find that a good VPN helps them access their home streaming services wherever they are.

Where is the 2021 Open Championship?

The Open returns to Sandwich for the first time in 10 years, with the world’s greatest players competing for the Claret Jug at Royal St George's Golf Club.

Who are the favourites for the 2021 Open?

US Open winner Jon Rahm is one of the hot favourites at Royal St George's, the Spaniard looking to pick up his second career major victory just weeks after his first.

2014 champion Rory McIlroy is also being hotly tipped, as are Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, who are yet to lift the Claret Jug.

How much does the winner of The Open Championship get?

While The Open ranks last among golf’s four biggest tournaments in terms of prize money, the winner still picks up a bumper payday. 

There’s been a hefty increase over the last tournament's winnings, with the prize pool increasing this year to $11.5 million (£8.02m), whilst the winner will pocket $2.07 million (£1.489m).

Who qualifies for The Open?

It’s the golf tournament every pro golfer wants to Its play in, but there are only 156 places available. Players can qualify in one of four ways.

The most common for top-tier stars is through exemption. The top 50 players on the current Golf World Rankings all go through in this way, as do the top 10 players from the previous British Open Championship. All players who have won one of the other three majors in the previous five years also get an exemption, as do the top 30 players from previous year’s PGA Tour money list and those on the European Order of Merit. Finally, all previous Open Champions under the age of 60 also get an exemption.

Players that don’t make the exemption criteria can get an invite via the Open Qualifying Series (OQS), and also via local qualifying. Finally, if the field size has not reached 156, players that have the highest rating in the official golf rankings that haven’t already qualified will get the nod.

Who won the 2019 Open Championship?

Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open, which was held at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The Irishman finished 15-under to earn his first major title.

The 2020 Open Championship was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Open 2021 dates: when is the British Open being played this year?

The tournament tees off on Thursday, July 15, with the final round set to be played on Sunday, July 18.

British Open 2021: weather forecast for Sandwich

Like much of the UK, Sandwich hasn't escaped the drizzle over the past few weeks, but the weather is expected to brighten up just in time for The Open, with sunshine and temperatures in the low 20s expected for the duration of the tournament.

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