The BBC will broadcast three special Open Championship programmes on the week of what would have been the 149th edition of the golf’s most prestigious Major.
The Open was scheduled to be played at Royal St George’s in Kent this year, but was cancelled back in April due of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the absence of one of the highlights of the British sporting summer, BBC Sport will screen three programmes celebrating a selection of the The Open’s greatest champions, as well as a look back at some memorable moments from recent championships.
Two episodes of Chronicles of a Champion Golfer will be broadcast on BBC Two on Thursday and Friday afternoons, both introduced by Eilidh Barbour, the first of which features highlights from all 11 Opens won collectively by three of the greatest American golfers of all time – Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.
Friday’s programme takes a look at some of the recent British successes at the Open Championship and relives the stories behind each triumph, including England’s three-time winner Sir Nick Faldo and Northern Ireland’s most recent champions Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.
Then on Saturday evening, BBC Two will look back at last year’s historic Open at Royal Portrush, won by the Republic of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, in How Shane Won The Claret Jug.
All of the BBC’s special Open Championship programmes will be available to watch live and on-demand via the BBC iPlayer.
Further details about each show and TV times can be found below (all subject to change), with the two Chronicles of a Champion Golfer programmes repeated on Saturday, 17 July, from 10am on BBC Two.
The 2020 professional golf calendar has been greatly altered due to coronavirus, but the next scheduled golf coverage on the BBC is set to be highlights of the Women’s British Open in August.
This will be followed by highlights of selected European Tour events, including the PGA Championship at Wentworth in October, and if the Masters goes ahead on its rescheduled dates of 12-15 November, the BBC will broadcast daily highlights.
For a full list of all forthcoming live golf tournaments on the box, visit SOTB’s dedicated golf TV listings page.
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THURSDAY 15th JULY
The Open: Chronicles of a Champion Golfer
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Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus are the Open Championship’s three most successful postwar Americans, but what fuelled their success?
Introduced by Eilidh Barbour, this episode takes a look at the origins of their stories, with rarely shown footage from their childhoods, personal insights from all three men and highlights of all 11 Open Championships that the trio have won between them.
Watson won a staggering five Open Championships between 1975 and 1983, Woods has lifted the Claret Jug three times to date, while Nicklaus also triumphed on three occasions between 1966 and 1978.
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FRIDAY 16th JULY
The Open: Chronicles of a Champion Golfer
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Introduced by Eilidh Barbour, the second episode takes a look at some of the recent British successes at the Open Championship.
Sir Nick Faldo is arguably Britain’s greatest modern day golfer and lifted the Claret Jug three times between 1987 and 1992. The Englishman won twice at Muirfield and once at St Andrews in what was a dominant period of his career.
Few will forget Darren Clarke’s triumph at Royal St George’s in 2011 as the Northern Irishman conquered the elements and his nerves to win his first major championship at the age of 42.
Fellow Northern Irishman and current world number one Rory McIlroy won the Claret Jug for the first time at Royal Liverpool in 2014 in devastating fashion as he become only the sixth golfer to win the Open after leading all four rounds.
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SATURDAY 17th JULY
The Open 2019: How Shane Won The Claret Jug
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The Open made a dramatic return to Northern Ireland in 2019 after a 68-year absence, and Royal Portrush served up a treat with Irishman Shane Lowry emerging as the winner.
Lowry could not have chosen a better venue to claim his first major title, and he soared to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a magnificent 63 in the third round, setting a new course record in one of the greatest rounds in Open history.
He held firm on the final day as his rivals faltered to claim the Claret Jug by six shots.
Patriotic fans, some appalling weather and a home golfer trying to contain his emotions all combined to make the 148th Open Championship one of the best.
Eilidh Barbour introduces the programme, while Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt narrates the story of Lowry’s magical triumph.
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