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Moving Day at Royal Birkdale: How to Watch Round 3 of The Open

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Golf Colors
·3 min read

The field has been trimmed, the pretenders separated from the contenders, and now Royal Birkdale prepares to reveal her Saturday secrets. Moving Day at The Open Championship is perhaps my favorite day in golf—when calculated patience gives way to bold ambition, and the leaderboard begins to tell us who truly wants that Claret Jug.

Saturday's Complete TV Schedule

For those of us stateside willing to set early alarms (and trust me, it's worth every lost hour of sleep), here's how to catch every moment of Round 3:

  • USA Network: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. ET (Early coverage)
  • NBC: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET (Main broadcast)

That's a full ten hours of championship golf from one of England's most revered links courses. I'd suggest making a proper morning of it—strong coffee, perhaps some rashers if you're feeling authentically British, and nowhere to be until afternoon.

Streaming Options for the Modern Golf Fan

If traditional television isn't your preference, Peacock offers comprehensive streaming coverage, including featured group coverage that lets you follow specific pairings throughout their rounds. There's also a live simulcast of NBC's broadcast available from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. For the early USA Network coverage, Golf Channel Mobile has you covered.

The tee sheet reads like a who's who of modern golf. Among the marquee pairings stepping onto Royal Birkdale's first tee Saturday morning:

  • 5:30 a.m. ET: Xander Schauffele paired with Ryan Fox
  • 6:45 a.m. ET: Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama
  • 7:20 a.m. ET: Rory McIlroy alongside Jacob Bridgeman
  • 8:10 a.m. ET: Collin Morikawa with Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
  • 9:15 a.m. ET: Shane Lowry and Ludvig Åberg

Brooks Koepka tees off at 4:50 a.m. ET with Peter Uihlein, while Patrick Cantlay goes at 7:10 a.m. alongside Andy Sullivan. The late-morning groups, heading out around 9:00 a.m. ET, will likely feature the leaders—and that's when you'll want your eyes firmly fixed on the screen.

What Makes Saturday at Royal Birkdale Special

I've walked Royal Birkdale's fairways on a windless July morning and again when the Irish Sea was throwing everything it had at the Lancashire coast. It's a course that can play two entirely different personalities within the same round. The closing stretch—particularly the run from 15 through 18—has produced some of The Open's most dramatic Saturday moments.

The course rewards intelligent aggression, and Moving Day is when we see who has the nerve to make their charge. Players sitting three or four back know they need birdies; those leading know the field is coming. It creates a beautiful tension that no other day in major championship golf quite matches.

Your Saturday Takeaway

Set your alarm, prepare your beverage of choice, and settle in for what promises to be compelling theater. With NBC and USA providing comprehensive coverage and Peacock offering streaming flexibility, there's no excuse to miss a moment. The Claret Jug won't be awarded today, but the Saturday narrative at Royal Birkdale will tell us exactly who's positioned to lift it on Sunday.

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