USGA and NBC going 'digital' for golf fans at US Open
With no fans on the course, the USGA is offering digital features designed to bring the experience of the 2020 U.S. Open Championship to fans around the world and complement the championship broadcast’s return to the NBCUniversal family.
The 120th U.S. Open Championship will be played Sept. 14-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Winged Foot’s West Course will host the championship for the sixth time.
Spanning the entirety of the USGA’s digital platforms, hundreds of hours of championship content will be available to fans through usopen.com, the U.S. Open App, the U.S. Open Augmented Reality App and the USGA Streaming App.
Among the highlights for 2020 is a new interactive feature that will provide fans the opportunity to participate in trivia and answer play-related questions to earn points for the chance to win prizes during the livestream.
Available on both usopen.com and the U.S. Open App:
Course Flyovers Presented by Deloitte:
Get an inside look at Winged Foot’s West Course leading up to and throughout the championship with drone flyovers of all 18 holes and course insights.
U.S. Open Livestream Presented by American Express:
U.S. Open fans can follow along as their favorite players navigate Winged Foot Golf Club’s West Course.
Complimentary access to three channels of livestreaming coverage will include featured groups, featured holes and U.S. Open 360, a new channel dedicated to the practice area, player interviews and data insights.
Fans can access livestreaming through usopen.com, the U.S. Open App and the USGA Streaming App on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
Live Scoring Presented by Cisco:
Track your favorite players with an interactive scorecard featuring real-time highlights and a visual shot-by-shot experience. With the new probability tracker, fans can also follow, in real time, the percentage chance each player has of winning, finishing in the top 10, and making the cut as the championship unfolds.
U.S. Open Merchandise and 2021 Tickets:
Shop for U.S. Open gear and tickets to the 2021 U.S. Open without ever leaving the U.S. Open app! Tickets for the 2021 U.S. Open on June 14-20 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif., go on sale Monday, Sept. 14.
Fans looking to commemorate the 120th U.S. Open can purchase championship apparel and headwear at USGAshop.com. Shop top golf brands, including Polo Ralph Lauren, the Official Outfitter of the U.S. Open. American Express Card Members will receive 20 percent off site-wide on Sunday, Sept. 13 and Monday, Sept. 14 when they use the code: USGAAMEX and use their American Express credit card at checkout.
Player Pages:
Learn about each player’s U.S. Open history, how they earned their spot at Winged Foot and more with personalized player pages for all 144 competitors.
Exclusive to usopen.com
Advanced Player Analysis:
Once the championship is underway, get an in-depth look at all 144 U.S. Open competitors with strokes-gained analytics and the new player comparison feature, which provides a head-to-head breakdown of any two players in the field.
U.S. Open History Experience Presented by Rolex:
Take a journey back in time with the U.S. Open History Experience, in partnership with Rolex, which features full-field results from every U.S. Open since the championship’s inception in 1895, along with decades’ worth of accompanying videos, photos and more.
U.S. Open App Features:
Virtual Photo Booth:
Take a “scenic selfie” on Winged Foot’s historic ninth and 18th holes or take a selfie with the U.S. Open Trophy from the comfort of your home, or wherever you are watching the 120th championship.
U.S. Open Pick ‘Em:
Make predictions all week long about who will win, who will shine in each round and more with the U.S. Open Pick ‘Em game. Make your picks for the chance to win daily prizes.
Player and Leader Alerts:
Follow the action with player and leader alerts and stay up to date on when your favorite competitors tee off or make moves on the leader board.
USGA Streaming App Presented by Cisco:
Available for free on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, the USGA Streaming App will feature live streaming all week long, as well as exclusive extended highlights after each round. It will also be the digital home of post-round interviews throughout the championship. Launched in 2019 in partnership with Cisco, the app also features more than 300 hours of past USGA championship final-round broadcasts, films, highlights and more.
U.S. Open Augmented Reality (AR) App Presented by Deloitte
Available in the Apple App and Google Play Stores, the U.S. Open Augmented Reality (AR) App will transport fans from their living rooms to Winged Foot to follow the action at this year’s championship. The course will come to life on users’ mobile and tablet devices, allowing fans to follow the drama in near real time with 3-dimensional views of all 18 holes. Users will be able to locate players, view how their favorite golfers performed and compare players’ shots, all in augmented reality.
Social First Content:
With fans watching from home this year, the USGA will bring the excitement of the championship to life with the help of some of the game’s most recognizable social media personalities, who will create content for USGA platforms, including Instagram, Twitter and usopen.com:
Kira Dixon (kirakdixon) Michael Breed (michaelbreed) Scott Walker (@ScottWalkeronTV) Bailey Chamblee (baileychambleegc) Hally Leadbetter (hallylead) Coach Rusty (coach_rusty) Tisha Alyn (tishaalyn) Andrew Haynes (ahaynes01)
Victory Club:
Launched in June, the Victory Club is the first-ever dedicated U.S. Open fan club, where fans can celebrate the U.S. Open Championship and experience a greater connection to the championship year-round.
The Victory Club is free to join and offers benefits to members that include exclusive ticket offers, limited-edition merchandise and virtual fan experiences. Club members will have access to special offers and personalized championship content 365 days a year, including digital wallpapers, previews of future U.S. Open venues and unique championship stories.
The Victory Club name pays homage to Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory whose likeness tops the 18-inch-tall, sterling silver U.S. Open Trophy. In addition to celebrating the championship, the Victory Club will introduce fans to USGA initiatives and demonstrate the impact of U.S. Open on the USGA’s work on behalf of the game.
There is no cost to join the Victory Club. For a limited time, new club members will receive a discount of 25 percent at the official USGA shop. Fans can sign up now at usopen.com/victoryclub.
Broadcast Schedule:
The U.S. Open returns to NBC Sports, with domestic (U.S.) coverage airing exclusively across NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service.
All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Round One – Thursday, Sept. 17
7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: Golf Channel
2-5 p.m.: NBC Sports
5-7 p.m.: Peacock (Streaming App)
Round Two – Friday, Sept. 18
7:30-9:30 a.m.: Peacock (Streaming App)
9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.: Golf Channel
4-7 p.m.: NBC Sports
Round Three – Saturday, Sept. 19
9-11 a.m.: Peacock (Streaming App)
11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.: NBC Sports
Round Four – Sunday, Sept. 20
8-10 a.m.: Peacock (Streaming App)
10 a.m.-Noon: Golf Channel
Noon-6 p.m.: NBC Sports
Coverage of the U.S. Open on Peacock:
Across each of the four rounds, Peacock will exclusively stream two hours of live U.S. Open coverage for free. U.S. Open content on Peacock will also include coverage of featured groups and featured holes in all four rounds.
Tournament Production & Broadcast Team:
Led by 29-time Emmy Award-winning producer Tommy Roy – along with NBC Sports’ producer Brandt Packer – the network’s U.S. Open production will utilize the deepest roster of broadcasters in golf, including five USGA champions: Kay Cockerill (1986, ’87 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Trevor Immelman (1998 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Peter Jacobsen (2004 U.S. Senior Open), Gary Koch (1970 U.S. Junior Amateur) and Justin Leonard (1992 U.S. Amateur).