It will be back to a normal schedule on Sunday at the British Open with everyone chasing Rory McIlroy. Will anyone catch him, or will he add the third leg of the career grand slam?
Although the modified schedule and split tees made for a unique day at the British Open on Sunday, Rory McIlroy was unfazed and moved 18 holes closer to a third major championship. The 25-year-old continued to be dialed in, increasing his lead each round. He led by a stroke following the first round, by four through 36 holes and will open Sunday with a six-stroke lead. With weather conditions known to get the better of players at the British Open, McIlroy is far from a lock. He is, however, a very strong favorite, and viewers will be able to watch all of his round online live.
The British Open hasn't been McIlroy's strongest tournament during his career. He hits the ball notoriously high, a skill that plays well on the PGA Tour, but can be more of a disadvantage in windy British Open conditions. That hasn't been an issue this week, however. McIlroy has done an excellent job of controlling his ball flight, playing to the course and avoiding any significant damage. He did card three bogeys on Saturday after carding just one during the first 36 holes. He more than made up for it, however, with a pair of eagles coming in. Although Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and others are within range to make a run if they go low, McIlroy will likely have to give up some strokes in a bad way if he's not going to win the Claret Jug. He hasn't looked anything like a player who is on the verge of combusting this week.
ESPN will provide more than seven hours of live final-round television coverage. The broadcast will begin at 6 a.m. ET and run through the round, which will likely wrap up around 2 p.m. barring weather issues. The main broadcast can also be streamed online with a simulcast stream available on WatchESPN. McIlroy will play with Fowler in the final pairing, and the two are scheduled to tee off at 9:40 a.m. That will allow viewers to watch every key shot McIlroy hits either on the way to the win or during a collapse of epic proportions.
In addition to the main coverage, ESPN3 will also provide multiple online streams. There will be a stream with the Spanish feed and an international stream that will feature the BBC coverage. ESPN3 will also provide a featured hole stream that will focus on No. 13, 14 and 15. That can be a difficult stretch of holes with a pair of par-3s that can easily cost a player a shot with an errant swing off the tee.
Tiger Woods will begin the round a whopping 19 strokes off the lead. He isn't going to be a factor on Sunday, but ESPN3 will still provide a stream of every shot Woods hits. Woods will tee off at 4:45 a.m. and play with Jason Dufner. The so-called "Tigercam" will at least allow viewers to catch a glimpse of live coverage before the other streams begin at 6 a.m.
Sunday's final round coverage
Television:
6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. -- ESPN
Online streams:
6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. -- ESPN3 simulcast of TV coverage, Spanish feed, and International (BBC) streams
6 a.m. -- ESPN3 featured group stream featuring Tiger Woods and Jason Dufner
6 a.m. -- ESPN3 featured holes stream, Nos. 13 through 15
Radio:
8 a.m. to conclusion (est 1:30 p.m. ET) -- ESPN Radio / PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)