You’re sitting on the couch, coffee in hand, wondering is there golf on today or if you’ve missed the morning wave. It’s a common frustration. Between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, the LPGA, and the DP World Tour, the schedule is a fragmented mess. Honestly, unless it’s a Major Sunday, finding the right channel or streaming app feels like a part-time job.
Golf isn’t played on a fixed clock like the NFL. Coverage shifts based on time zones, weather delays, and whether the "Featured Groups" are out on the course yet. If you are looking for live action right now, the answer usually depends on the day of the week and where in the world the grass is currently being mowed.
Where the pros are playing right now
Usually, the PGA Tour runs from Thursday to Sunday. If it's Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, you’re mostly looking at reruns or "Live From" studio shows unless there is a rare Monday finish due to a Sunday washout.
For the most part, is there golf on today boils down to checking the four big umbrellas of the sport. The PGA Tour is the big dog in North America. Then you have LIV Golf, which plays a shorter 54-hole schedule over three days (usually Friday–Sunday). The DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) often owns the early morning hours in the U.S. because of the time difference in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa.
If you’re checking your TV guide at 8:00 AM on a Thursday, you might not see the main network coverage on NBC or CBS. That’s because they save the big broadcast windows for the afternoon. Early morning coverage has migrated almost entirely to ESPN+ for the PGA Tour. They carry the "Featured Groups" and "Featured Holes" that start as soon as the first group tees off, often as early as 7:00 AM ET.
How to find the broadcast without losing your mind
Searching for live golf is a headache because the rights are split. One minute you're watching on Golf Channel, the next you have to switch to a local network station, and if you want the "all-day" experience, you need a subscription service.
The PGA Tour breakdown
Most weeks, the PGA Tour follows a rigid broadcast pattern. Thursday and Friday are split between ESPN+ (all day) and the Golf Channel (afternoon). Saturday and Sunday are the "money rounds." You’ll typically get a few hours of lead-in coverage on Golf Channel before the main feed moves to either CBS or NBC around 3:00 PM ET.
If the tournament is on the West Coast, like the Genesis Invitational at Riviera or the Phoenix Open, everything slides later. You might be watching live golf until 8:00 PM ET.
What about LIV Golf?
LIV is different. They don’t play every week. When they do, it’s a Friday start. You can usually find them on The CW Network or streaming through the LIV Golf Plus app. The shotgun start is their "thing," meaning everyone starts at once. It’s fast. If you tune in at 1:00 PM, you’ll see the whole field playing simultaneously, which is a nice change of pace if you're tired of the slow-drip traditional format.
The LPGA and DP World Tour
Don't sleep on these. The DP World Tour is fantastic for breakfast golf. If you're an early riser on the East Coast, you can catch live coverage from places like Dubai, Scotland, or Spain starting at 3:00 AM or 4:00 AM ET. These are almost always on the Golf Channel. The LPGA often takes the "primetime" slot late in the evening if they are playing a swing through Asia, or they follow the PGA Tour on Sunday afternoons.
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Why the schedule sometimes says there is golf but your TV is blank
Weather is the ultimate spoiler. Golf is one of the few sports that just... stops. If there’s lightning within an 8-mile radius, the sirens blow and everyone heads for the clubhouse.
If you're asking is there golf on today and the screen shows a "Best of the 1997 Masters" replay, check the ticker at the bottom of the screen. Chances are there is a weather delay. In these spots, the tournament directors try to cram 36 holes into a single day once the sun comes out. This can lead to "Monday Finishes," which are a treat for anyone working from home but a nightmare for the tournament's logistics.
The "Major" exception
Everything changes during the four Majors:
- The Masters (April)
- PGA Championship (May)
- U.S. Open (June)
- The Open Championship (July)
During these weeks, coverage is nearly 24/7. The Masters, for instance, has its own app that is arguably the best piece of sports technology ever created. You can watch every shot from every player for free. For the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, you'll need to look at Peacock or USA Network for the early rounds before NBC takes over the weekend.
Quick checklist to find today's round
Stop scrolling through 500 channels. Just follow this logic:
- Is it Thursday–Sunday? Yes? There is definitely live golf somewhere.
- Is it before 1:00 PM ET? Check ESPN+ for the PGA Tour or Golf Channel for the DP World Tour.
- Is it a weekend afternoon? Flip to CBS or NBC. These are the free, over-the-air channels.
- Is it a LIV week? Check The CW.
- Nothing on? Check the PGA Tour App. The "Leaderboard" tab will tell you exactly which hole the leaders are on and which network is currently airing the action.
Actionable steps for the savvy viewer
To stay ahead of the "where is the game?" curve, you should do three things right now. First, download the PGA Tour app. It has a "Watch" tab that literally lists the TV times for the current day. It's the most accurate source because it updates in real-time for weather delays.
Second, if you're a die-hard, an ESPN+ subscription is basically mandatory at this point. You get about 40 hours of extra coverage per tournament that never makes it to cable TV. It’s the only way to see the early starters.
Finally, check the "World Golf Ranking" schedule once a month. It helps you circle the big events so you aren't surprised when a "Signature Event" is happening. These events have smaller fields and bigger stars, meaning the golf is better and the coverage is usually more intense.
If you’re looking for golf right this second, open your browser and type "PGA Tour Leaderboard." If the scores are changing, the players are on the course. If the scores are static, they’re either done for the day or waiting for the rain to stop. It’s that simple. Grab your remote and get to it.
Next Steps for Golf Fans:
Check the official PGA Tour Leaderboard to see the current "thru" status of the leaders. If they are on hole 1, you have at least four hours of viewing left. If they are on hole 16, you better find a TV in the next ten minutes to catch the finish. For specific streaming links, the Golf Channel website maintains a "Live Stream" schedule that covers LPGA and PGA Tour Champions events as well.