Golf on ESPN
Golf on ESPN is ESPN’s American golf programming, bringing live coverage of major tours and events to TV and streaming. The coverage often combines ESPN’s talent with CBS for big events like the Masters and the PGA Championship.
Key points
- What is covered: LPGA, Senior PGA Tour, PGA Tour, and major championships.
- Major rights: Masters Tournament (ESPN since 2008) and PGA Championship (ESPN since 2020). Both are produced with CBS, the U.S. broadcast partner.
- Streaming: Since 2022, ESPN+ is the home of PGA Tour Live, the tour’s streaming service, with thousands of hours of live golf across many tournaments.
History in brief
- 1979: ESPN starts golf coverage with the LPGA Tour. Over the years, ESPN also airs Senior PGA Tour and PGA Tour telecasts.
- 1980s–2000s: Golf coverage expands, including major championships and notable formats like Thursday/Friday afternoon “Happy Hour” U.S. Open coverage. ABC/ESPN cover different events through the 1990s.
- 2006: ESPN/ABC lose some PGA Tour rights to other networks; coverage continuity shifts and branding blends with ABC’s broadcasts.
- 2010: ABC’s regular golf coverage moves to ESPN. ESPN carries major events such as The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and the Ryder Cup, with a revamped on-air team.
- 2010s–early 2020s: ESPN strengthens its golf coverage and teams, with ongoing coverage of major championships and PGA Tour events, including open broadcasts and special programs.
- 2020s: ESPN+ expands to stream PGA Tour Live; live golf hours grow substantially. A new secondary broadcast for the PGA Championship (styled after popular sports broadcasts) debuts in 2022. CBS continues to handle traditional network presentation.
- 2023–present: ESPN expands into new formats and partnerships, including plans around TGL, a virtual golf league launching later. ABC/ESPN have also carried special events like the World Champions Cup.
- 2024–onward: ESPN+ adds more live events such as the Western Amateur. There are also ongoing notes about how ESPN will sometimes simulcast or share feeds with its partners for larger events.
- 2026 outlook: ESPN plans to simulcast the PGA Tour Live main feed on its linear networks for early rounds, marking a return to more PGA Tour live action on ESPN’s channels.
Current team
- Lead host: Scott Van Pelt.
- Lead analysts: David Duval and Curtis Strange.
In short, Golf on ESPN has evolved from LPGA beginnings to a multimedia golf coverage hub, delivering major live events, extensive streaming through ESPN+, and innovative broadcast formats across ESPN networks and CBS collaborations.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:50 (CET).