Sky's the Limit for David Livingstone and his Team

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

IF it moves at Royal Troon, Sky Sports will capture it. The subscription channel can hardly contain its excitement at landing The Open, and plans to make the most of it, showing everything from the first to the last shot on all four days.

If you yearn for Peter Alliss and his fumbling commentary, you will still be able to catch up with the old boy on the BBC's daily highlights programmes. He has rather unkindly said that Sky's golf coverage doesn't come close to matching that of the BBC - what coverage would that be Peter? Once upon a time, the BBC was the place to go to for proper golf coverage. No longer. They still had the rights to show this year's Open but chose to give it up, which tells you just about everything you need to know about Auntie's commitment to sport these days.

Alliss has said that Sky don't take the time to look at what is going on in and around the action. That is an interesting point of view. If you like watching old men falling asleep in grandstands and you enjoy listening to Alliss and company wittering on about Colonel Humphrey Willtington-Wotnot and his cronies on the committee at Trumpington-on-Sea Golf and Country Club, then Alliss may have a point.

But if you prefer to watch your golf complete with all the latest technology, such as shot tracer, the Sky Cart and a team of commentators and pundits who know what they are talking about, then you might actually prefer the fayre that Sky have in store for us all.

You might recall that, 12 months ago, as Zach Johnson stood over the putt that would win him the 2015 Claret Jug, the camera cut to his wife and Alliss observed: “She is probably thinking – if this goes in I get a new kitchen.” Zzzzzzz. He described his wife on air as a rottweiler who wears lip gloss and has been quoted as saying that women have b******d up golf. 

Funny? I almost split my sides. 

And you can be sure that when the winning putt is holed, it will be called correctly, unlike Alliss's monumental gaffe at the 2004 Masters, when Phil Mickelson holed the winning putt, leapt in the air and Alliss informed a bemused audience that we were heading to a playoff.

There once was a time when Alliss really was the doyen of golf commentators, but those days are long gone. All right, so Colin Montgomerie may not be everybody's cup of tea (or tee) but he is opinionated and gets a reaction. Rich Beem and Wayne Riley are second-to-none when it comes to on-course analysis (and Riley is also very funny), Butch Harmon provides a unique insight into the swings and lives of the world's elite golfers (many of whom he coaches), Paul McGinley has been a revelation since joining the team after his stint as 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, David Livingstone is the front man supreme and Ewen Murray, a former European Tour player, has the happy knack of knowing the right thing to say - and the time to say it. In short, Sky has employed the best professionals in the business to present coverage of the best major in the business and I can't wait to see what the do with The Open.

And for this week they have also recruited Nick Faldo, whose skills as a summariser and commentary match those he showed on the golf course when he was in his prime. He has even discovered a sense of humour, for goodness sake.

How seriously are Sky taking it? Turn your TV on tomorrow and you will find that Sky Sports One has been re-branded as Sky Sports The Open. Should you wish you can watch coverage of the practice rounds and early risers – set your alarm for 6.30am – can for the first time see the opening shot of the tournament live on Thursday. 

There is, of course, one area in which Sky will not be able to compete with the BBC, and that is when it comes to viewing figures. Last year, four million people tuned in to watch what turned out to be the corporation's swansong - the subscription channel will be lucky to attract one million viewers.

Thursday Live coverage, Sky Sports The Open (Sky channel 401), 6.30am-9pm; highlights, BBC2 8pm Friday Live coverage, Sky Sports The Open, 6.30am-9pm; highlights, BBC2 8.30pm Saturday Live coverage, Sky Sports The Open, 8am-8pm; highlights, BBC2 8pm Sunday Live coverage, Sky Sports The Open 7.30am-7.30pm; highlights, BBC2 8pm