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#TBT: ESPN and The Open Championship

Welcome to another edition of #TBT: Throwback Thursday.

Next week, ESPN is returning to the Home of Golf, St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, to televise all four rounds of play in The Open Championship, golf’s oldest major, July 16-19. St. Andrews, the famed seaside links course, will be hosting The Open for the 29th time.

While 2015 marks the sixth time that ESPN has televised the entire event, The Open has been in the ESPN/ABC family of networks for more than 50 years.

ABC first aired highlights of The Open Championship (also often called the British Open) on Wide World of Sports in 1962 and in 1966 televised the final round live for the first time. Three-hour weekend highlights programs still air on ABC but live play from all four rounds airs on ESPN.

Mike Tirico will anchor ESPN’s Open Championship coverage for the 19th year. ESPN will televise 11 hours of live play the first two days, and then 7-1/2 hours each day for the weekend rounds.

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