How to watch and stream the 2018 PGA Championship live online and on Facebook

Sky Sports and BBC were beaten to the broadcast rights by online streaming service which is offering free coverage of the Championship

America’s Justin Thomas begins his PGA Championship defence alongside Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy at the Bellerive Country Club.

Viewers in the UK would usually watch the final major of the year on BBC or Sky Sports, but online streaming service Eleven Sports have snapped up this year’s rights.

Last year the PGA Championship TV coverage caused controversy by receiving a large amount of money from Sky Sports, who lost the rights to the final major of 2017, only for the BBC to step in with three weeks to prepare.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are in a group with holder Justin Thomas (Getty Images)

This year, Eleven Sports have secured exclusive access to the four-day event which begins on Thursday and concluded on Sunday evening.

The first two rounds will be shown live on Facebook through the Eleven Sports UK page, and all four rounds will be live on the Eleven Sports website, available free of charge as part of a seven-day-trial.

At least eight and a half hours of live coverage will be shown each day and highlights will be available on the website.

Jordan Speith perfects his bunker shot at the Bellerive Country Club (Getty)

Dominik Holyer and Anna Whiteley will be presenting the coverage which will follow featured groups.

For Sky Sports who have a dedicated channel which claims to be ‘the home of golf,’ this will come as a blow. However, the tournament clashes with the opening weekend of the Premier League season and second Test match between England and India.

Full details of live coverage

Thursday 4pm-7pm: Featured groups; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live

7pm-close of play: Full coverage; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live

Friday 4pm-7pm: Featured groups; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live

7pm-close of play: Full coverage; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live

Saturday 5pm-close of play: Full coverage; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live

Sunday 5pm-close of play: Full coverage; Eleven Sports website, mobile and tablet apps, Facebook Live