This year has already been fantastic, with strong plays from all competitors in The Masters and the US PGA Championship. Hideki Matsuyama has now been titled the Master’s champion, as well as the first Japanese men’s major champion, a major achievement to celebrate for Japan. Then there was the PGA Championship, with Phil “Lefty” Mickelson taking home his second PGA Championship win as well as claiming the title of oldest major champion in a tense battle between himself and Brooks Koepka. Now coming to the middle of the year the excitement doesn’t stop as The Open, the US Open and the Australian PGA Championship all approach the horizon and prepare to tee up. But what are these championships? And what do you need to know to engage with them? Read on to find out.

How do I watch?

The championships happen all over the world, and the upcoming three are no different. Getting to Brisbane for the Australian PGA Championship might be a trip in itself, but getting to California or England for the US Open or The Open is a very different story. To that end, watching online may turn out to be the best option. Both Kayo Sports and Sky Sports are good options for watching from home, and both now offer streaming of many events on demand alongside a membership. That way you can watch every event from the comfort of your own home and still see every vital swing and putt. There’s also the option of watching along live on Twitter, with a number of official accounts streaming and uploading the courses live as they are played. Following along on social media will increase your engagement in all of the events, chatting with viewers all over the world. For more engagement, why not place a couple of bets on the outcome? If you’re unsure on who to bet on, or which site suits you best, try OLBG.com's favourite sports betting sites. Keeping an eye on the odds of each player’s success and the ultimate outcome of each championship adds to the tension, keeping your attention locked to each play, each shot and each success.

On the other hand, you could always go and watch the events live. The Australian PGA Championship would be an especially beautiful course to spectate on, with brilliant weather in the fantastic city of Brisbane. Spectating live is often the best way to enjoy the nuances of the sport, as well as engaging with fans potentially from around the world. Not only does it give you the chance to meet fans and new friends, but there’s even the chance that you can meet some of the famous players, getting experiences and memories that are impossible to forget.

What are the Events?

There are three major events coming up for Australian viewers, though there are a huge number of smaller tournaments to keep track of if you so wish. The three being covered here are The Open in England, the US Open in California and the Australian PGA Championship. There isn’t as much information about this year’s Australian PGA Championship after being postponed last year. So far, we know that it will be held at the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane, taking place from the 2nd to the 5th December. The Brisbane weather should be fantastic for fans on the course and plenty calm for the most precise shots. Not to mention the chance to explore all that the city of Brisbane has to offer, and to experience the Royal Queensland Club. The Australia PGA Championship is a seventy-two stroke-hole course, with the record for most wins currently being held by Kel Nagle with six total wins. This event is definitely a source of pride for Brisbane, so it will be a hugely exciting watch this year.

The next is the US Open, going on from June 17th to June 20th in Torrey Pines, California. And with a purse of $12,500,000, this will be a hard fought match between every competitor with a lot on the line. Tickets are already sold out to watch this momentous event, played on the excellent Torrey Pines Golf Course. Set up has just begun to prepare the course for an amazing match between some very talented players. This year’s favourite to win is Jon Raum, and all eyes are going to be on Phil Mickelson after taking a special exemption to play. “Lefty” has been just out of reach of taking home a US Open win, so this specialist exemption will hopefully propel himself to a final victory and the veteran can claim another “oldest winner” title. Not to mention Brooks Koepka, Mickelson’s last opponent. Koepka may come back for another US Open win, so it’s all to play for as the start of the championship draws near.

Finally, The Open, the British Golf Championship. Played at the Royal St George’s Club, this will be the 149th time this championship has been played. It’s been ten years since the course was last teed professionally and so all bets are on. July 15th to July 18th and a purse of $10,750,000, this Open is likely to be the most impactful Royal St George’s has ever seen. Not to mention the crowds that will be watching. The previous Open boasted a record attendance of 183,000, but organisers expect this year’s spectator list to exceed 200,000. The seats around the course will be absolutely packed, all attention focused on the green as the currently unannounced competitors take their place.

The upcoming championships will be tense, exhilarating and amazing to watch, with talent from all over the world coming together to show the viewers what golf truly is. These will be some exciting times coming over the course of this year, and winners will soon be announced. So get ready to keep one eye on the news and the other on these brilliant games and prepare for possibly the best year of golf so far.