Latest news with #Spidercam
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Spidercam technology brings golf's oldest major into the modern world
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland: The oldest major championship has taken a step into the modern world by using a technological feature that British Open organizers hope will bring to life one of the most storied walks in golf. Spidercam – that's a camera, not a superhero – was used in golf for the first time at Royal Portrush on July 17. It's a camera suspended above the 18th green using four pylons about 25 meters high, giving TV viewers unique views of the closing hole and its undulations. Held in a resting position high to the back of the green for approach shots, Spidercam swoops down as the players make their walk to the green and hovers just above them as they make their putts. "It's pretty cool the way it can move and do all those swings,' said Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin, who went out at 6.35am local time in the first group of the day with Nicolai Hojgaard and Padraig Harrington. They were the first players to experience in competition the technology which reportedly cost the R&A £300,000 ($400,000) to install. "It was a little bit different,' McKibbin said. "I'd never seen it before.' That's because the R&A is using the technology before any of the professional tours in golf. Spidercam has, though, operated widely in TV coverage of other major sports including soccer, rugby and cricket – and has occasionally gotten in the way. In 2017, India star MS Dhoni hit a shot in a cricket match against England that smashed into the hovering camera and broke it. In 2022, South Africa cricketer Anrich Nortje was knocked to the ground when he collided with a low-swinging Spidercam as he walked to his place in the field in a test against Australia. The camera operator responsible was stood down for the remainder of the match. "I didn't know what hit me,' Nortje said at the time. "I don't think it should be traveling at head height." At Royal Portrush, Spidercam will complement existing technology such as a plane camera, aerial drones and bunker cameras to enhance TV coverage. According to the Guardian newspaper, players were briefed last week about plans to use Spidercam at Royal Portrush and there were no complaints despite the potential for getting distracted while preparing to make a shot. As Hojgaard and Harrington walked alongside each other to the 18th green, Spidercam swung down and over them. As Harrington made his two putts, the camera almost circled him. Hojgaard said he didn't notice Spidercam. With Royal Portrush not having a clubhouse on the 18th green, there has been space to install the technology. Other venues on the Open rotation won't have that luxury, notably Royal Lytham St. Anne's, Royal Troon and Hoylake. Next year's Open is at Royal Birkdale, which has its clubhouse near the 18th green but should still have room for the Spidercam technology. "We... believe that Spidercam will bring millions of fans a new perspective of the action from Royal Portrush,' said Neil Armit, chief commercial officer at the R&A, "with incredible detail and accessibility wherever they are in the world.' – AP
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
The Open sees expensive new addition never used in golf – and football fans know it well
The Open Championship organisers have brought in a new era at Royal Portrush this week by implementing technology in the form of a Spidercam, as seen in the Premier League and the Champions League The Open Championship at Royal Portrush is the first golf tournament in history to use a Spidercam. The R&A has invested £300,000 in a four-point wire-cam system for the event - something that has not been done previously in the sport. With the second round's action underway, the technology is being used above the 18th hole to offer breathtaking aerial views and unique perspectives of the action, due to the absence of a clubhouse on the final hole where spectators can watch. Players were informed of the change last week, with organisers of the Open worried they might be unhappy with the potential distraction of a moving camera during their shot preparations. But there were reportedly no complaints. It's understood that the R&A is spending around £300,000 on the Spidercam's operational costs for the week in Northern Ireland, following a year-long planning project in partnership with European Tour Productions. Alongside IMG, European Tour Productions is tasked with covering the Open, the Ryder Cup, and the DP World Tour. The Spidercam footage is accessible to the R&A's broadcast partners, including Sky Sports in the UK and NBC in the US, who are reportedly delighted with the innovation. The technology could be utilised at future tournaments wherever feasible, although it's unlikely to become a regular feature at golf events due to its hefty cost. R&A head of broadcasting and media rights Paul Sutcliffe told The Guardian: "It's not often The Open is the first to do something, as usually innovations are made by the Tours before being introduced by the majors, so this is really exciting. "Portrush is one of the few venues without a clubhouse on the 18th green so that gave us a unique opportunity. With more space around the green we have been able to install technology. "There will be some wires around the green, but the camera will retract to the grandstand before each player's second shot so we're confident there will be no interference. "2019 was one of the iconic Opens with the emotion of Shane Lowry winning at Portrush and Spidercam will enable viewers to walk with the 2025 champion up the 18th. It's the greatest walk in golf and should be very special." Football fans will be well-acquainted with the Spidercam already, with Champions League matches unveiling the technology as early as 2010. The Premier League, meanwhile, rolled it out it in January 2017 for a Manchester United vs Liverpool fixture. Operational considerations, costs and existing broadcast practices were the reasons for its relatively late usage. It is also commonplace in rugby union and cricket, while the aforementioned reasons have prevented its implementation in golf in the past.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Spidercam technology brings golf's oldest major into the modern world
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — The oldest major championship has taken a step into the modern world by using a technological feature that British Open organizers hope will bring to life one of the most storied walks in golf. Spidercam — that's a camera, not a superhero — was used in golf for the first time at Royal Portrush on Thursday. It's a camera suspended above the 18th green using four pylons about 25 meters high, giving TV viewers unique views of the closing hole and its undulations. Held in a resting position high to the back of the green for approach shots, Spidercam swoops down as the players make their walk to the green and hovers just above them as they make their putts. 'It's pretty cool the way it can move and do all those swings,' said Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin, who went out at 6:35 a.m. local time in the first group of the day with Nicolai Hojgaard and Padraig Harrington. They were the first players to experience in competition the technology which reportedly cost the R&A 300,000 pounds ($400,000) to install. 'It was a little bit different,' McKibbin said. 'I'd never seen it before.' That's because the R&A is using the technology before any of the professional tours in golf. Spidercam has, though, operated widely in TV coverage of other major sports including soccer, rugby and cricket — and has occasionally gotten in the way. In 2017, India star MS Dhoni hit a shot in a cricket match against England that smashed into the hovering camera and broke it. In 2022, South Africa cricketer Anrich Nortje was knocked to the ground when he collided with a low-swinging Spidercam as he walked to his place in the field in a test against Australia. The camera operator responsible was stood down for the remainder of the match. 'I didn't know what hit me,' Nortje said at the time. 'I don't think it should be traveling at head height.' At Royal Portrush, Spidercam will complement existing technology such as a plane camera, aerial drones and bunker cameras to enhance TV coverage. According to the Guardian newspaper, players were briefed last week about plans to use Spidercam at Royal Portrush and there were no complaints despite the potential for getting distracted while preparing to make a shot. As Hojgaard and Harrington walked alongside each other to the 18th green, Spidercam swung down and over them. As Harrington made his two putts, the camera almost circled him. Hojgaard said he didn't notice Spidercam. With Royal Portrush not having a clubhouse on the 18th green, there has been space to install the technology. Other venues on the Open rotation won't have that luxury, notably Royal Lytham St. Anne's, Royal Troon and Hoylake. Next year's Open is at Royal Birkdale , which has its clubhouse near the 18th green but should still have room for the Spidercam technology. 'We ... believe that Spidercam will bring millions of fans a new perspective of the action from Royal Portrush,' said Neil Armit, chief commercial officer at the R&A, 'with incredible detail and accessibility wherever they are in the world.' ___ AP golf:
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inside Royal Portrush: Pints cost £8 and staying nearby is £4,500
High above the stands that surround the 18th green at Royal Portrush, four skeletal metal towers stretch 82ft into the sky above County Antrim. Wires extend from the top of them, high above the putting surface, running into a giant black camera at the centre of them. Spidercam, as it's known, has long been used in football and cricket to give television spectators a fresh view on the sporting action below but is being used this week for the first time in Open history. The camera swoops down from its position at the back of the green as players approach and hovers just above them as they make their putts. 'It's pretty cool the way it can move and do all those swings,' said Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, from Rory McIlroy 's hometown of Holywood, who went out in the first group of the day. It cost about £300,000 and is just the latest way that golf's oldest major has taken another step into the modern world. More than 250,000 spectators will descend on Royal Portrush this week but millions more will be watching from the comfort of their living rooms. That's why more than 100 television cameras and 80 miles of cables — about as far as the crow flies from here to the previous Open venue at Royal Troon in Scotland — will provide footage for broadcasters around the world. Giant double-decker trucks belonging to golf's biggest club manufacturers are also dotted around the course, packed full of club heads, grips, driver heads and beyond for the players to go and get equipment tweaked and changed during the week. 'They are all in quite a bit,' Callaway's head technician Paul Monks tells Mail Sport. 'It's a bit of a sanctuary for them. If you're not playing well you will try anything to get the scoring down so generally it's the players that are struggling.' A superstitious world No 1 Scottie Scheffler likes to watch as the Taylormade technicians put grips on his clubs and spent much of last year's championship at Royal Troon standing over the guys in the truck on his way to another top-10 finish. Giant double-decker trucks belonging to golf's biggest club manufacturers are also dotted around the course, packed full of club heads, grips, driver heads and beyond for the players to go and get equipment tweaked and changed during the week. 'They are all in quite a bit,' Callaway's head technician Paul Monks tells Mail Sport. 'It's a bit of a sanctuary for them. If you're not playing well you will try anything to get the scoring down so generally it's the players that are struggling.' A superstitious world No 1 Scottie Scheffler likes to watch as the Taylormade technicians put grips on his clubs and spent much of last year's championship at Royal Troon standing over the guys in the truck on his way to another top-10 finish. It's not just the technology that's moving with the times but also the town itself. The Open is expected to add more than £213million to the local economy. At the current prices around Portrush, that's no surprise. The only remaining accommodation left on booking website when Mail Sport checked on Thursday was a self-catering apartment five miles away costing £4,500 for a three-night stay until Sunday. That's why the chap in the queue for the megastore who had flown in from Boston was staying in Ballycastle — some 18 miles from Portrush — or why Alex, the young lad from Indianapolis in dungarees in the colours of the American flag, is renting an AirBnB near Lough Neagh and driving an hour to the park and ride. It's also why nearly 5,000 spectators, from more than 30 countries, have opted to sleep in the great outdoors at the nearby Open camping village. An Australian called Ryan, who is staying there, describes it as like being at a 'civilised festival'. Those who booked are paying as little as £55 a night. Yes, having just a tent and a sleeping bag to guard you against the onslaught of rain that struck Portrush on Thursday may not be the most glamorous way to spend a week but at least you'll have a bit more cash to spend. If you could stretch to £80 a night, you could stay in the more high-brow 'glamping' tee-pees. Either way, you'll have more in your pocket to splash on food, drink and merchandise because, boy, you'll need it. That's after paying between £100 and £345 a day on an adult ticket. Organisers predict around 180,000 pints will be served this week. Meanwhile, a burger and chips on course starts at £14.50. Still, even that's cheaper than some places outside the grounds who have been trying to cash in more than others. As the rain beat down on Portrush on Thursday afternoon, many felt it was a good time to have a browse in the spectator village shop. Mail Sport joined them as patrons queued for half an hour to get inside the welcome shelter of the Open treasure trove — £45 for an umbrella (needs must), £20 for a towel, £15 for a pack of three ball markers and £12 for a pitch-mark repairer. If you really want to look the part, it's £160 for a fancy quilted zip-up golf top and £695 for an Open tour golf bag. For those on a budget, maybe just stick to a pack of tees for £7 — about the only thing still cheaper than a pint around here.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
British Open to use Spidercam technology for the first time at a professional golf event
The 2025 British Open will feature a television innovation that will be used for the first time in pro golf: the Spidercam. The R&A announced this week it'll be a "world-first for golf" that will bring TV viewers closer to the action that before. On Monday, Todd Lewis from Golf Channel posted on social video some video of the Spidercam going through some reps. He described it as "a camera supported by four cables commonly used in football broadcasts." What is the British Open spidercam? As Lewis mentioned, it's been used in football but also in rugby and cricket in the UK and will complement existing technology. "Suspended above the 18th green, spectacular aerial views and unique angles will bring to life the natural undulations of the hole and short shots around the green before the greatest walk in golf is captured as the Champion Golfer of the Year is crowned on Sunday," says the R&A. How and where to watch the British Open Championship 2025 The first chance to see this new Spidercam will likely be on Peacock, which is first up with the live coverage, as the streaming service comes on from 1:30 a.m. ET until 4 a.m. ET on Thursday. USA then takes over with a marathon stretch from 1 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will be the same schedule for Friday. On Saturday, USA goes from 5 a.m. ET to 7 a.m. then NBC takes over from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. On Sunday, it's USA from 4 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. and NBC from 2 p.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: British Open Championship 2025: TV broadcast to use Spidercam
