Something overshadowed the Open Championship’s first round, something far less thrilling: commercial breaks. Almost a month ago, viewers criticized NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, calling it ‘horrendous’ and ‘unwatchable’ because of its commercial overload. Now, the same complaints have resurfaced online as the channel keeps interrupting play with advertisements.

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall lit the fuse from inside Royal Birkdale’s media center on Thursday. He pointed out that a 15-minute stretch of Sky Sports European broadcast coverage ran continuously, while NBC and USA Network interrupted with advertisements three times during that time span. Beall noted this pattern isn’t new; networks routinely front-load ad buys early in broadcasts.

The ad timeline was even more frustrating. No Laying Up highlighted the flashpoint on Twitter: Scottie Scheffler birdied four of his first six holes when USA Network cut to a commercial. And when the coverage returned, Scheffler’s tee shot on the par-7 was nowhere to be found. Instead of adjusting the shot or showing a replay, the broadcast proceeded with the major.

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The disparity becomes even sharper when compared with how European viewers experience the same tournament. Sky Sports, which carries the Open across the UK, runs its coverage largely uninterrupted through live play, a structure that golf fans have praised for years and that NBC consistently measured against.

The frustration isn’t limited to advertisement breaks. Beyond ads, NBC cut mid-shot interviews, delayed returns, and skipped recaps entirely.

The cost of the broadcast is also a pain point. Peacock’s live sports tier runs at approximately $10.99/month for premium, on top of a cable or streaming package that a fan already pays to access NBC and USA Network.

Fans and journalists aren’t happy. Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers summed up the mood in a nine-second GIF:

“Another major golf tournament on NBC.”

The joke needed no further explanation for anyone who had sat through nearly every early-round Open broadcast before.

Joining him was journalist Cameron Jordan, who added his own reading to the morning’s coverage. “Coverage has been pretty poor this morning. Commercial overload, no flow, and missing so many shots,” he said.

Another fan zeroed in on the emotional cost rather than the logistics. “Absolute killer,” they tweeted.

It was a short, blunt reaction that captured how disruptive the ad feels to the viewers.

Another commented, “We need the ability to stream Sky in the U.S. without jailbreaking anything. I remember the DirecTV days. They’d give you the Sky or World feed and it was hundred times better than them.”

Another fan turned to dark humor, referencing NBC’s ad patterns with a nickname of his own. “Wait until they find out about Rolex hours.”

Another said, “Some things are more important than golf and not caring about the fans,” taking a direct jab at the broadcast’s priorities over viewership experience and running ads.