FOX Sports is set to tap into a range of digital innovations to bring viewers closer to the 116^th US Open Championship, which tees off tomorrow.

The latest technology aims to give viewers unparalleled coverage of the tournament, with multi-camera virtual reality, aerial drone footage, mobile radio-frequency shot tracking, 4K coverage of three holes and microphones at all 18.

The VR coverage – sponsored by Lexus – will feature live streaming via special cameras stationed at holes 9, 17, and 18, with roving coverage between neighbouring holes 10 and 11. The VR package will also include watching players at the driving range, on-demand features on the course’s history, two-minute golf tips, and pre-produced analysis of each hole.

From VR work-outs to 360-degree coverage of the NBA Finals, broadcasters are capitalising on the exploding popularity of virtual reality. But with so many rights-holders and brands jumping on the Virtual Reality bandwagon in 2016, the difficulty seems to be no longer creating the content, but making it unique.

By placing a number of cameras at different locations around the course, FOX Sports will allow viewers to navigate to each hole, check the leader board and switch to a different camera when they like. There will be no sitting around, waiting for the action to come to you. The fan is directly involved in what they view.

NextVR will deliver live, multi-camera VR coverage, with Lexus as presenting sponsor

VR lends itself to golf wonderfully, too. The topography, scenery, and construction of the course are often restricted in standard 2D viewing. With Virtual Reality, however, a viewer will feel like they’re right there with the top golfers in the world as they tee off, or in the gallery to see the curvature of a ball before it drops onto the green.

FOX will also use a drone to deliver more depth to viewers, and the broadcaster has released spectacular previews of every hole at Oakmont on YouTube in the build up to the tournament. Fans get to see the true way players take on some of the most difficult holes in golf from the comfort of their living rooms and take a peek at one of the prettiest courses in America.

Oakmont is home to some of the most challenging greens in golf, and FOX has also patented advanced green-shading graphics to show viewers just how tough they are. The ‘tee-to-green’ technology features live overlays which show changes in the slope on-screen, using both dot and grid systems to illustrate the unique undulations and topography.

In just its second year of partnership with the USGA, FOX Sports is already leading digital innovation in golf by delivering this remarkable technology in a unique, accessible way.