The world's best golfers tee off in the 2012 British Open on Thursday. Currently, Tiger Woods is favored to win, but the American golfer has not won a major tournament in four years. He faces some stiff competition from marquee names like Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson and defending Open champ Darren Clarke.

Golf fans need to set their alarms if they plan not to miss a beat from the tournament. Woods, Watson and Clarke are among the golfers who tee off at 4:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. ESPN will carry live coverage of the British Open, beginning at 4 a.m. and running through 3 p.m. That will be followed by a recap and highlights from the first day of action at Royal Lytham.

Fans can also watch online via ESPN3, which begins streaming coverage at 4 a.m. through 3 p.m.

Read more British Open coverage at our StoryStream here and the SB Nation golf hub page.