Golf Channel Games feature Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler teams battling in unique competition
The eight-man, two-team, head-to-head battle goes down in South Florida
•
2 min read
A fresh take on exhibition golf will take place under the lights on Wednesday when Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and their respective squads face off against one another at Trump National Golf Club. Dubbed the 2025 Golf Channel Games, the exhibition will see two teams of four compete in a series of fun, fast-paced events designed to mimic challenges from other sports leagues.
Scheffler and McIlroy teamed up victoriously this time last year in Las Vegas for an exhibition match against LIV Golf members Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, but this time, they will be on opposite sides.
The two teams will traverse through a series of five challenges -- timed driving, timed short game, timed relay, 14-club challenge and finally a head-to-head matchup between Scheffler and McIlroy where they will strike shots from specific areas against one another. Whichever team garners the most points will win the overall competition.
Golf Channel Games teams
Each team features a good friend to the de facto captain, a familiar face from the Ryder Cup and somewhat of a wild card selection.
| Rory McIlroy | Scottie Scheffler |
|---|---|
Shane Lowry | Sam Burns |
Luke Donald | Keegan Bradley |
Haotong Li | Luke Clanton |
Golf Channel Games format
Timed drive competition: Players compete head-to-head with two minutes on the clock, launching drives onto a scoring grid.
Timed short-game competition: This consists of individual action with players chipping the ball within a certain distance of the pin and holing out a specific number of putts at a distance, all with 3 minutes set on the clock.
Team relay: Strategy will be crucial here as each team of four will play alternate shot across three holes. Teammates will be staged in certain positions -- one on the tee, one in the fairway, two on and around the greens -- and whichever side finishes with the best score in the shortest amount of time wins.
14-club challenge: Two players will compete head-to-head. The groups of two will pull clubs from the same golf bag and strike shots from predetermined distances in the fairway during a closest-to-the-pin contest. Once a club is used, it is eliminated, meaning each player will strike seven different shots with all 14 clubs used. All eight players in the competition will compete across four head-to-head matchups.
Captain's challenge: McIlroy and Scheffler will battle head-to-head. Each player will strike shots from various distances, a bunker, greenside and putts of 30 feet and 10 feet. Whomever has the lowest combined distance from the hole for the shots will win.
Where to watch Golf Channel games
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17 | Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Course: Trump National Golf Club — Jupiter, Florida
TV: Golf Channel, USA Network
Streaming: Fubo (Try for free)
