WE’RE BUYING

Rory McIlroy: The world’s best player put on the best performance overall when it came to showing off his golf game and personality. McIlroy was by far the chattiest player in the star-studded foursome, and while the FedEx Cup trash talk may have induced some cringes, at least he was trying. Oh yeah, McIlroy also delivered in dramatic fashion with the winning closest-to-the-pin effort on the final swing of the day:

When $1.1M is on the line, the World No. 1 delivers.#DrivingRelief pic.twitter.com/4KGNQAtG8r

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2020

Also, perhaps learning from the mistake of fellow four-time major champ Brooks Koepka, McIlroy had the good sense to not allow his significant other to give him a quarantine hair cut.

Lockdown Rory…. pic.twitter.com/NtYl9bmGzh

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) May 13, 2020

Smart man. Although, if he lived in New York, that might be a different story. I’m starting to get desperate.

Rickie Fowler: It’s too bad this guy didn’t play during the Skins Game Era. He could have challenged Freddie Couples as the King of the Silly Season. Taking advantage of the light atmosphere—and some local knowledge as a three-time Seminole Pro-Member winner—Rickie ripped off seven birdies to nearly pull off the upset with partner Matthew Wolff. Fowler’s back was probably pretty sore when he woke up on Monday morning. And not just from carrying his own bag, if you know what I mean.

Seminole Golf Club: If I’m being totally honest, the historic track making its TV debut didn’t come across amazing on TV. But all the architecture geeks were geeking out and they know a lot more about this stuff than I do so I’ll defer to them.

Matthew Wolff’s pop: The 21-year-old was admittedly nervous, but he managed to launch his two best drives when it mattered most, easily winning both long-drive challenges with blasts of 356 and 368 yards.

∙ 368-yard drive
∙ $350K for charity

All in a day's work for Matthew Wolff.#DrivingReliefpic.twitter.com/iPsO1afBF1

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2020

Wolff made a lot of money for the CDC Foundation with those two drives. He also made a lot of new fans.

WE’RE SELLING

Matthew Wolff’s Fu Manchu: The kid gets his big break on the big stage and he does this?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAShteklOLN/?utm_source=ig_embed

In the words of Curtis Strange, “You’ll learn.”

A closed U.S. Open: The USGA announced there will be no open qualifying for our national championship, which is the reason why it’s called the U.S. Open in the first place. While I understand the decision given the current situation, that doesn’t make this any less disappointing. Local and sectional qualifying provide some of the tournament’s best stories each year. And not to mention, they have produced some winners through the years, including Lucas Glover (2009), Michael Campbell (2005) and Ken Venturi (1964). On the bright side, if you’re a scratch golfer, you can tell everyone this would have been the year you were finally going to qualify.

Greg Norman’s ranch: As in, The Shark is selling his expansive and expensive ($40 million!) Colorado property that is so big a river literally runs through it. Here’s a photo of the 14,000 square foot lodge on the 12,000-acre property from the listing:

And here’s another photo from the listing of Greg and his wife horseback riding through the snow:

Looks nice, Greg, but I’m just not sure if it’s enough space for me.

ON TAP

Another week, another live televised event for charity! This time it’s THE MATCH Part II, AKA The Match: Champions for Charity. And it will feature Tiger Woods partnering with Peyton Manning to take on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady. What a foursome. Oh, and Charles Barkley will be part of the announcing crew. This should be fun.

Random tournament fact: Phil topped Tiger for $9 million in their first made-for-TV matchup in 2018. While even more money is up for grabs this time, it’s all going to COVID-19 relief efforts so the guys are going to play nice. “It’s his home course, but Tom and I are going to go down there and put it to them,” Mickelson told Golfweek. “And we’ll make it that every time Tiger shows up at his home course, he’ll have a bad memory.” Never mind. The gloves are off!

PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Phil won’t mention beating Tiger the last time: 9 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Phil will show off his throwing arm during the event: Even odds
—Phil will wear shorts to show off those calves: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Mike Ehrmann

Shorts? Stand bags? What a sight. Pros are just like us! At least, until they put those bags down and start hitting shots.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Brooks Koepka has a dartboard with Brandel Chamblee’s photo on it:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CASS5UOlXEW/

Amazing.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION ABS

Beefcake Bryson caused quite the stir with the following photo:

While the full results of his weight-gaining experiment—now up to 230 from 195!—remain to be seen on the course, you gotta admit the guy looks good. OK, well, I’m admitting it. If the PGA Tour does a shirtless calendar to raise money for charity, you should make the cut.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS MICHAEL JORDAN GOLF STORIES

Thanks to colleague Chris Powers for clipping these from the final two episodes of “The Last Dance.” Although they are criminally under-liked, he’ll probably have the Internet police all over him now. Anyway, MJ took a dig at Larry Bird’s golf game after eliminating his team in Game 7 of the 1998 NBA Eastern Conference Finals:

pic.twitter.com/EdoGsKaanP

— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) May 18, 2020

And then after winning the 1998 NBA Finals, his Airness still had golf on his mind:

Post 91, 7:15 pm, emergency 9 vibes pic.twitter.com/P9ZhkzWMuZ

— Christopher Powers (@CPowers14) May 18, 2020

What a legend.

THIS WEEK IN GOLFERS GOLF MEDIA BEING QUARANTINED

One of my bosses, Ryan Herrington, built this version of the Big House:

Yes, he went to Michigan. And another one of my bosses, Sam Weinman, adopted a small dog:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQ3rqDlrbd/?utm_source=ig_embed

At first, it seems like Sam has the clear advantage. But Ryan is going to have a lot easier cleanup, so tough call.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Hey, DJ, is this a waste bunker?” —Matthew Wolff provided the dagger of the year on Sunday. It was especially impressive considering Wolff was only 11 when that happened to DJ at Whistling Straits during the 2010 PGA.

THIS AND THAT

Sportsbooks said the action on the TaylorMade Driving Relief was similar to a major. It’s good to see our country is still filled with degenerates, including a few from the office who shall remain nameless. … Unfortuantely, the NBC broadcast didn’t quite reach major-level ratings, but the 2.35 million total audience delivery is nothing to sneeze at. And it gives Tiger/Phil something to shoot for in addition to raising money for charity. … Mike Weir, who recently turned 50, was this week’s guest on the Golf Digest Podcast. The 2003 Masters champ sounds ready to take down the geezers on the senior circuit:

Congrats to Hyun Kyung Park for winning the Korean LPGA Championship:

Chung Sung-Jun

And before you get upset over her hugging her caddie, that’s her dad. … And finally, congrats to Golf Digest supervising producer and Grind video teammate Michael Sneeden on making his first eagle:

I’m so happy for you, Mike—especially since it wasn’t a hole-in-one. Then things would have gotten awkward.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

How many thumbs up will Phil flash on Sunday?
How many people think golf events end with a tape measure now?
What does Bill Murray’s Costco shopping list look like?

The post Rory McIlroy’s walk-off wedge, Bryson DeChambeau’s bold photo, and Brooks Koepka puts his nemesis on a dartboard appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
On Sunday at Seminole, amid this godforsaken spring of 2020, golf returned. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff congregated—not too close, of course—at one of America’s larger-than-life courses for a benevolent stroll, one that raised more than $5.5 million for COVID-19 relief.

From a distance, the foursome competing in the TaylorMade Driving Relief looked unremarkable: four young men carrying their own bags, no fans in sight, fighting off rust and swinging extra hard on downwind tee shots. It was a lowkey affair, devoid of any pretension but also lacking real fireworks. In the end, McIlroy hit his wedge inside Wolff’s on the par-3 17th to win the sudden-death, closest-to-the-pin playoff for $1.1 million in skins and the victory. The team of McIlroy/Johnson finished with $1.85 million in skins for American Nurses Foundation, while the Oklahoma State duo of Fowler/Wolff, which led most of the match, won $1.15 million for CDC Foundation.

Here are six takeaways from the first live, televised golf event since the Players Championship was cancelled nine weeks ago.

Socially distant golf tournaments are possible
The die-hards who’ve been watching the Outlaw or Cactus Tour will roll their eyes, but for the vast majority of those watching at home, this was the first look at what a socially distant professional golf tournament. And it looks like … well, a golf tournament.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or even Bryson DeChambeau) to understand why golf is uniquely positioned to return before virtually any other sport, and Sunday’s action was further evidence that it is distinctly possible to hold a golf tournament while respecting CDC guidelines. The four guys never got too close to each other, never reflexively went to give a high-five and never touched the flagstick (PGA Tour rules official Mark Wilson handled that responsibility). They gave each other ample room on the tee boxes and they were mindful of each other on the putting greens. There’s risk involved whenever you leave home these days, but this didn’t seem particularly dangerous.

Of course, the actual golf part of a golf tournament was never going to be what’s tricky about coming back. It’s the logistics of staging an event that has 1,100 people on the property, even without fans, and having the protocols (and testing) in place for everyone. But from a pure golf perspective, a corona-responsible golf tournament between the best players in the world is absolutely plausible.

Mike Ehrmann
Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson await the start of the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity event.

Even the best players in the world showed more than a little rust
Interestingly enough, a number of Tour pros simply haven’t been playing much golf during the forced break. Among those who put the clubs away: McIlroy and Johnson, both of whom only started ramping up their practice routines in the last 10 days or so. McIlroy drove the ball like his usual World No. 1 self, and DJ had his moments, but the two major champions looked more than a little rusty. Johnson, in particular, had a few big misses with the driver and had trouble hitting his lines on the greens all day. The good news for them: The first PGA Tour event back is still more than three weeks away.

Mike Ehrmann
Rickie Fowler reacts on the 5th green during the TaylorMade Driving Relief.

Seminole held its own
Arguably the biggest unknown coming into the event was how Seminole, a course built in 1929 and one that’s stayed more-or-less authentic to its original design, would hold up against guys who fly their 6-irons 210 yards. Yes, they had wedges into virtually every par 4, and yes, Fowler made seven birdies. (He’s a three-time past champion of the fabled Seminole Pro-Member and loves the place). But a disappointingly soft Seminole—it rained all week in Juno Beach, Fla., before Sunday’s sunny, breezy conditions—still flashed its teeth plenty of times. Wolff and Johnson were flummoxed by the greens all day, the foursome played the par-5 15th in a combined two over and only one person hit the green with a mid-iron on the par-3 16th. In all likelihood, Johnson and Wolff likely would have shot over par had they had to count every shot. Still, in 2020, Donald Ross green complexes can and will frustrate anyone, even players as talented a four-time major winner like McIlroy or a 20-time PGA Tour winner like Johnson.

Let the men wear shorts
All four players wore shorts on Sunday. No surprise there. It’s May in Florida. It’s also no surprise that they all looked perfectly professional doing so, at least to this admittedly biased observer.

Mike Ehrmann

There’s just no reason to not let players wear shorts during tournament rounds on the PGA Tour. It’s clear they want to—ever since the rule was changed a few years ago to allow pros to wear shorts during practice rounds, the vast majority of them do so when they can. We’re in the business of marketing these players as athletes. Athletes wear shorts. Yes, there’s the tradition element involved—that pro golfers have always worn pants—and that it might look out of place for a bit seeing guys wearing shorts down the stretch on a Sunday. To that, there’s this reply: Everything must evolve. We adapt, or we die.

Wolff took it all like a champ
A common reframe when this foursome was announced a few weeks ago: “Who is Matthew Wolff and how did he get into this game?” Not even a year removed yet from winning the NCAA individual title at Oklahoma State, Wolff didn’t have his best stuff all day—he admitted to being a bit nervous playing with his more-accomplished peers—but he showed exactly why TaylorMade put him on this stage. First and foremost, his swing. It’s one of those sports things you need to see with your own eyes because any textual description won’t properly convey its uniqueness. (Think Jim Furyk meets J.B. Holmes.) And it’s freakin’ powerful. Wolff flew Rory McIlroy’s ball on the long-drive contest on the second hole, cracking one 356 yards … then did the exact same thing at the second long-drive hole, No. 11, busting it 368 yards. He’s a tantalizing talent and a young one, having just turned 21 and reminding us of his youth by saying things like “that’s sauceeee.” Get used to his face—though hopefully not the fu Manchu—because he’s going to be around a while.

Mike Ehrmann
Matthew Wolff looks on from the 11th green at Seminole Golf Club.

We miss fans
For a gazillion reasons, fans weren’t going to be there at Seminole. Yet, boy, do we miss them. A gallery completely changes the atmosphere of any tournament, and after seeing this two-on-two match play out, that there is serious discussion of a Ryder Cup without fans feels increasingly more laughable. Apart from it being weirdly quiet without them, it also creates a void of sorts for the broadcast, which the network then has to fill either with forced banter between players or long-distance interviews with people like Bill Murray and Donald Trump, neither of which left viewers better off.

The next live golf we see will be another fan-less event—the Tiger/Phil/Brady/Manning match—and so will the first four PGA Tour events, but here’s to hoping that doesn’t last too long. Heck, I even miss MASHED POTATOES guy.

The post Six takeaways from the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Stephen Hennessey
One of the best parts of the TaylorMade Driving Relief skins match has been the four competitors, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff, being mic’d up. It’s something most golf fans would love to see regularly, and for Sunday on NBC, we’re getting to listen in to some of the smack talk that happens on tour.

The skins match got started with a couple halves, so there weren’t too many fireworks early on. But after he outdrove Rory and DJ at the second hole, Wolff attempted to get under his competitors’ skin with a little smack talk. It sounded like he let the other team have it, and Rory had to make a par putt inside 10 feet to push the hole for his match.

Then we had Rory return the favour of the smack talk to Wolff, who got a taste of Rory’s sense of humour right off the bat.

Trash talk: Activated @McIlroyRory #DrivingRelief pic.twitter.com/vIfOPlImL0

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 17, 2020

Hopefully the zingers will keep flying throughout Sunday. We know this is all for charity, but being entertained to some live golf, with smack talk included, is a great opportunity.

The post Rory McIlroy’s trash-talk game was on display VERY early during the TaylorMade Driving Relief appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, and Rickie Fowler are three of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. But their pop was no match for Matthew Wolff during the TaylorMade Driving Relief.

Sunday’s charity skins game featured two long drive holes and the 21-year-old dominated on both. First, Wolff launched a 356-yard drive on No. 2 to claim a $100,000 bonus for the CDC Foundation. But his biggest poke came on the back nine.

With a $350,000 bonus on the line on No. 14, Wolff unleashed a 368-yard bomb. Ah, youth. Suddenly, the trio of thirty-somethings looked like senior tour players. Check it out:

∙ 368-yard drive
∙ $350K for charity

All in a day’s work for Matthew Wolff.#DrivingReliefpic.twitter.com/iPsO1afBF1

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2020

Wolff raised a lot of money and made a lot of fans on Sunday. And after that powerful display, we’re guessing his swing coach, George Gankas, will be getting a lot of phone calls in the coming days from golfers looking to add a few yards.

The post Watch Matthew Wolff dominate both long drive holes during the TaylorMade Driving Relief appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But while that’s probably for the best—Seriously, did you see how Brooks’ girlfriend butchered his hair?—it has also left McIlroy’s mane looking more like something you’d see in the wild.

In a Wednesday interview to promote Sunday’s TaylorMade Driving Relief event, Rory revealed his lockdown look, and. . . wow. See for yourself:

Lockdown Rory…. pic.twitter.com/NtYl9bmGzh

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) May 13, 2020

Fear not, he’s getting a haircut today ??‍ pic.twitter.com/Z7oOBlg6kw

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) May 13, 2020

Good lord. That looks gnarlier than U.S. Open rough.

Of course, this is a guy who has had quite the varied look up top throughout his career. But as noted in Wednesday’s interview, Rory has refused to let his wife, Erica, cut his hair during the lockdown. The man may have the same amount of majors as Brooks Koepka, but it seems like he has more sense when it comes to grooming.

As McIlroy mentioned, it’s best to let the pros handle the hair, and he’s “so happy” barbershops have reopened in Florida. Just in time. He’s got to look good for the cameras come Sunday.

The post Rory McIlroy won’t let his wife cut his hair, is starting to look like a wild animal appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
When the PGA Tour restarts its 2019-’20 season next month, the prevailing thought is that tournament fields will be flush with high-ranking tour pros anxious to compete again after a nearly three-month layoff. And if you listen to the highest-ranked player of them all, Rory McIlroy, there’s little reason to doubt the presumption.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but for me personally, I just want to get back out and play,” McIlroy said on Wednesday during a conference call ahead of this weekend’s TaylorMade Driving Relief charity event. Just how eager is the World No. 1 to play again? Enough to plan on entering the tour’s first three scheduled events: the Charles Schwab Challenge (June 11-14), RBC Heritage (June 18-21) and the Travelers Championship (June 25-28).

“I miss the competition,” McIlroy said. “I miss the buzz of getting into contention and playing in those last few groups on a Sunday and really feeling that. I also miss the locker room. I miss people. I miss being around people. I miss the … I miss the banter that goes on in the locker rooms and the camaraderie that people don’t see.”

Many of those things, however, will be limited when the season officially resumes. The PGA Tour outlined a comprehensive health and safety plan on Wednesday that implements various social-distancing practices that would limit interaction with players outside the ropes. Dining at the course will be scaled back.

While a tour event will look and feel rather different, McIlroy sounded appreciative of the measures being taken and believes they will ensure the safety of those in and around the tournaments.

“I think if everyone follows the guidelines and does the right thing, I see no reason why you wouldn’t be comfortable with the logistics of getting to an event and from,” McIlroy said. “I believe the PGA Tour has a very robust policy in place, and if they can execute it, I feel comfortable getting back out there and playing and travelling.”

McIlroy will have to hope that he got plenty of rest during the long break. If the season unfolds as currently planned, the game’s elite will be playing several of golf’s most prestigious events in a short window of time. On the schedule for August and September are the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup.

“It looks as if things could definitely be coming thick and fast once we get into the late summer and into the fall,” McIlroy said. “You have to be ready to go. You know, stay sharp. Stay ready. You know, I sort of joked a little bit; at the start of this whole thing saying, ‘well, guys wanted an off-season. Well, now’s your off-season.’ It’s pedal to the metal to the end of the year to try to get as much golf in as possible.”

Given that, McIlroy sees this weekend’s competition as a mental and physical trigger to begin to formally work his way back into game shape. On Sunday, he’ll team with Dustin Johnson in a 18-hole, skins-game match against the team of Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. The event will raise upwards of $4 million for COVID-19 relief efforts, including the American Nurses Foundation and the CDC Foundation.

“I think once we play this event on Sunday at Seminole,” McIlroy said, “then I can turn my attention to maybe, you know, focusing on the restart of the PGA Tour season and really getting back into it then.”

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By Keely Levins
As we gear up for live golf to resume with the TaylorMade Driving Relief skins game and The Match: Champions for Charity, another star-studded charity event has been added to the calendar. Two of the top three players in the world will play against each other in a skins game to benefit the charity of their choice, Golf Channel’s Randall Mel reported. Jin Young Ko, who is currently No. 1 in the world, will play Sung Hyun Park, No. 3, in the Hyundai Card Super Match on May 24 in Incheon, South Korea.

The course, SKY72 Ocean Course, was a stop on the LPGA Tour, with the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship played there from 2008-2018.

Ko and Park will compete for a 100 million won prize, which is about $82,000. The sum will be donated to the winner’s charity of choice. There’s also the opportunity to win some extra money for charity: Each player will pick two holes before the match begins. If she wins the hole that she chose, another $8,200 will be donated.

Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, there will be no fans in attendance at the event.

Sung Hyun Park plays a shot during the second round of the 2017 Evian Championship. (Stuart Franklin)

Though LPGA Tour tournaments haven’t been played since February, Ko and Park’s match won’t be the first time Park plays competitively. The KLPGA is playing an event the week before the skins match. The KLPGA’s re-start could be advantageous for LPGA Tour members who are currently in South Korea, as it gives them the opportunity to compete nearly two months before the LPGA Tour is scheduled to resume on July 15 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.

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By Alex Myers
If you’re associated with the Zurich Classic, you might not want to read on. That’s because in addition to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic cancelling this year’s event, it also kept the most star-studded tandem in the tournament’s history from competing.

Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will team up against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolf in the TaylorMade Driving Relief event May 17, but the two had apparently agreed to join forces first for the Zurich Classic. It just never happened.

The pair of World No. 1s who have a combined 38 PGA Tour titles and five major championships between them shared this during an interview with NBC/Golf Channel’s Mike Tirico on Tuesday. Tirico, by the way, will provide play-by-play for the TaylorMade event from his Michigan home.

“I’m happy Rory’s my teammate for sure,” Johnson told Tirico. “We even kind of talked about playing the New Orleans tournament. So I’ve played enough with him, I think we’d be a good team.”

McIlroy sounded more confident the partnership would have happened.

“It was funny, DJ rang me up the week after the Players Championship when he was out on his boat and he said, ‘Hey, if the New Orleans tournament happens, would you want to be partners?'” McIlroy added. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. I’m not sure if it is going to happen, but if it does, yeah, that would be fun.’ So we didn’t get a chance to do it there, but we’re getting a chance to do it at Seminole in a couple weeks time.”

Anyway, here’s the clip:

“I’m happy Rory’s my teammate for sure.”@DJohnsonPGA and @McIlroyRory discuss playing together at the upcoming #DrivingRelief match. pic.twitter.com/PFfB1woedk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2020

The Zurich Classic switched to a two-man team format ahead of the 2017 tournament. But while there have been some marquee pairings—most notably, Justin Rose/Henrik Stenson in 2017-2018 and Jason Day/Rickie Fowler in 2017—there’s never been a tandem with quite the qualifications of Rory and DJ.

But hey, there’s always the potential for them playing next year at TPC Louisiana. Well, provided they play well together in a couple of weeks.

The post Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson had planned to team up for something else before the TaylorMade charity event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will team up to take on Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a skins game on May 17 that will be televised live from Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. Officially announced on Monday, the “TaylorMade Driving Relief” event features a $3 million purse provided by UnitedHealth Group—all of which will go to the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation to aid in their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional $1 million is being donated by Farmers Insurance for a birdie and eagle pool that will go to Off Their Plate, an organization that provides meals to healthcare workers.

The 18-hole match, scheduled from 2 p.m to 6 p.m. ET, will be televised by NBC, Golf Channel, NBCSN and Sky Sports. Free streaming will be available on PGA Tour Live, GOLFTV, Golfpass and Golf Channel.

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.

The organizers said strict safety measures will be taken, including no spectators and FDA-approved testing to ensure the health and safety of the golfers and production crew. In a sign of the times, NBC golf anchor Mike Tirico will lead the commentary from his home in Michigan, while analysts Paul Azinger and Rich Lerner will join him from an off-site production facility. Commentators Steve Sands, Gary Koch and Jerry Foltz will be on the ground at Seminole, a 1929 Donald Ross design that is considered among the classics of American golf course architecture.

The participating players are all TaylorMade staff members. McIlroy and Johnson, with 38 PGA Tour wins between them, figure to be the betting favourites against two former Oklahoma State All-Americans—Fowler, a five-time Tour winner, and Wolff, the 2019 NCAA individual champion who, at 20 years old and in his third Tour start as a pro, won the 2019 3M Open in July while playing on a sponsor’s exemption.

McIlroy, the current World No. 1, said in the statement, “it’s been difficult to witness what so many are enduring over the last several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m excited and thankful to TaylorMade and UnitedHealth Group for making this event possible and providing us with the opportunity to show our support of those on the front lines.”

On a competitive note, the Irishman added, “Dustin and I will have a lot of fun together, and our games will fit well.”

Fowler said, “When I heard about this event, I couldn’t get involved fast enough. It’s special to be able to have an impact and raise charitable contributions through our sport and to do it with Matthew as my partner. I know how much I have missed sports, and golf especially, so to be one of the first events returning to television is very exciting.”

The TaylorMade event follows the announcement of “The Match: Champions for Charity,” which will pit Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady. TNT has been announced as the broadcast partner, but a date and venue have not been identified.

The PGA Tour hasn’t staged any competition since halting play on March 12 after the first round of the Players Championship. Official tournament play is scheduled to resume on June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, with the first four events of the revised slate to be played without spectators.

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