Optum Golf Channel Games: How to watch Rory McIlroy vs Scottie Scheffler, teams and format – The Mirror
The very first Optum Golf Channel Games takes place next month, with a fascinating array of events on offer and some of the sport’s biggest names taking part
14:44, 29 Nov 2025Updated 14:44, 29 Nov 2025
Advertisement
Everything you need to know aboutOptum Golf Channel Games:
The inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games will take place on Wednesday, December 17, at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter in Jupiter, Florida. This made-for-TV event will feature the world’s top two ranked golfers, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, captaining their respective teams.
UK viewers can watch the event live on Sky Sports Golf, with the action expected to begin in the early hours of Thursday, December 18. Given the 7:30pm start time in the US, the live broadcast will commence at 12:30am UK time.
The two rival captains are World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Both men will lead four-man teams in a series of innovative, rapid-fire challenges.
McIlroy’s team includes Shane Lowry, Luke Donald and Haotong Li. The inclusion of both an Open Champion and a successful Ryder Cup captain provides a blend of major experience and team leadership.
Scheffler’s team features Sam Burns, Keegan Bradley and Luke Clanton. This side combines proven PGA Tour talent with a future star and the current U.S. Ryder Cup team captain.
One of the five challenges is the Timed Drive Competition, where players compete in head-to-head duels with a two-minute clock. Competitors must successfully land their drives into a scoring grid, requiring a combination of both power and accuracy.
The Short Game Challenge combines chipping and putting precision, requiring players to hit shots from multiple locations around the green. They must then tackle a putting gauntlet from varying distances, all with just three minutes to complete the challenges.
The unique 14-Club Challenge pairs two players from each team, drawing a random club (from a single bag) for a closest-to-the-pin competition from a designated spot in the fairway. Once a club is used, it is removed from play, with all 14 clubs used across seven shots per player, plus a 15th lefty shot.
The Timed Shootout is a frantic alternate-shot competition over three holes, featuring all four players from each team. Players will be pre-staged on the tee, in the fairway and around the green to speed up play, with the goal being the lowest score in the shortest amount of time.
The final head-to-head competition is The Captains’ Challenge, where only Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler hit from a series of pre-determined locations. Shots include a variety of wedge, bunker, and putting distances, with the winner determined by the lowest aggregate proximity to the hole.
