By ED TRAVIS
The Skins Game returns on Black Friday after a 17-year absence and will feature Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradely, FedExCup Champion Tommy Fleetwood, winner of two majors Xander Schauffele, and 16-time PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas.
No, the latest version of the fan-favorite in what used to be called the “silly season” won’t have Arnie or Jack or Trevino or Freddy teeing it up, but the format will be the same. Play will be for a specific dollar amount on each hole and if there’s a tie the money rolls over to the next hole and keeps going until there is an outright winner.
In a new wrinkle, Bradley, Fleetwood, Schauffele, and Thomas will each start with $1 million to their credit with the balance changing as holes are won or lost.
For those without a calendar handy Black Friday is Nov.28 and Skins Game coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET leading into a entire day of sports on Amazon’s Prime Video that will include for the third year Black Friday Football (Chicago Bears vs. the Philadelphia Eagles) and a new NBA doubleheader (Milwaukee Bucks at the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks at the Los Angeles Lakers).
All of which makes an alternative for anyone waffling whether or not to go to the mall and is another push by Amazon to improve the viewership of their video-on-demand service.
“We’re thrilled to help relaunch ‘The Skins Game’ as part of an unprecedented day of live sports on Prime Video this Black Friday,” said Charlie Neiman, Head of Sports Partnerships, Prime Video. “Partnering with PGA TOUR Studios, Pro Shop and Propagate Content to broadcast this storied event with four of the game’s most captivating stars opens more than 15 hours of exclusive live sports coverage on Prime Video, and underscores our commitment to delivering innovative, premium sports programming to fans around the world.”
The Skins Game moves from the California desert to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and will be contested over the two-year old Jack Nicklaus-Justin Thomas designed Panther National Golf Course. In another significant change unlike previous Skin Games, network TV will not be showing the action, only Prime Video as the lead into a full Black Friday day of sports.
Endorsed by the PGA Tour whose senior vice president media Chris Wandell said, “With four of our game’s biggest stars competing in a modern reimagining of this nostalgic event, fans around the world are in for a treat this Black Friday as the Tour tees off a full day of sports action on Prime Video.”
The Skins Game was developed and produced Pro Shop Studios and PGA Tour Studios with broadcast production by TMRW Sports, a company owned by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
