Justin Thomas (left) and Xander Schauffele (right) will be among the four golfers competing in the new Skins Game on Black Friday (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The last time The Skins Game was played, after the 2008 season, Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open in a dramatic playoff, Padraig Harrington won back-to-back major championships, and Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas each won two of the PGA Tour’s playoff events.
Now, 17 years later, one of golf’s most celebrated made-for-television events is back.
The modern version of The Skins Game will officially return on Friday, Nov. 28 – Black Friday – and be broadcast globally by Prime Video. The event will be held at one of golf’s newest high-end private clubs not far from where many pro golfers live in South Florida: Panther National in Palm Beach County.
Panther National in South Florida is the host venue for the return of golf’s Skins Game.
Erik Matuszewski
Scheduled to compete are 2025 FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood, two-time major champions Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas, and eight-time PGA Tour winner Keegan Bradley.
Coverage of the event will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern time, the leadoff to a historic day of live sports for Prime Video, including the third annual Black Friday NFL game, and a new NBA doubleheader.
“The PGA TOUR is proud to bring back the iconic Skins Game as the kickoff to the sports calendar’s biggest day of the year,” said Chris Wandell, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, Media. “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 originated in 1983 as an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour and would become a staple on the sports calendar, with a high-stakes competition attracting stars like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. While Couples earned the nickname “Mr. Skins” because of his success at the event, Woods never won before it’s run came to an end in 2008.
Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam, Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara pose prior to the 2003 Skins Game at the Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
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The relaunched version of the franchise is produced by Pro Shop and Propagate Content in coordination with PGA TOUR Studios. Excel Sports Management will serve as tournament organizer, with broadcast production led by TMRW Sports.
“The Skins Game was always bigger than golf. It was a cultural event that brought sports and entertainment together in a way fans hadn’t seen before,” said Ben Silverman, CEO of Propagate Content.
The format is like the traditional Skins Game structure, with each hole carrying a dollar value and tied holes roll over to raise the stakes. There is a new twist, however, in the form of a “reverse purse.” In this case, each player will have $1 million on the scorecard to start the new-look competition, a total that will rise and fall with every hole that’s won or lost.
“We’re giving fans an experience that honors the past while delivering pure, high-stakes competition where the pressure builds with every shot,” said Chad Mumm, Co-Founder and President of Pro Shop, the media and commerce company that seeks to connect golf with mainstream culture.
Panther National is one of the newest high-end private clubs in the game.
Erik Matuszewski
Thomas will have a unique familiarity with the venue, as Panther National was his debut design. Thomas, who won his 16th PGA Tour title earlier this year, assisted Jack Nicklaus in creating the championship layout known as The Big Cat. All but four holes feature water or a forced carry, and there are two island greens – at the fifth and 15th holes – and a couple of island tee boxes as well.
There have obviously been imitators of the original Skins Game concept in recent years, most notably The Match, a series of made-for-TV exhibition match play challenges that began in 2018, has mixed PGA Tour golfers and professional athletes from other major sports over 10 editions.