Optum Golf Channel Games: Teams, Format And How To Watch

Professional golf is continuing its run of alternative events with the inaugural Golf Channel Games, which is set to take place on Wednesday, December 17 as the men's World No.1 and World No.2 prepare to do battle once more.

Hoped to build off the success of competitions like The Showdown, The Skins Game and the Grant Thornton Invitational, the Optum Golf Channel Games is being played on primetime TV and has been inspired by events like the NFL Combine.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will lead teams in a host of different time and strategy-focused challenges across a four-hour period broadcast live on Golf Channel and USA Network.

The action has been designed to be entertaining and fun for the players while also showing off their skills from every part of the golf course.

Below are all the key details you will need to know ahead of the 2025 Optum Golf Channel Games, from who's playing to what the format is.

WHO IS PLAYING IN GOLF CHANNEL GAMES?

There will be two teams of four players, led by captains Scheffler and McIlroy. Both of their individual Ryder Cup captains are also appearing, with Keegan Bradley on Team Scheffler and Luke Donald competing for Team McIlroy.

Continuing the Ryder Cup theme, Sam Burns is a part of the American's quartet alongside promising talent Luke Clanton.

McIlroy's foursome is completed by good friend and Ryder Cup winner Shane Lowry as well as the charismatic Haotong Li - a multiple-time DP World Tour winner from China.

TEAM SCHEFFLER

• Scottie Scheffler
• Keegan Bradley
• Sam Burns
• Luke Clanton

TEAM MCILROY

• Rory McIlroy
• Luke Donald
• Shane Lowry
• Haotong Li

WHERE IS GOLF CHANNEL GAMES BEING PLAYED?

The Golf Channel Games is being played under the lights at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter in Florida.

Opened in 2002, the course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and measures over 7,500 yards from the tips. It is around 90 minutes north of Trump National Doral and is located very close to where many professional golfers live.

HOW TO WATCH GOLF CHANNEL GAMES

Broadcast by Golf Channel and USA Network, the Golf Channel Games is being shown live from 7pm until 11pm ET on Wednesday evening. The actual games are expected to begin around 7:30pm.

PGA Tour pro Keith Mitchell is joining Golf Channel regulars Steve Sands, Smylie Kaufman, Brad Faxon, Anna Jackson and Johnson Wagner for the special event, while University of Miami commit Kai Trump is slated to provide guest commentary as well.

GOLF CHANNEL GAMES FORMAT

There will be five different challenges throughout the night, with teams competing against each other for points in each. The team with the highest number of points after all five challenges have been completed will be crowned the winners.

The challenges will be; Timed Drive Competition, Time Short-Game Competition, Team Relay, 14-Club Challenge and Captain's Challenge.

TIMED DRIVE COMPETITION

One player from each team will go head-to-head with an opponent in a long-drive contest over two minutes and six attempts.

A smaller fairway down the middle doubles the number of points on offer and the final ball is worth double the points no matter where it lands.

The winner of each head-to-head match wins a point for their team while the player with the highest overall points total earns a bonus point for their team's overall score. Whichever team reigns supreme in the timed drive competition goes 1-0 up in the five-event competition.

TIMED SHORT-GAME COMPETITION

Once again, head-to-head matches will be determined by the captains. Each player will hit five different short-game shots from different locations and scoring is determined by the golf ball's proximity to the hole - the closer the ball, the more points are scored. There is also a bonus challenge where players have to hit over a 'Flop Wall'.

After that, players will race to the putting green before hitting three putts from four different distances (five, 10, 15 and 50 feet). The final ball from each distance is the bonus ball and is worth double points.

Players only have four minutes to complete all shots and, as before, winning a head-to-head match earns a point for the team. The highest overall total earns a bonus point for their team with the chance to go 2-0 up or square the overall contest at 1-1.

TEAM RELAY

This one is fairly simple. All four players will compete in a relay over holes one and nine on two loops - four total holes. Player A drives, Player B hits the approach, Player C might chip or putt and Player D moves in to hopefully tap the ball home.

There is a point for the lowest team score and a point for the fastest completed hole. Points on the final hole - the second go down the ninth - are worth double.

14-CLUB CHALLENGE

Both Team Scheffler and Team McIlroy will split themselves in half for this one and go head-to-head with an opposition pair. It's effectively a closest-to-the-pin competition from a certain point in the fairway with every club in the bag.

There is one point available for hitting the green and two points for landing within 10 feet of the hole. Once all 14 clubs have been used, including putter, each team will choose one player to hit shots 15 and 16 left-handed.

The most points wins and ties are settled by a one-on-one closest-to-the-pin battle using any club the players would like.

CAPTAIN'S CHALLENGE

The final challenge will see Scheffler and McIlroy go head-to-head in a one-on-one battle. They will both hit from 10 predetermined locations which is set to test their irons, wedges and putting.

There is one point for being closest to the hole from each spot while holing out from off the green or on earns five points. Whoever comes out on top overall adds one last point to their team's score.