Team Scheffler Beats Team McIlroy By An Inch To Win Inaugural Golf Channel Games After Playoff

WELCOME!

Welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games.

The occasion promises something a little different, with a series of challenges between two teams of four captained by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida.

Rather than the usual kind of tournament, McIlroy has compared what's ahead to an "NFL combine or the 3-pointer contest in basketball or the Home Run Derby in baseball."

Let's see what's in store as the evening progresses.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

So, what exactly can we expect this evening? Well, there are five challenges for the two teams of four under the lights in Florida.

We'll have a timed drive competition, a timed short-game competition, a Fourteen-club challenge, a timed shootout and a captain's challenge.

The teams are made up of Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Luke Clanton against Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Shane Lowry and Haotong Li.

The action should be getting under way in just over 10 minutes.

KEEGAN LIMBERS UP!

While we're waiting for the Golf Channel Games to get started, here's some footage of Keegan Bradley - with the glorious moustache of earlier in the year reinstated - hitting a drive... with a putter.

Yep, it looks like being that kind of night.

HOW SCORING WORKS

Each of the first four challenges offers a point to the winning team, with two available to the final captain's challenge. The team that gets to 3.5 points wins.

CHALLENGE NO.1!

There's a decent-sized crowd at the course, ready for the first challenge.

We're starting with the timed drive competition. Here, players compete in head-to-head duels with two minutes on the clock and "must combine power and accuracy to launch drives into a scoring grid."

Here comes the coin toss...

AND WE'RE OFF!

Kai Trump is here to assist for the coin toss. And... it's McIlroy's team that wins it. McIlroy chooses Scheffler's teams to go first, with Bradley the one to get things started against Li.

Lowry will be up against Burns, Scheffler will face McIlroy and the two Lukes, Donald will Clanton, are the last to go.

TIMED DRIVE BRADLEY vs LI

The players each have two minutes to hit six shots. Bradley does great, finding 300+ yard drives in the scoring grid on several shots to amass 16 points. He only misses the scoring grid on one.

Next it's Li, who is beautifully consistent throughout, with accurate 300+ yards all the way. But it's not quite enough as he takes 14 points. Bradley's 315-yard fourth was the furthest, which appears to have earned him the decisive two points.

Team Scottie 1-Team Rory 0

TIMED DRIVE: LOWRY vs BURNS

Lowry, in his team color of navy blue, misses the scoring grid with his first three. Heck. The fourth goes left too! Oh my word, I'd be proud of these drives! Not so much Shane. It's all good fun, though.

Finally, he finds the grid for two points and gets his bonus sixth away with three seconds to spare.

Lowry makes 10 points. But how? It's the bonus, which traveled 313 yards and had the best accuracy thanks to landing in a narrower center fairway lane, which scores more points. The bonus also scores double points no matter where it lands.

Now Burns. Wide left with the first. That'll get nothing. Just in the grid with the second for two.

The third is like the second, only it sneaks into the grid right. The fourth is the best yet, while the fifth is also in the grid. Now the bonus. Decent. That earns him four points and takes him past Lowry.

Team Scottie 2-Team Rory 0

TIMED DRIVE: SCHEFFLER vs MCILROY

Scottie's up first. By the way, exactly a year ago today, these two were on the same team in The Showdown against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka...

A mixed bag from Scottie, who misses the grid entirely with one shot, gets a lucky bounce in another and does generally well elsewhere. He takes 13 points.

McIlroy fares better, with three drives touching 325 yards. Crucially that includes the bonues, giving him 16 points and the win.

2-1 team Scheffler for the timed drive, one match to play...

Team Scheffler 2-Team McIlroy 1

TIMED DRIVE: DONALD VS CLANTON

Luke Donald, sporting a nifty pair of glasses, misses his first and third, picking up one point with his second, a 290-yard drive. His fourth misses too, but that's another point for the fifth. The bonus is good, and that's two points. Four points overall.

Clanton, oozing the self-confidence you only see with youth, comes to the tee. He'll surely surpass Donald's total. Let's see...

He matches Donald after his first two. The third misses. Then he fires a monster of a fourth 318 yards for another two. That's that then.

The fifth is McIlroy-esque, disappearing 324 yards into the scoring grid, and the bonus is not much worse, at 323 yards, getting him 14 points in total.

In the battle of the Lukes, Clanton cruises it.

That's it for the timed drive and it finishes Team Scottie 3.5-Team Rory 1.5 with the extra half points coming from the joint longest drives (McIlroy and Bradley).

CHALLENGE NO.2!

Next it's the timed short-game competition: A combination of chipping and putting where players hit shots from several locations around the green before a putting challenge.

HOW THE TIMED SHORT GAME WORKS

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.

TIMED SHORT GAME: DONALD VS CLANTON

It's Donald vs Clanton again to get us started. Donald does some light jogging going from chip shot to chip shot, picking up four points from the first stage. He's now in the cart with two of his four minutes left to start the putting.

Now Luke Clanton has started his challenge, while Donald is still completing his!

The upshot of it is that Donald, taking putts from 5, 10, 15 and 50 feet, and a bonus. bags four points for the first two putts but no more. He finishes on eight points overall.

Clanton finishes the chipping challenge having matched Donald's total of eight. Putting banks another 11 and it's advantage Team Scottie again.

TIMED SHORT GAME TWO: BURNS VS McILROY

The highlight of the chipping for Burns is a glorious bunker shot to find a target for two points. He finishes on five and is quickly in the cart heading to the putting challenge.

It's total chaos as, once again, both players are out at the same time. McIlroy makes three points from his chipping.

Burns bags nine from his putting giving him 14, leaving Rory needing 12 to win from putting. He does it, taking 17 points, taking his to 20. Deep breath.

Team Scottie 1 Team Rory 1 at the halfway stage of the timed short game.

TIMED SHORT GAME THREE: LOWRY VS SCHEFFLER

Lowry struggles with the chipping, but does find the closest red target for three points with his second. He gets two points with his bonus shot as well. Five points with putting to come. The putting is better, yielding 11 for a total of 16 points.

Scheffler starts like a freight train with three points for his first chip, then it goes south, and he finishes on that total.

Onto the putting, and the World No.1 is taking his sweet time despite just having a minute left on the clock. He's popping them in, but will the time run out?

He has 10 points (three behind Lowry) with only the 50-foot putts left to save it. He doesn't and Lowry wins.

Team Scheffler 1-Team McIlroy 2.

TIMED SHORT GAME: BRADLEY VS LI

Keegan gets 10 points from his second chip after holing it! He's dialed in, finishing the chipping with 13 points. Off he jogs to the cart for the putting....

Li can't match that, can he? No. He gets just four.

Bradley, on the putting surface, takes another nine points to give him 22. Li needs to nail the putting to get close here...

Needing 19 points to win, he gets six.

It finishes Team Scottie 2-Team Rory 2, but because of Bradley's insane haul of 22 points, Team Scottie takes another point to give them a 2-0 lead overall.

TEAM RELAY - HOW IT WORKS

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. Ear pieces will help them communicate.

Here's how the Golf Channel team got on...

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 1A, HOLE 1

We're starting at the first hole and it's Team Scottie first with Sam Burns driving to Scottie Scheffler, who finds the green, leaving Clanton to lip out and Bradley to hole it in four, taking 36 seconds.

Next Team Rory. Haotong Li hits the drive for Team Rory, leaving it for Donald on the approach. It's in the bunker. Rory shows impressive agility to jump down there and chip it out, and Lowry holes it - taking one second longer than Team Scottie!

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 1B, HOLE 1

Li drives to Donald, who hits it pin high. Between McIlroy and Lowry they hole it in four and just 35 seconds. Smiles all round.

OK, Team Scottie. Burns drives to Scheffler. It's a beauty onto the green. Clanton misses, so does Bradley and it's a five in 34 seconds.

After round one (of four), it's Team McIlroy leading 1.5 over Team Scottie's 0.5 thanks to Team Rory's quickest time.

That was good fun!

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 2A, HOLE 9

Now it's onto the ninth hole. Lowry drives to Li, who sends it way right! Donald, in the bunker, finds the edge of the green and the ball keeps rolling. McIlroy misses right and Donald holes it. Five shots, 46 seconds.

Back to the tee, Bradley drives into the drop zone, With the third, Burns finds Scheffler, who misses. Clanton makes it in five and 35 seconds.

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 2B, HOLE 9

Back to the ninth. Lowry to Li. It's in the drop zone. Li's third is good and between Donald and McIlroy, they make it in five after a lightning-fast 27 seconds.

Bradley to Burns. That's down the middle. Burns into the bunker. Oh dear. The chip is long and Clanton misses. They do it in five but it takes 34 seconds.

No one seems to know what's happened, but here's what did: Team Scottie 0.5, Team Rory 1.5. 3-1 to Team Rory with two to play in the Team Relay.

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 3A, HOLE 1

We're halfway through the truly chaotic but very fun indeed Team Relay, and it's back to the first with Team Rory 2-0 down in the Golf Channel Games but 3-1 up in this segment of it.

Rory's at the tee. He finds Lowry - sort of. It takes him a while to find the ball, then he takes free relief. Now it's near the bunker. Li finds the green and Donald misses left. Li putts in five but it takes 53 seconds. Someone says: "I don't think that's going to win." I agree.

Team Scottie next with Clanton at the tee. Bradley, with an armful of clubs, chooses one and chooses reasonably well, finding the green. Burns narrowly misses the putt, as does Scottie. Burns finishes for five in 51 seconds.

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 3B, HOLE 1

Rory to Lowry, who finds the back of the green. Li to Donald on the Green, with Li to finish. No, he doesn't! Donald does for a six in 48 seconds.

Clanton for Team Scottie. His drive is left, leaving Bradley to clear things up. He hits it on the green. Burns putts, missing right. Scottie taps in in 44 seconds and they claim two points.

That makes it Team Scottie 3-Team Rory 3 in the Team Relay with one round to play.

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 4A, HOLE 9

It's all square with one round to play of the Team Relay. Rory's team, on zero for the Golf Channel Games overall, need the win.

Scheffler's at the tee. He finds the drop zone. Clanton with the third finds the bunker. Bradley is wayward onto the green and Burns misses too before Bradley finishes for six in 45 seconds.

Now Donald for Team Rory. He drives it down the middle and McIlroy nearly hits Shane Lowry, who rolls it close before Li taps in in 33 seconds. Advantage Team Rory, with the added bonus of Lowry emerging unscathed.

TEAM RELAY - ROUND 4B, HOLE 9

Back to the tee, Scottie finds Clanton on the fairway, who drops it onto the green. Bradley misses left, but Burns finishes in four and 30 seconds.

Donald finds the fairway, to McIlroy, who finds the green. Lowry, with the pressure on, rolls it in for birdie in 28 seconds! He almost replicates his Ryder Cup celebration. Steady on, Shane!

Team Rory gets the point, cutting the deficit for the Games to 2-1 with two challenges to play. And the last challenge will be worth two...

CHALLENGE NO.4 - 14-CLUB CHALLENGE

Both Team Scottie and Team Rory will split in half 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.

14 CLUB CHALLENGE - ROUND 1

It's a 170-yard hole and it's Lowry vs Bradley and Li vs Clanton to start.

Team Rory first and Lowry is using a 7 iron to start. It finds the water right of the green. Bradley next with 6 iron, now 7 iron is out. He finds the green, but not within 10 feet.

Li, with 8 iron, finds the green. Clanton for Team Scottie with the 9 iron finds the crowd!

Now Shane Lowry again. He finds the water. Again. This time with the PW. Keegan with the 5 iron. On the green! Amazing.

Li with a gap wedge. It just spins off the green. Clanton with sand wedge. Lovely! On the green.

4 iron for Lowry. This is getting tricky. Nice, but just short of the green. Now Bradley, who, with a 5 wood, goes just beyond the green.

Li has a 60-degree wedge and comes up short. Clanton takes a 3 wood. He admits "I have no idea where this balls going to go". How about on the green! Wow!

Lowry with driver. He finds a bunker rolling it down the fairway. Now Bradley with putter... not bad, but just short of the green (yes, really!).

The rain's coming down as Li goes for the left-handed shot with a 6 iron. It's good, but short. Now Clanton, left-handed with a 5 iron, but it finds the water.

Team Scottie wins that stage 3-1 over Team Rory.

14 CLUB CHALLENGE - ROUND 2

It's Scheffler vs Rory and Burns vs Donald...

Scheffler, with an 8 iron from the same hole, finds the green. One point. No one has got within 10 feet yet. Can Rory here, with a 9 iron? No, but on the green too.

Next it's Burns, with a 7 iron. He finds the water. Next Donald. A 6 iron, but that's long.

We'll continue in a moment.

14 CLUB CHALLENGE - ROUND 2 (CONTINUED)

Scheffler with a pitching wedge. On the green. McIlroy takes a 5 iron (normally 225 yards for the star), and into the water it sails.

Burns, with a 4 iron, finds the water too, so now Donald takes the 3 iron. It's way too long.

Scheffler with a gap wedge also plonks it into the water, and McIlroy with a sand wedge hooks it into the water too! More to come...

14 CLUB CHALLENGE - ROUND 2 (CONTINUED)

Back to Sam Burns, who has the 3 wood in hand. It's good, but left of the green. Luke Donald has the driver. It looks good but finds the greenside bunker.

Scheffler has the lob wedge, and he's disgusted with it. Into the water it goes. That leaves the putter for Rory. That's straight into the water.

Sam Burns goes left-handed for Team Scottie, but it's just over the green. Donald with his left-handed shot with a 4 iron. It gets nowhere close and the upshot of it is that the 14 Club Challenge is won by Team Scottie.

It's 3-1 to Team Scottie but the captain's challenge is worth two points.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - HOW IT WORKS

That leaves just one challenge remaining, and it will see Scheffler and McIlroy go head-to-head in a one-on-one battle. They will both hit from 10 predetermined locations, testing their irons, wedges and putting.

There is one point for being closest to the hole from each spot. minus one for finding the water, while holing out from off the green or on earns five points.

There are two points for the winner, so if Rory wins that'll bring us into a playoff.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 1

From 200 yards, McIlroy finds the green, but not Scottie. Advantage McIlory.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 2

Now we're playing from 175 yards. Rory wins that too. He reached the green, although Scheffler sent his over it.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 3

We're going from 150 yards now. Rory's up and almost holes it, before it spins back a little! A great attempt. Pressure on Scottie here. It's in the water and that's minus 1! So, after three it's Scottie -1, Rory 3.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 4

We're at 125 yards now, and Rory is within 20 feet. Scottie follows with a similar effort. Scottie just gets that. 3-0 McIlroy as we head to 100 yards.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 5

Scottie's up first now and that rolls back but remains on the green. Rory spins it back close and it's 4-0 McIlroy.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 6

Now 47 yards (to mark the fact that Donald Trump, whose course hosts, is the 47th president).

McIlroy is first and it's a beauty, within about five feet. Scottie responds with a nice one, but not nice enough.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 7

Effectively, Scottie needs to hole one of the last four to have a chance. This is from the greenside bunker.

Rory first. He nearly finds the water, but just avoids it, and losing a point. Nice from Scottie, but not in. That makes it 5-1.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 8

Now they're heading to the crowd for a shot. Scottie's almost lands in the water, but stays right on the edge. Rory's doesn't go as far as the green.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 9

It's 5-1 Rory and Scottie's ready for a chip shot. He needs to make it or the next 15-foot putt. "Oh, I pulled it," laments the World No.1 and that's one chance down. Rory rolls it close and it's 6-1.

CAPTAINS' CHALLENGE - SHOT 10

It's a 15-foot putt, but they can't watch each other's shots to avoid either getting a read. Rory is first up. If he makes this, it's five points. He does, and it's 11-1. Scottie can't catch him so, with the overall score now tied at 3-3 between the two teams, it's a playoff!

PLAYOFF - HOW IT WORKS

The captains are now heading back to the 47-yard mark to play one more shot, closest to the hole, to determine who will win the first Golf Channel Games!

PLAYOFF - TEAM SCOTTIE WINS!

Rory goes first and it's about four feet from the hole! What can Scottie do? There's not much in that. It comes down to inches. Who knows who is closest?

They're measuring them, and Scottie wins it by an inch!