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McIlroy and Scheffler lead Golf Channel Games as golf revives the silly season

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after putting on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after putting on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after putting on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

By Doug Ferguson 7 min read

It turns out there’s still a place for what amounts to the “silly season” in golf.

The Skins Game returned under a slightly different format — held on Black Friday instead of the weekend after Thanksgiving, and a reverse purse that added to the stakes. It wasn’t as must-see as when it began in the 1980s, but it was a fun option before football started.

The Grant Thornton Invitational is now mixed team, a big improvement.

Next up might be the most compelling of all. The “Golf Channel Games” makes its debut Wednesday night at Trump National in West Palm Beach, Florida, featuring teams led by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, the two biggest names in golf.

They will compete for points in five competitions, most of them where time is a factor, that include a driving grid, chipping and putting, and a 14-club challenge in which a club is out of the rotation once it has been used.