STAMFORD, Connecticut – Optum has been named title sponsor of the Golf Channel Games – the new, rapid-fire golf competition headlined by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler – which will air live in primetime on Golf Channel and USA Network on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, in Jupiter, Fla.
McIlroy and Scheffler will lead two four-man teams at the Optum Golf Channel Games in never-before-seen timed and strategy-focused challenges under the pressure of the clock and the primetime lights.
“UnitedHealth Group has a long history of partnering with the PGA Tour and Rory McIlroy, an Optum ambassador, and we are excited to sponsor this new, innovative experience for golf fans to enjoy. Golf promotes physical, mental, and social well-being at all ages and stages, helping people live healthier lives”, said Optum CEO Patrick Conway.
The Optum Golf Channel Games will be comprised of the following challenges:
- Timed Drive Competition – 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.
- Timed Short Game Competition – A combination of chipping and putting precision is required in the Short Game Challenge. Players hit shots from multiple locations around the green before tackling a putting gauntlet of putts from varying distances – with just three minutes to complete both challenges.
- 14-Club Challenge – Two Players, One Bag – Two teams of two players from each side will square off in the 14-Club Challenge, drawing a club from a single bag (including driver and putter) in a closest-to-the-pin competition from a designated distance in the fairway. All 14 clubs, seven shots per player per side – and once a club is used, it’s out. Each team will also pick a player to hit a lefty 15th shot.
- Timed Shootout – A four-player alternate shot on three holes with teammates staged on the tee (1), in the fairway (1), and around the green (2). Finish with the best score in the shortest amount of time…the clock is running!
- Captains’ Challenge – Rory vs. Scottie – Each player hits from predetermined locations. Shots will include iron shots from a variety of distances, as well as wedge, pitch, bunker shot, greenside shot, 30-ft putt, and 10-ft putt.
Emmy-award winners Mark Loomis (producer) and Jeff Jastrow (director) will lead Golf Channel’s production of the Optum Golf Channel Games, which were created in partnership with EverWonder Studio and producer Bryan Zuriff. The Optum Golf Channel Games are being launched in association with PGA TOUR Studios.
