Rory McIlroy: Golf Channel Games are a chance to try something new and different

The Golf Channel Games take place at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter in Florida on December 17

Rory McIlroy will play alongside Luke Donald, Shane Lowry, and Haotong Li in the inaugural Golf Channel Games. Pic: AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake

Rory McIlroy is looking forward to trying “something different” at the inaugural Golf Channel Games, which will see his team go up against Scottie Scheffler’s squad over a series of challenges – including a relay and timed drive competition.

Masters champion McIlroy, who enjoyed a stellar 2025, will be joined by European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, close friend Shane Lowry and China’s Haotong Li at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter in Florida on December 17.

World number one Scheffler has Keegan Bradley, who captained the United States team at Bethpage Black, Sam Burns and upcoming PGA Tour talent Luke Clanton as his picks.

The tournament, which is set to be played through in around four hours, consists of five different challenges, with points available for each.

There will be a solo head-to-head timed drive competition at a scoring grid, as well as a short game of chipping and putting against the clock.

The team relay will be a four-man alternate shot on three holes with players staged throughout each, with the 14-club challenge seeing one discarded after it has been used and a player from each side will then be picked out to hit the 15th and 16th shots left-handed.

The captains’ challenge will feature McIlroy and Scheffler hitting from predetermined locations in a closest-to-the-hole format.

McIlroy was also involved in the Tomorrow’s Golf League with Tiger Woods and is relishing another opportunity to take the game to new audiences.

“Scottie and I have been a part of some of these (made-for-TV) matches before and they are great. Hopefully they have provided some entertainment, but I just think this is an opportunity to do something different,” McIlroy said in quotes on GolfChannel.com.

“(To) sort of lean into other sports in a way, like the NFL Combine, or the Three-Point Contest in basketball, or the Home Run Derby in baseball. It is just a chance to try something new, try something different.

“I think we have put together a collection of pretty good players, different personalities, different skill-sets.

“I think it is going to be really cool to see us go up against each other in some of these different challenges.”