The Skins Game was an annual tradition on the PGA Tour’s silly season, taking place near the end of the year from 1983 to 2008.
Golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Gary Player contested the inaugural edition in Arizona 42 years ago.
South African Player emerged victorious in 1983 before Nicklaus had his revenge a year later.
But after Korean K.J. Choi won the 2008 Skins Game, the tournament went into hibernation, with many speculating that the made-for-TV offering no longer held the public’s interest.
But 17 years on and we’re back!
Some may remember it well but for those new to the Skins Game or past viewers needing a refresher, here’s all you need to know.
When does it take place?
Friday, November 28.
The return of the Skins Game is being billed as part of a huge sporting Black Friday which also features American Football and NBA action.
How to watch?
The 2025 Skins Game is being broadcast on Amazon Prime Video. It starts at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, which is 2 p.m. in the UK.
Who is taking part?
Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Shane Lowry and Keegan Bradley.
All four were on view in the recent Ryder Cup with Fleetwood and Lowry key figures as Europe defeated Bradley’s team for which Schauffele was their joint-leading scorer.
Justin Thomas was originally in the line-up but was forced to pull out due to injury.
Where is it taking place?
Thomas still has his fingerprints on the tournament as it’s being held at a course he helped design with Jack Nicklaus – Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The course’s official website says it “features steep elevation changes and dramatic vistas” and that the par 72 can play up to 8,000 yards.
With plenty of risk/reward holes, it looks an ideal venue for the Skins Game.
How does it work?
Skins is a well-known format in golf.
The player who scores the lowest on each hole wins that point, or “skin”. If two or more players tie the hole, it carries over to the next hole which will be worth two skins. No clear winner there and the next hole is worth three and on it goes.
The winner is the player with the most skins when the round is completed.
What is the new twist for 2025?
This year, a “reverse purse” has been introduced. Instead of starting with zero dollars and trying to grow their bank, each player will begin the tournament with $1million.
Chad Mumm, the co-founder and president of Pro Shop and the man responsible for bringing the tournament back to life, offered this explanation:
“How do you get a modern four-player fist-pumping on the sixth hole? You have them taking money out of someone else. I just think it’s going to create stakes early that will be really interesting.
“The first time a skin is won and these guys look over at their signage and their total goes from one million down to $900,000 … they’re going to be like, well, s**t…
“We didn’t want to pay appearance fees, so we had to have a purse that was big enough to get their attention.
“And then this idea of staking them at the beginning and having them start with a million each, I think is a way to really get them focused on trying to win these holes.”
Mumm was also behind Netflix’s Full Swing Series.
Who are the most successful players in the history of the Skins Game?
Fred Couples won this event five times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004), earning him the nickname “Mr Skins”.
Payne Stewart was a triple winner while Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange, Mark O’Meara and Stephen Ames all won it twice.
Tiger Woods never managed to win. He finished runner-up three times.
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Article Link: The Skins Game explained with new ‘reverse purse’ twist added