OPTUM GOLF CHANNEL GAMES
By design, the Optum Golf Channel Games never stopped moving on Wednesday night, under the lights at Trump National Jupiter, where Scottie Scheffler’s team edged Rory McIlroy’s squad by the slimmest of margins.
Follow Clanton through Tuesday of the GC Games
Follow Luke Clanton from the leadup to and through Tuesday at the Golf Channel Games, where he had his first production meeting, shared his thoughts on playing with Scottie Scheffler, tried some lefty shots and more.
Up Next
Scottie Scheffler nipped Rory McIlroy in a playoff to win the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games. See how the event played out in Jupiter, Florida.
CHALLENGE EXPLAINERS
-
Power and precision takes center stage in the first competition of the Golf Channel Games, where each team will go head-to-head driving six balls to earn points.
-
Poise and precision take center stage in the second competition of the Golf Channel Games, where each team will go head-to-head chipping and pitching before racing to the green to show off their putting skills.
-
Teamwork and speed will be the name of the game during the third competition of the Golf Channel Games, an exciting team relay.
-
Competition 4 of the Golf Channel Games features a 14-Club Challenge, where strategy meets skill as players get one shot with one club to get as close to the pin as they can, earning points in the process.
-
The Captain’s Challenge of the Golf Channel Games features Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy going head-to-head hitting 10 shots from various locations to gain the most points.
TEAM SCHEFFLER
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler leads a team of four Americans against Rory McIlroy’s international squad.
Keegan Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, will team with three other Americans against Rory McIlroy’s international team.
Burns, a five-time PGA Tour winner, is part of captain Scottie Scheffler’s team at the Optum Golf Channel Games.
Clanton, a former world No. 1 amateur, is part of captain Scottie Scheffler’s team at the Optum Golf Channel Games.
TEAM MCILROY
World No. 2 McIlroy leads a team of four international players against Scottie Scheffler’s American squad.
Donald, the two-time winning European Ryder Cup captain, will be part of Rory McIlroy’s international team.
Lowry, who sealed the Ryder Cup for Europe, will join good friend Rory McIlroy as part of the international team.
Li, a four-time DP World Tour winner from China, is part of Rory McIlroy’s international team.
MORE NEWS
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, believes the sport “can’t be perfected,” which is why he says he finds himself always coming back to it.
Scottie Scheffler is set to make his 2026 PGA Tour debut at the American Express 2026 this week. Scheffler enters a significant favorite over Ben Griffin and Ludvig Åberg to win the tournament.
Rory McIlroy doesn’t see an alliance forming between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf but would still like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to show commitment to Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
Adam Scott returned to the Sony Open for the first time in three years and jokingly said it was a good place to stop on the way back from Australia. He had other motives, of course.
Tee times, pairings and how to watch Round 1 of The American Express, across all three course in La Quinta, California.
See how the final round of the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii played out at Waialae Country Club on Golf Channel.
Despite winning twice in two years on the PGA Tour, Gotterup worked hard this offseason on a couple deficiencies, which helped him capture title No. 3 Sunday in Hawaii.
Chris Gotterup is now a three-time PGA Tour winner after topping Ryan Gerard and Patrick Rodgers to claim the 2026 Sony Open championship.
Gotterup, who finished at 16-under 264, moves to No. 17 in the world. He was at No. 195 in the world when he left the Sony Open a year ago.
Here’s how the $9.1 million purse was paid out at this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, where Chris Gotterup prevailed.