TV Sports: Live Golf Gets Ready To Roll In Just A Couple Sundays

NASCAR’s not the only sport set to start up its long-idled engines the weekend after next. The TV sports calendar on Sunday May 17^th also features the long-awaited return of live golf. TaylorMade’s Driving Relief, a two-man team skins match benefiting COVID-19 relief efforts, features Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson facing off against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff.

While promoting the upcoming event which will air on NBC, McIlroy told Today co-host Carson Daly that he hadn’t hit a golf ball in seven weeks, but the World No. 1 has rectified that as he’s begun to prepare for this event. The charity match tees off Sunday May 17th at the exclusive Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.

“I’m pretty excited about it, I’m pretty excited to do a small part to raise some money and raise some awareness in these really challenging times,” said McIlory.”

“I think golf can return to doing things like this. We can keep ourselves socially distanced, in different carts, and stay more than six feet away from one another.”

McIlory and DJ are playing to benefit the American Nurses Foundation while Fowler and Wolff are supporting the CDC Foundation with sponsor UnitedHealth Group
UNH
(NYSE: UNH) set to divvy out $3 million to the worthy causes.  In addition, Farmers Insurance  has pledged $1 million towards a birdies-and-eagles pool to benefit Off Their Plate, a charity that provides meals to frontline health care workers.

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through the TaylorMade Driving Relief event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With four of the PGA TOUR’s top stars in Rory, Rickie, Dustin, and Matthew of Team TaylorMade participating and UnitedHealth Group serving as the foundation of charitable giving, and Farmers Insurance providing an additional bonus pool, golf fans around the world can look forward to a unique, interactive, and entertaining event that will help those in need.”

PGA TOUR Entertainment is producing the broadcast with Jerry Foltz and Steve Sands on-site at Seminole Golf Club with the play-by-play and analyst team weighing in from remote locations.

“NBC Sports is proud to raise awareness for these charities that are directly making an impact on COVID-19 relief,” said Pete Bevacqua, President, NBC Sports Group. “We’re grateful to the four exceptional PGA TOUR players for donating their time, as well as all the sponsors for helping elevate this unique fundraising event, which will feature the first worldwide broadcast of a golf competition from Seminole Golf Club.”

Meanwhile, on the following Sunday, May 24^th, golf fans will be treated to the hotly anticipated sequel to “The Match” broadcast on TNT at 3 p.m. ET.  Billed as Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are set to tangle once more, only this time they’ll have teammates in tow. Peyton Manning is playing alongside Tiger and Tom Brady joins Lefty. The rematch will go down at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. WarnerMedia and the golfers are collectively chipping in $10 million to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts and on course challenges during the match will add to the funds raised tally.

On the other side of the pond the European Tour returns to virtual action on May 9^th with the BMW Indoor Invitational powered by TrackMan. The five-event golf series features Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Bernd Wiesberger, Joost Luiten and Mike Lorenzo Vera playing top tier tracks like the Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Portrush, and Valderrama on a simulator. Event winners will be awarded $10,000 toward the COVID-19 relief charity of their choice.