News
Another Wednesday exhibition gives fans a close-up look at tour pros practice rounds (and raises money for charity)
Jon Rahm and Tony Finau will take on Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter in a nine-hole skins matchat Muirfield Village the Wednesday ahead of this week's Memorial Tournament benefitting Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Stan Badz
Two weeks ago at Detroit Golf Club, Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Wes Bryan and Jason Day let cameras in on a friendly Wednesday nine-hole match as they prepped for the Rocket Mortgage Classic. At this week’s Memorial Tournament, fans will get to watch another foursome compete in a nine-hole exhibition that includes a charity element.
Jon Rahm and Tony Finau will take on Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell on Wednesday in a team skins match dubbed the Nationwide Challenge. The group will play the back nine of Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, with Golf Channel airing the competition at 2 p.m. EDT (GOLFTV has international coverage). Rahm and Finau will be playing for the Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children’s in nearby Columbus, Ohio, while Poulter and McDowell will represent the Hospital’s On Our Sleeves national behavioral health movement.
Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter have a 1-0 record when paired together in the Ryder Cup.
Scott Halleran
Skins will be set at between $10,000 and $50,000 per hole for a total of $150,000 for the match. The 14th, 16th and 17th holes will also have skills competitions worth another $150,000. There will be a hole-in-one challenge on the 12th hole that will give the golfers a chance to add $1 million through the Play Yellow campaign, a golf industry initiative to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Fans can join in the fundraising efforts for Nationwide Children’s Hospital by texting “HELPKIDS” to 41-411 during the Challenge to donate to the NICU and On Our Sleeves movement, thanks to PGA Tour Charities’ online and Text-To-Give donation platforms powered by GoFundMe Charity.