Live updates from Rory, DJ vs. Fowler, Wolff

The TaylorMade Driving Relief 2020 event gets underway at 2 p.m. ET at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. Rory McIlroy teams up with Dustin Johnson to face off against Oklahoma State alum Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a Skins Game matchup. There is at least $4 million on the line, with all the money going to Covid-19 relief.

The match is airing on NBC, Golf Channel, NBCSN, and Sky Sports. There will also be a free live online stream on PGA Tour Live, GOLFTV, Golfpass, and Golf Channel.

For those new to the world of Skins Game golf, each hole is worth a certain amount of money. Whichever team wins the hole in the best ball format claims the skin for that hole. If the sides finish a hole tied, the skin rolls over to the next hole. If a team wins that next hole, they claim that hole’s skin plus that of the previous hole’s. If the teams finish that next hole tied, it rolls over again.

Normally a skin is claimed as prize money for the golfers, but in this case, each team will win money for a specific charity. McIlroy and Johnson are playing for the American Nurses Foundation and Fowler and Wolff are playing for the CDC Foundation.

Here’s a breakdown of how much each hole is worth:

Holes 1-6: $50,000 each
Holes 7-16: $100,000 each
Hole 17: $200,000
Hole 18: $500,000

Hole-by-hole results - Preview from our ringer for holes not completed yet

Hole 1: All four golfers finished the hole at par. McIlroy, Johnson, and Fowler all reached the green in regulation, while Wolff hit the green but saw his ball roll just off. The three GIR golfers two-putted in, while Wolff chipped and then putted in to reach par. The $50,000 skin rolls over to the second hole.

Hole 2: Another par four, another four pars to halve the hole. Wolff had the longest drive to claim $100,000 in bonus money. $100,000 in skins rolls over to the third hole.

Hole 3: And Dustin Johnson reaches the Par 5 in two, and gets up and in for birdie. The length of Rory and DJ should give them more opportunities to pick up Skins on the longer holes, while Fowler’s iron play and short game will likely give him the best chance to score on the shorter holes. It’s a cool $150k for the South Florida residents.

Hole 4: While DJ drove it in the bunker and Rory left himself a decent putt he missed, Rickie tucked it within six feet from the center of the fairway. It’s the first skin for Wolff and Fowler, so add $50,000 to their total.

Hole 5: Are we sure these guys are pros? Four of the best golfers in the world on a dead-straight Par 3 from 205 made two bogeys. But Dustin Johnson & Rory got up-and-down for three, and they win 50k and a skin. Also if Mike Tirico wasn’t chumming it up with Bill Murray there, he wouldn’t have called the hole a half. Some of us are gambling here, pal. I thought the Syracuse grads were supposed to be the good broadcasters??

Hole 6: On the sixth, which can be tricky, Rory bombed it to 93 yards from the hole, and then flipped in a wedge to stick it inside a long club. He made the putt for birdie and $50k and a skin. It’s 5-1 on Skins and $250k-$50k for DJ and Rory, but now the price of golf increases to $100k per hole.

Hole 7: Just some dudes hitting driver-wedge on a 430-yard Par 4, and sticking it to within eight feet. Both Rickie and Rory made birdie, while Wolff missed his putt from about 10 feet. The hole rolls over and they’ll play 8 for $200k.

Hole 8: Three of the four golfers reached par on the long par 3, with Fowler going for bogie. Since Wolff reached par, this one was halved and they’ll play for $300k on 9.

Hole 9: Fowler and Wolff each birdied No. 9, while McIlroy and Johnson finished with pars. This is a huge win for the underdogs, as the $300,000 win puts them on top through the front nine.

Hole 10: Rickie split the fairway with his drive, and knocked the approach to 10 feet, but missed the putt for the skin. It’ll carry over, and we’re playing for $200k on 11.

Hole 11: Rickie isn’t just carrying his bag, he’s carrying his partner Matthew Wolff as well. Although he left quite the long putt, he drained it from what appeared to be 30+ feet to grab yet another skin. DJ also drove the ball in the water, and Rory was unable to match the birdie. It’s another $200k for his team and a pair of skins.

Hole 12: Remember those old “These guys are good” commercials the PGA Tour used to have to promote themselves? Well all four golfers hit it to about 68-73 yards, and all four left themselves a putt of no more than 10 feet. And then DJ, Wolff, and Rory all missed a putt they make way more than they miss — and Fowler rolled it in for another $100k. Fowler has seven skins, and DJ/Rory have combined for five. But the money difference is huge as it’s $650k-$250k for the Oklahoma State grads.

Hole 13: One of the greatest Par 3’s in golf turns into three 3’s and a bogey. It’s DJ again with the +1, and he’s been pretty bad today on a course where he’s a member. You’d think he’d of had an edge here, but no such luck. They’ll roll the cash over to the Par 5 next hole.

Hole 14: Now these guys have settled in. All four players reached the green in two and made a birdie here, but that means the skin rolls over and we’re playing for $300k on the next hole. When the pros make it look easy, they make it look really easy.

Hole 15: What a hole, but the 555 yards was just long enough to keep any of the four players from making a birdie. Rory McIlory had the best chance, but lipped it out from about 12 feet. It was only $300,000 on the line, so now 16 is worth $400,000. Oh Skins, you’re the best.

Hole 16: It might have been a Par 4, but it played pretty easy today as three players made birdie. Again, only Dustin Johnson wasn’t able to break par on the hole. But it makes the end just that much more interesting.

Hole 17: Nobody makes two on a hole where member Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals once made a one; it was his first career ace. And so with four 3’s, we’re playing for a mere $1.1 million on the 18th hole.

Hole 18: Four of the best golfers in the world just got home ok on a super-difficult hole, but Rickie, DJ, and Rory all missed some makeable putts, and we’re off to a closest-to-the-pin contest on 17 for $1.1 million. There are a pair of charities sitting on pins and needles here I’m sure. Let’s see what happens.

Hole 19: Matthew Wolff hit a beauty, but the wind seemed to knock it down and left it a few yards short. Rickie sliced it, DJ thought he hit a beauty but slightly overcooked it and it fell off the green, and that left Rory with one shot for $1.1 million: and he knocked it pin high and inside of Wolff for the win. We don’t know by how much, but with the wind as it was it was a heck of a shot.

And that’ll do it from Seminole, as here are the final totals:

Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson: 11 skins, $1,850,000
Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff: 7 skins, $1,150,000