For the first time since 2008, the Skins Game is returning to Thanksgiving weekend, and we'll get to watch Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry (a late sub for Justin Thomas) compete for millions of dollars at Panther National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. You can read more about the resurrected franchise here, but the crucial info is that airs on Prime Video at 9 a.m. ET on Friday morning—one of the few slots with no other live sports in a sports-heavy weekend.
Now, thanks to a source close to the production, we can share a few bits of news. First, on the television side, Peter Jacobsen has been named lead analyst, joining host Andrew Catalon in the booth (Colt Knost and Dan Rapaport will be on course).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDepending on your age, you either know Jacobsen as an NBC and Golf Channel commentator, or as a tremendous player in his own right, with seven PGA Tour wins, two Ryder Cup appearances for the U.S., and two PGA Tour Champions majors. What you may not know is that starting in 1984, still in his mid-20s and in the thick of his playing career, Jacobsen got a call from NBC president Don Ohlmeyer asking if he'd be interested in working the Skins Game on Thanksgiving. That year, in Palm Springs, he launched his announcing career alongside the legendary Vin Scully and continued to work the Skins Game for years to come. Now he returns, bringing a very specific expertise to the format—nobody knows the Skins Game quite like him.
We can also report that the Skins Game has commissioned a brand new theme song and a sleek title sequence, both of which give off serious James Bond vibes. The song was written by Jeff Garber, who also did the music for the Netflix documentary "Full Swing." Check out the opening here:
So slick and so detailed, right down to the "United Skins of America" written on the dollar bills and the Lee Trevino space on the game board.
As we wrote earlier this week, the Skins Game will trade heavily on nostalgia, and will employ old highlights and the original logo to make the event's history a part of the revival. You can see that influence in the theme song, which along with the James Bond comparison, has a distinct 1980s feel reminiscent of the John Tesh classic "Roundball Rock."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith Jacobsen anchoring the broadcast team, and all the nostalgic musical and graphic elements in place, the Skins Game appears ready for lift-off. On the morning of Black Friday, while the rest of the country is either sleeping off their tryptophan hangovers or charging like maniacs into a Best Buy, golf fans will have a better option, and all it requires is a quick stumble to the couch.
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