The Skins Game Makes its Triumphant Return in 2025

The once-popular Skins Game fizzled out in 2009 when it parted ways with its title sponsor and the PGA Tour switched to a wraparound season, meaning competitive, tournament golf would now be played right up to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Golf had lost its traditional “Silly Season,” the time of year when professional golfers could either take a much-needed break from competitive golf or participate in low-key, exhibition events like The Skins Game. In 2018, seeing an opportunity to revive those Skins games in a slightly different format, Bryan Zuriff, a TV and film producer, introduced The Match, a made-for-TV exhibition that featured everyone from PGA Tour pros like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to professional athletes like Michael Phelps and Charles Barkley to Hollywood legends like Bill Murray.

Those matches have gradually lost viewership as organizers searched for different ways to make them both competitive and entertaining. There was still nothing quite like The Skins Game, which based on its format (we’ll talk more about that shortly), inspired that competitive-nature in players.

Enter Pro Shop, a golf media, commerce, and entertainment company headed by Chris Mumm, the Executive Producer of the ultra-popular Netflix series, Full Swing.

Mumm was a big fan of The Skins Game

Mumm, through his relationship with the PGA Tour, decided to reintroduce The Skins Game to a new audience.

“The Skins Game embodies everything we strive for at Pro Shop – celebrating the rich traditions of golf while creating premium experiences that resonate with today’s modern audience,” said Mumm.

So, at this point, if you’re not familiar with The Skins Game, you may be wondering just what in the world a skin even is. Here’s an abbreviated version of how it works. Each hole is worth a certain amount of money, or one skin. If you win the hole, you win the skin and the money that goes with it. If no one wins the hole, that skin carries over to the next hole until someone wins a hole and receives those skins. As the round progresses, the money a skin is worth continues to increase, meaning towards the end of the match, a lot of money could be on the line.

The Skins Game carries a rich history, with former winners including legends of the game like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, and Payne Stewart who won three consecutive Skins Game from 1990-92.

However, there is no one more closely associated with The Skins Game than Fred Couples. “Boom Boom” as he’s affectionately known, racked up 77 skins in 11 Skins Game appearances, with total winnings of over $4 million. Freddie’s laidback persona and silky-smooth swing proved the perfect combination for Skins Game success.

The 2025 Skins Game will take place on Black Friday over the Thanksgiving holiday. Although further details have yet to be released, my very early Christmas wish from Santa for next year is that the organizers bring The Skins Game full circle and incorporate some of the legends of The Skins Game, including Fred Couples as perhaps an announcer for the event.