Skins Game Returns to Thanksgiving Weekend

Defending champ Fred Couples will make a record-setting 11th appearance in the 22nd Skins Game this year. Sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Freddie will compete against Tiger Woods (5th), Adam Scott (1st), and Annika Sorenstam (2nd).

The first nine holes will be played this Saturday at 1pm ET and the holes will be played Sunday at 11:30am ET. ABC will broadcast the event from 4:30-7pm ET on Saturday and 3:30-6pm on Sunday. The $1 million purse is split into $25,000 for holes 1-6, $50,000 for holes 7-12, and $70,000 for holes 13-17. The 18th hole is worth $200,000 itself. Players will donate 20% of their earnings to charity.

The first two Skins Games were held at Desert Highlands in AZ before spending one year at Bear Creek Golf Club in CA. PGA West hosted the tournament from 1986-91 and Bighorn Golf Club set the scene from 1992-95. Rancho La Quinta Country Club played host from 1996-98 before moving to Landmark Golf Club from 1999-2002. 2004 marks the second year the event will be staged at the Trilogy Golf Club at La Quinta. The Trilogy is a 7,113-yard par-72 course that opened in 2003.

Fred Couples outlasted Annika Sorenstam, Phil Mickelson, and Mark O’Meara to win his record fourth title last year. Here’s to hoping that next year’s tournament morphs into a shirts vs. skins game with Natalie Gulbis and Laura Diaz on the skins team.

Year       Winner             Winnings      Par/Yards
1983       Gary Player        $170,000       72/7100
1984       Jack Nicklaus      $240,000       72/7100
1985       Fuzzy Zoeller      $255,000       72/7024
1986       Fuzzy Zoeller      $370,000       72/7271
1987       Lee Trevino        $310,000       72/7271
1988       Ray FLoyd          $290,000       72/7271
1989       Curtis Strange     $265,000       72/7271
1990       Curtis Strange     $225,000       72/7271
1991       Payne Stewart      $260,000       72/7271
1992       Payne Stewart      $220,000       72/6848
1993       Payne Stewart      $280,000       72/6848
1994       Tom Watson         $210,000       72/6848
1995       Fred Couples       $270,000       72/6848
1996       Fred Couples       $280,000       72/7087
1997       Tom Lehman         $300,000       72/6983
1998       Mark O'Meara       $430,000       72/6983
1999       Fred Couples       $635,000       72/6983
2000       Colin Montgomerie  $415,000       72/6983
2001       Greg Norman        $1 million     72/7068
2002       Mark O'Meara       $405,000       72/7068
2003       Fred Couples       $605,000       72/7068