CBS to Feature Prime-Time Rory vs. Rickie Event

From 1999 through 2005 (and one more time in 2012), when Tiger Woods was still dominating the golf world, there was an annual, prime-time event called “Monday Night Golf.”  It featured Woods in a head-to-head match-up with another, highly ranked golfer, with the winner taking home a million-dollar purse.

The first, in 1999, pitted Tiger versus David Duval.  The next year had Woods facing golf rival Sergio Garcia.  Those first two matches drew huge ratings, better than the final round of the U.S. Open and second only to the final round of The Masters.

 
From there, however, the ratings began to drop precipitously over the next four years, despite the event organizer’s best attempts at keeping it interesting.  One year they paired Tiger and Duval up with the two best female golfers in the world, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb.  Another year they paired Tiger and Sergio Garcia with Nicklaus and Trevino.  Nothing seemed to capture the audience as it did in those first two years, so Monday Night Golf was eventually cancelled in 2005.

 
Prime-time exhibition golf was temporarily resurrected in 2012, when Woods went up against an up and coming golfer named Rory McIlroy.  When the two met, Rory was just coming off a four win year, including a PGA Championship.  At the time Woods was the number two golfer in the world and McIlroy number one.  Rory won by one shot.

Since 2012 there have been no live, prime-time golf events, but it seems that may change this year.  According to an AP report, we’re happy to report that live, under-the-lights golf is making a comeback.

 
The rumor is that Rory McIlroy will be back and will be facing the high-top and joggers wearing, Rickie Fowler.  The prime-time event is being organized and sponsored by Quicken Loans and the Detroit-based sponsor will appropriately host the event at the Detroit Golf Club on June 7th—which also happens to be the Tuesday before the U.S. Open.

Unlike the previous iterations of the Monday Night Golf competitions, this one will have a celebrity component to it, with Team Rory going up against Team Rickie.  The first two hours will be broadcast on the Golf Channel, with it then switching over to CBS during prime-time.

 
Needless to say, we can’t wait to see two of golf’s youngest and biggest names square off, and we certainly hope it brings prime-time golf back to stay.

Cover Photo via Flickr and Flickr