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TSN Senior Reporter

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Live golf will return to screens sooner than expected.

TaylorMade Driving Relief, a charity skins game to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts, will tee off on May 17, featuring Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson taking on Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff.

The event will be played at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla., with a $3 million purse that will go to charity.

Another $1 million will be available for players making birdies and eagles during the event, and separate text-to-donate and GoFundMe options will allow viewers to contribute.

The competition will follow strict social distancing guidelines and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site.

The event will feature a team format, with McIlroy and Johnson playing for the American Nurses Association and Fowler and Wolff donating their winnings to the CDC Foundation.

“I hope that we can provide some respite and entertainment for those tuning in across the globe,” said McIlroy in a press release. “Dustin and I will have a lot of fun together and our games will fit well as we push to raise funds and awareness on May 17.”

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through the TaylorMade Driving Relief event,” said PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan in a release.

Most of the broadcast team will be located off site, with only two on-course reporters, Jerry Foltz and Steve Sands, at the site of the event.

This event gets in front of a second such outing featuring Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, along with football legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. A date and location for that challenge has yet to be announced.