Funk, Ames In Skins; Organizers Eye Craig Perks and Jodie Mudd to Round Our Reunion Of Former Players Champions

Yes, that's right, Stephen Ames is "eligible" to play in Skins, which should generate huge interest now that Tiger's ABC deal has expired.

The Skins Game no longer has Tiger Woods under contract, but at least it has new life.

LG Electronics has signed a three-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the Skins Game, the original event in the Silly Season that will be held Thanksgiving weekend at Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta and televised by ABC Sports.

"This relationship ensures that the LG Skins Game will remain part of our Thanksgiving viewing menu during the holiday weekend, much as it has been over the last two-plus decades," said Pete Derzis, general manger of ESPN Regional Television.

Fred Funk is the defending champion, wearing a pink skirt last year after Annika Sorenstam drove past him on one hole. Also eligible to play is Stephen Ames after winning The Players Championship. The rest of the field will be determined later.

Woods played four of the last five years at the Skins Game under an endorsement deal that expired last year.

 

Not So Silly Season?

Chris Lewis at SI.com points out that there is still a lot of great golf to be watched, which, amidst all of the schedule-reduction talk might make one wonder if this is more of a statement about the PGA Tour. After all, there are two tournaments this week I'd actually like to watch (Casio and Australia), yet the big names are at the Grand Slam and Skins (double yawn).

Part of the allure with Japan is the Michelle Wie quest-to-make-a-cut-thing, but in both cases, there is something nice about getting to see golf in another part of the world. To see how people dress, how the players behave, how the grass is maintained, etc...  The PGA Tour is a bit too repetitive week to week. Same setups, similar architecture, same comments from announcers (excluding Faldo-Azinger weeks).

And as Lewis points out, Q-School is next week, which has an entirely different feel to it.

Though I feel a bit slimy watching Q-School, believing that it's something that should be done behind closed doors. Like child birth.