Remember back in 2016, when the PGA Tour ended its longtime relationship with Trump National Doral Miami’s Blue Monster? It left fans disappointed, but fast forward nine years, and it was announced that the PGA Tour is returning to the venue with Cadillac as the title sponsor. And it seems the trend continues, as plans are in place to bring back one of golf’s most iconic television series.

According to Josh Carpenter, who posted on X, “Work has been ongoing to bring back the old ‘Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf’ series, per people familiar. The @PGATOUR filed trademarks for ‘Wonderful World of Golf’ earlier this year. Two other notable trademarks were filed by the tour just this month.” While the PGA Tour has not confirmed the revival, filings earlier this year hint at serious plans.

The original series was the pinnacle of golf broadcasting in its era, running more than 40 years from its debut in 1962 until its final episode in 2003. It featured head-to-head matches between top golfers at iconic courses like Pebble Beach and Pine Valley.

Episodes typically ran 60 minutes and were hosted over the years by figures such as George Rogers and, later, the late Jack Whitaker. But the series also had a long 24-year hiatus from 1970 to 1994, returning briefly with a high-profile match between Nick Faldo and Greg Norman, until it finally discontinued in 2003.

This time around, as per Carpenter, a golf media company, Pro Shop Holdings, is working alongside the PGA Tour Studios on its revival. While he noted that details on its official premiere date or main broadcasting are unclear, the trademark filings reveal “organizing, arranging, and conducting professional golf tournaments or competitions, production and distribution of television shows featuring golf tournaments,” listed alongside Wonderful World of Golf. This is the same media company that also revived the Skins Game, which was aired on Black Friday last month.

The potential revival of “Wonderful World of Golf” aligns with the broader changes that Brian Rolapp and Tiger Woods have in mind for the PGA Tour. With the new changes discussed a few weeks ago, aiming to make the tour a leaner, more premium model, and making the tour a more curated and premium experience for fans, the revival fits neatly into the tour’s strategy.

As Woods spoke ahead of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, he stated, “We’re trying to give the fans the best product we possibly can. The FCC has had multiple meetings and looked at so many different models regarding what we could do. It’s up to us to try and make it work, but we want the players’ opinions as well.”

By reintroducing a classic, fan-friendly series like the Wonderful World of Golf series, the tour can celebrate its history while providing high-impact, easily consumable content, aligning perfectly with Rolapp’s vision of catering more to the fans and increasing player visibility. And with the schedule looking to be a 20-event season by 2027, there will also likely be enough space for players to incorporate this into their schedules.

And to understand the appeal of bringing the series back, it helps to revisit some of the most iconic episodes that made Wonderful World of Golf a beloved part of the game’s history.

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Golf greats who took center stage on the Wonderful World of Golf

Some of the most memorable episodes of Wonderful World of Golf featured head-to-head showdowns between the sport’s biggest names on some of the most iconic courses. The series debuted in 1962 with a match at Pine Valley, widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest courses, pitting World Golf Hall of Famer Gene Littler against five-time major winner Byron Nelson. This episode had some of the best footage you can find of professionals playing on one of the toughest layouts ever built.

Then, the series continued to deliver unforgettable pairings over the decades. In 1965, Ben Hogan faced Sam Snead at Houston Country Club, a showcase of two of the best swings in golf. Fast forward to 1995, Paul Azinger and Seve Ballesteros brought intense competition to St. Andrews, the “Home of Golf,” demonstrating that even lighthearted matches could still carry serious competitive fire.

In 1997, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller went head-to-head at the Olympic Club. While it was a serious match with some of the most elite-level golfers, it wasn’t without playful banter. Each episode not only highlighted the players’ talent but also offered fans an intimate, up-close look at their personalities, making the series a timeless celebration of the game.