When have you seen golf stars gasping for breath on prime-time television? Maybe never. But this unprecedented incident occurred quite recently. Amidst a crowd’s loud cheers, Florida State standout Luke Clanton‘s exhaustion became visible on camera. Surrounded by major champs and Ryder Cup captains, the youngster was struggling to breathe. Not because of any nerves, but something unique in golf: speed.

“Out of breath, man. Oh boy!” says Clanton, as he took a swing at the golf ball. Soon after he sprints, reaches a 10-foot flop wall bearing the name “Big Break” and aims for a shot. The ball lands and rolls frustratingly close to the cup. “Incredible!” yells a commentator.

“This is crazy stuff. My heart’s pumping,” Clanton says as he busts his way over to the golf cart, taking deep breaths.

The occasion was the Optum Golf Channel Games, with its inaugural season. A made-for-television event, the teams were made to compete against each other and the clock in five different challenges. Two teams were formed to carry the show. Team Scheffler had Scottie Scheffler, Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns, and Clanton. On the other hand, Team McIlroy had Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, and Haotong Li.

Such was the intensity of the games that players were often seen with zero recovery times. For a group of men conditioned to four-hour rounds at a steady pace, this was a chapter completely out of the syllabus.

Their draining moments were captured during challenges like these. Called the “Timed Short-Game,” the golfers were given strict three minutes to chip and pitch from various locations. They were then forced to run onto the green and aim for a putt. That sprinting is what caused the gasps. But this wasn’t the only speed game.

Another challenge called the “Team Relay” saw teammates stationed at different points on the course. The ask was to complete a hole in the shortest amount of time possible. Clanton, in all such challenges, proved to be the standout.

Facing Luke Donald, the young golfer “put on a show” and scored 14 points to Donald’s 4, whilst navigating the timed constraints. As the only amateur/non-major winner of his team, Clanton went to great lengths and helped anchor a victory for his team.

This first-of-its-kind competition was called an “All-Star weekend but with golfers” by Producer Mark Loomis. Broadcast live on Golf Channel and USA Network, the game also saw TrackMan, drone tracing, and multiple cameras following the golfers.

“It’s just a chance to try something new, try something different,” Rory McIlroy said as per Golf Channel. “We’ve put together a collection of pretty good players, different personalities, different skillsets…really cool to see us go up against each other in some of these.”

McIlroy himself was made to run intensely during the shots. Viewers comically wondered if he could run a “sub 4.4 40-yard dash,” like an NFL elite. He ended up losing the challenge narrowly to Team Scheffler.

But these weren’t the only highlights of the game.

Top Stories

Scottie Scheffler Makes Critical Health Announcement After He Ended PGA Tour Hiatus

$223B Giant Signs Huge Deal With Scottie Scheffler Ahead of 2026 PGA Tour Season

Fans Rally Behind Justin Thomas for Donating $1M to Alabama Golf

Golf Fans’ Reaction to Malbon’s Bold Fred Couples Decision Is Hardly Surprising

Golf Fan Hit by Hollywood Celebrity’s Golf Ball Sparks Crowd Frenzy

A childhood nostalgia

Before the beginning of the game, Scottie Scheffler told Golf Channel that he had particularly enjoyed watching such games growing up. An anticipated childhood rewind, Scheffler looked rather determined to give his best. But one of the challenges, called the 14-club, had him on his nerves.

The challenge demanded golfers to hit a green from a mid-iron distance with every club in their bag. This included the putter. Once a club is used, it couldn’t be used again. This compelled the golfers to strategically decide which club to use for each shot. For Scheffler, this was hard as his “lefty game is terrible” by his own assessment.

Luke Clanton, meanwhile, emerged as the saviour of the team. In the Timed Drive Competition, where they had just two minutes to hit 6 drives into a grid, Clanton hit a massive 300+ yards shot. One stand-out moment came when a commentator casually wondered whether Clanton could touch a 191 mph ball speed. Almost immediately, and to their surprise, the young golfer answered the question himself, delivering a 191-mph strike on the very next swing.