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Media Guide Monday, 21 October 2019 Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club | Chiba, Japan

Media Guide Monday, 21 October 2019 Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club | Chiba, Japan

mediA guide Monday, 21 October 2019 Accordia Narashino Country Club | chiba,

KICK OFF TO Welcome

On behalf of GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR, welcome to the official media guide ahead ofMGM Resorts The new global home of world class golf The Challenge: Japan Skins, which takes place on Monday October 21 at the fantastic Accordia Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan – the perfect curtain raiser for week.

Ahead of MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins, it is probably a good time to reflect on an incredible 12 months for GOLFTV since Discovery announced it had partnered with the PGA Tour in a long-term arrangement.

In that time, we have secured as a global content partner for GOLFTV, giving fans unprecedented access to his inner thoughts, a perspective rarely seen in front of a camera. To deliver on our promise to educate and entertain, we also partnered with Tiger on an exclusive 12-part instructional series – My Game: Tiger Woods – which since launch has proved a huge hit with fans across the globe.

And then, of course, you have MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins event, organised by GOLFTV in partnership with Excel Sports Management.

When you consider all of this is in addition to the live action on the course we present from the PGA TOUR week in, week out, the first year has been an incredible ride for GOLFTV.

I would like to thank Tiger, Rory, Jason and Hideki for taking part in this exhibition match, a challenge event we hope to replicate annually in the future as our GOLFTV product continue to evolve and grow.

For those unable to be in Japan, I hope you enjoy watching the event on your or devices whether it be on GOLFTV or The (US only).

May the best man win!

Alex Kaplan, President and General Manager of Discovery Golf

MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS 3 About MGM RESORTS The Challenge: Japan Skins About GOLFTV

In September 2019, Discovery announced it would be hosting MGM Resorts The In June 2018, Discovery and the PGA TOUR formed a landmark 12-year strategic alliance Challenge: Japan Skins - an event that will pit four of the greatest players in the world that is set to grow the game of golf around the world over the coming decade. The partner- against each other, headlined by GOLFTV’s global content partner Tiger Woods himself. ship’s plans sent waves through the industry for its ambition, scale and innovation – with The Challenge will form another crucial component in GOLFTV’s aspiration to build a leading sports publication claiming it was “unique in its scope” and a sign of “how the a true golf ecosystem and cement its position as the new “Digital Home of Golf”. sports broadcast market will develop.”

Click HERE to view the promo for MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins. From January 1 this year, GOLFTV became the new digital home of golf for the global fan community. At the heart of GOLFTV is a live and on-demand video streaming service, Selected charity partners will be the beneficiaries of the event. showing every moment of the PGA TOUR, European Tour and , Event Timing (by country) featuring the world’s greatest players, to a global audience every week. Japan: October 21st, 13:00 JST In June this year, GOLFTV continued to deliver on : October 21st, 06:00 CEST its ambition to educate and entertain with the launch USA (simulcast on Golf Channel): October 21st, 00:00 EDT of My Game: Tiger Woods - a brilliantly produced How to watch instructional series which has proved incredibly Fans can enjoy the event for free by registering with GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR and popular with audiences across the globe. The visiting challenge.golf.tv for more information. Subscribers to GOLFTV can access a series gives fans a rare, up-close and first-hand l range of live and on-demand PGA TOUR programming and regular exclusive content with ook at Tiger’s game as he shares the secrets of his Tiger and leading players. Please check your local content availability here. approach, technique and how his game has evolved during his record-breaking career. Click HERE to watch episode one of the series. In the U.S., MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins will be simulcast on Golf Channel. Established with innovation at its core, GOLFTV brings new , creativity and immersive and Nine will also show the first two hours of the broadcast. technology to the world of golf. It aspires to offer fans a new way to consume, watch, Event Purse play and engage with the game every day. GOLFTV is part of Discovery, a global leader MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins players will be competing for a total purse in real-life entertainment with an extensive portfolio of direct-to-consumer platforms. of $350,000 for the selected charity partners, with hole values divided as follows: Holes 1 through 6: $10,000 per skin Holes 7 through 12: $15,000 per skin Holes 13 through 17: $20,000 per skin Hole 18: $100,000 super skin Challenge Holes During the event, a number of the holes played will include extra challenges with addi- tional monetary value that support our charity partners and add unconventional twists to the event. Details of these extra challenges will be revealed during the live broadcast. Spectator Gallery Approximately 3,000 guests will be invited to watch the event at the course. Spectators will be a mix of GOLFTV competition winners, registered users, event partners and public ticket holders.

4 MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS 5 Opened in 1965, the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club is a 36-hole located in Chiba, Japan. tiger woods

Born: December 30 1975, Cypress, Born: February 25 1992, Matsuyama, Japan

One of the most decorated players in the history of the Twenty-seven-year old Hideki Matsuyama is one of the game, Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships since biggest names in Japanese sport. Born in Matsuyama turning pro in 1996. In total, the mercurial Californian on the island of Shikoku, he turned professional in 2013 -native has picked up an astonishing 108 titles in his after a successful amateur career that saw him become 23-year professional career to date. the first Japanese player to compete as an amateur Undisputedly the most recognisable face in golf, Woods at the 2011 , win the gold medal collected his first major at the Masters in 1997, winning by at the 2011 University Games before becoming number an incredible 12 strokes in a scintillating display at Augusta one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in August 2012. National. In June 1997, less than a year after turning pro, Since turning pro, Matsuyama has 14 professional wins Woods topped the world rankings for the first time. Woods across the , European Tour and PGA was the world number one from August 1999 to September TOUR to his name. Matsuyama reached number two in 2004 (264 weeks) and again from June 2005 to October the world in June 2017 after his runner-up finish at the 2010 (281 weeks). He has also represented the United US Open – his best finish at a major to date. States eight times at the . Matsuyama studied at Tohoku Fukushi University During his glittering career, Woods has won the Masters on in Sendai, Japan and is currently ranked at 27 five occasions, PGA Championship four times, the US Open in the world. three times and three times – only with 18 majors, has won more.

The father-of-two, now 43 years old, resides in Jupiter Island, .

Best results at the majors: Best results at the majors: Masters Tournament: Won 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019 Masters Tournament: 5th 2015 PGA Championship: Won 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 PGA Championship: Tied for 4th 2016 U.S. Open: Won 2000, 2002, 2008 U.S. Open: Tied for 2nd 2017 The Open Championship: Won 2000, 2005, 2006 The Open Championship: Tied for 6th 2013

8 MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS 9 Rory McIlroy

Born: May 4 1989, , Northern Born: November 12 1987, Beaudesert, Queenland, Australia

Rory McIlroy turned professional in 2007 and was immediately Born just south of Brisbane in November 1987, Jason Day tipped as a future major champion. That prophecy has been is a former world number one who turned professional in 2006. fulfilled with the Irishman not only winning four major A winner of 16 tournaments as a pro, Day memorably picked titles throughout his career to date, but he has also been up his one and only major to date at the PGA Championship ranked the number one player in the world for a total of in 2015 at where he finished three shots 95 weeks. clear of American Jordan Speith.

McIlroy was hailed as a childhood prodigy during In addition to his triumph at the PGA Championship, a successful amateur career which saw him selected in Day also tied for second at the Masters tournament Europe’s 2004 team before signing off in 2011 and repeated the feat at the US Open in 2011 on his amateur status by picking up The Silver Medal as the and 2013. The Australian is currently number 23 leading amateur at the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie. in the world.

McIlroy won his first major at the US Open in 2011, shooting Day, who splits his time between Forest Lake in Queensland a then-tournament record score of 16 under. The following and Westerville, in the , married wife Ellie year he won the 2012 PGA Championship by a tournament in 2009 and is father to three children. record margin of victory. McIlroy has played for Europe in five Ryder Cup events, part of a winning team on no less than four occasions.

McIlroy, who has won the PGA Player of the Year twice, PGA Tour Player of the Year three times and European Tour Golfer of the Year on three occasions, splits his time between residing in Holywood in his native and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He married partner Erica in April 2017.

Best results at the majors: Best results at the majors: Masters Tournament: 4th 2015 Masters Tournament: Tied for 2nd 2011 PGA Championship: Won 2012, 2014 PGA Championship: Win 2015 U.S. Open: Won 2011 U.S. Open: Second / Tied for 2nd 2011, 2013 The Open Championship: Won 2014 The Open Championship: Tied for 4th 2015

10 MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS 11 History of SKINS format OUR PARTNERS

A “skins” game pitches players in the same group against each other individually over 18 holes. Each hole carries a monetary value, also called a “skin,” of escalating value.

The player in the group with the lowest score on the hole wins the skin for that hole; if two or more players tie for the lowest score, the skin carries over to the next hole. The skins continue to carry over until one player wins a hole outright, which may (and often does) result in a player receiving the money for one or more previous holes that they had not tied for.

If no player wins the 18th hole outright, a sudden-death for the value of the final skin will ensue (but the value will not multiply with each playoff hole). The winner of The MGM Resorts Challenge: Japan Skins is the player who wins the most money for charity.

The skins format was originally made famous through “The ,” an unofficial money event on the PGA TOUR that launched in 1983. The first Skins Game featured Jack Nicklaus, , and . The latest edition was played in 2008. At-a-glance: What is the Skins format? > An event – or match – played by four golfers over 18 holes > The four golfers play to win individual holes, otherwise known as “Skins” > Played in a match-play format > Each hole is assigned a monetary value > If two or more players tie a hole, aka halve, a hole the “skin” is carried to the next hole At-a-glance: History of the Skins format > Originally launched as an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour in 1983 > First Skins Game featured Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson > Final edition played in 2008

Media Contacts

Fiona McLachlan James Hillier Steve Stammers SVP Sport Communications, Senior Communications Senior Communications Discovery (Sports) Director, Discovery (Sports) Manager, Discovery (Sports) +33 650 35 96 57 +44 7778 129413 +44 7795 062 414

12 MGM RESORTS THE CHALLENGE: JAPAN SKINS OFF TIME ZONES

LONDON 5:00 AM MOSCOW 7:00 AM LOS ANGELES 12:00 AM 9:00 PM 6:00 AM TOKYO 1:00 PM

MUMBAI 9:30 AM

SYDNEY JOHANNESBURG 3:00 PM 6:00 AM

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