Footballing legends will go head-to-head on the golf course in a special team tournament this week, with the Reignwood Icons of Football live on Sky Sports.
Team England and Team World meet in Bangkok for the special two-day event, where Ryder Cup greats captain the two teams.
From the format and schedule to the star players participating, here’s all you need to know about this week’s event and how to make sure you don’t miss any of the action…
What is it and where will it be played?
A host of football legends embark on a new challenge, featuring in a unique golf competition. The newly-founded event sees 24 former professional footballers split into two teams, both captained by legendary figures of European golf.
The event will take place at Reignwood Park Golf Course in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s an 18-hole course that has the same owners as the iconic Wentworth Club in Surrey – home of the DP World Tour.
Who is playing and for which team?
Team England will be captained by former world No 1 Lee Westwood, while fellow Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia – the 2017 Masters champion – captains Team World.
The first 11 players on each team have already been confirmed, with the final name to complete each side to be announced during the week of the event.
Teams correct as of February 24:
England: Lee Westwood (captain), Jimmy Bullard, Robbie Fowler, Joe Hart, Paul Ince, Phil Jagielka, Jermaine Jenas, Phil Jones, Paul Scholes, Teddy Sheringham, John Terry, Theo Walcott and TBA.
Back in 2018, Terry showed off his golfing talents during a visit to the Sky Zone at the Sky Sports British Masters
World: Sergio Garcia (captain), Gabriel Batistuta, Patrick Berger, Ronald de Boer, Nigel de Jong, Luis Figo, Diego Forlan, David Ginola, Ruud Gullit, Peter Schmeichel, Carlos Tevez, Nemanja Vidic, Gianfranco Zola.
What is the format of the tournament?
A two-day match play tournament will see both sides hoping to add the trophy to their footballing honours, with World Cup, Champions League and Premier League winners among the two star-studded line-ups.
The competition is split into four sessions, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, with each session played over 10 holes.
How do the sessions work?
Session one is fourballs, with two players from the same team competing in pairs and each player taking their own shot.
The one with the fewest shots on each hole will score a point for their side until the 10th and final hole, where the winner will score two points. At the end, the number of points that the winning pair won by will be added onto the final score.
In an added twist, extra points can be won on ‘home and away’ holes, where the away side can claim two points with a win on a selected hole. England will be the ‘home’ team on hole five, while Team World will hope to defend hole eight.
The next two sessions are played using the greensomes format, where the two teams pick the best tee shot on each hole and use the same ball from there. Like the opening session, the team with the fewest shots will score a point and double points will be available on the last.
These sessions will also feature the same ‘home and away’ holes and rules that were in place for the fourballs, while the final session sees a participant from each team against a player from the opposite side in singles.
What other rules have been put into place?
Extra rules have been introduced to add to the excitement. There will be a water hazard and bunker penalty, where players with the highest number of penalties will have points deducted for their teams after session three.
Each team will also be able to ‘call a captain’ once per session, where their respective captain – either Westwood or Garcia – will take one shot for them.
What are the players’ handicaps and who could impress?
John Terry revealed on social media in 2022 that his handicap had been cut to scratch, so the former Chelsea captain will be hoping to impress in Thailand, while Team World will hope that Gianfranco Zola a four-handicapper – can turn from a footballing magician to a golf wizard.
According to the official tournament website, here are the handicaps that some of the footballing greats will be playing off this week…
How can I watch live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports will have full coverage of the Reignwood Icons of Football tournament. Day one will be shown live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Mix at 6.30am on March 1 and also from 7.30am on Sky Sports Golf.
The final day of the tournament will be shown live on Sky Sports Mix from 6.30am on March 2 and Sky Sports Golf at 7.30am, with coverage running until the conclusion of the tournament.
What other golf and football is live this week?
The tournament takes place in a captivating week of both golf and football on Sky Sports, with full live coverage of the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic and the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship both on Sky Sports Golf.
Highlights from final round of the 2024 Cognizant Classic in South Florida, where Austin Eckroat claimed victory
Title-chasing Leeds United entertain West Brom on Sky Sports Football, with coverage starting from 11am on Saturday, while Celtic will continue their search for a fourth successive league title as they take on St Mirren on Sky Sports Main Event and Football.
Sunday begins with the Edinburgh derby in the SPL, with Hibernian facing Hearts, while a WSL double-header will see league leaders Chelsea travel to Brighton and Arsenal host West Ham. All three matches will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
Who will win the Reignwood Icons of Football tournament? Watch both days live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
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