With Justin Thomas sidelined for the immediate future following a microdiscectomy, organizers of the Skins Game were left a man down for the reboot of the popular Silly Season competition that is slated to be held on Black Friday and kick off a sport’s fans feast to accompany the Thanksgiving leftovers. On Saturday, they announced a replacement for JT, choosing the affable Irishman Shane Lowry, who can dish the smack talk and apply the needle with the best of them.
Captain Luke Donald of Team Europe and Shane Lowry of Team Europe hug after Lowry makes his putt to halve the hole and retain the Ryder Cup during the Sunday singles matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course.
Lowry joins his fellow European Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and U.S. Ryder Cupper Xander Schauffele in the hit n’ giggle, which will be contested at Panther National in South Florida and shown live beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Nov. 28 only on Amazon Prime Video.
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When it debuted in 1983, the Skins Game was a big hit and delivered some of the best TV ratings in golf but it eventually ran its course and returns for the first time since 2008.
The loss of Thomas, a former world No. 1 and two-time major champion, is a tough break for the exhibition. But Lowry, a past British Open champion who makes a home in the states not far from the Skins Game venue, should bring his own brand of humor to the event. Lowry will be making his first appearance in the U.S. since he rolled in the putt to ensure Europe kept the Cup for the next two years. Thomas didn’t announce a target date to return but said he expects to miss the early portion of the 2026 season.
“My next few weeks will be a lot of resting before the rehab process begins,” Thomas wrote in a social media post on Friday announcing his surgery. “I have a great team behind me who I fully trust to get me back to a better place than I was before!”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Skins Game chooses Shane Lowry to replace injured Justin Thomas