Carlos Sainz Jr. and Justin Thomas have won Netflix’s first-ever live sporting tournament held in Las Vegas ahead of the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Netflix has long-held a strong relationship with the global world of sports; from the hit series Drive to Survive to docuseries centred around golf, tennis and more, it was the next inevitable step to introduce a live tournament format available for streaming.
What is The Netflix Cup?
Just a week ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix which will see the ten Formula 1 racing teams descend on the iconic Strip for a racing event like no other, Netflix has invited four F1 drivers to compete in a live golf tournament alongside some of the sport’s best players.
Who is playing in The Netflix Cup?
McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. will be joined by Williams’ Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly of Alpine to play Netflix’s first-ever live event held at the Wynn Golf Club at Wynn Las Vegas.
WATCH Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris tee off in the Netflix Cup below.
The Netflix Cup Golf Format
The format is simple: Four teams consisting of two players will compete in head-to-head matches played over eight holes; the winners from each match will face off in the final… but if the first hole is anything to go by, this tournament will be pure chaos.
The Netflix Cup
Lando Norris and his teammate Rickie Fowler opened the play against Carlos Sainz Jr. and Justin Thomas for the first hole, with all four players striking their balls at the exact same time, waiting to see whose would land closest to the hole on the other side.
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“Go! Go! Go!” was heard from the players as they each jumped into their team’s buggy to race after their wayward balls – these are Formula 1 drivers after all – weaving through the course to reach their balls and elect to take their second shots.
After the initial scramble players will then select which ball they wish to play from, with the aim to finish the hole in the fewest amount of shots. The team with the most overall holes will progress to the final to take on the winners from the other group.
“We love to see how our sports series have brought increased fandom to sports leagues and competitions all over the world,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Nonfiction Sports, Netflix.
“The Netflix Cup will take that energy to the next level with global stars from two popular hits competing in our first-ever live sports event.”
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All four players arrived at the first hole in a flurry, with Ricky Fowler narrowly missing his short putt after his F1 teammate Lando Norris was disqualified for picking up his ball, allowing Carlos Sainz to sink the shot and win the hole.
The teams would battle it out throughout the next eight holes, but it’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and his professional golfer teammate Justin Thomas who would go on to win Netflix’s inaugural sporting event in Vegas.