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The Showdown is here in the latest attempt by the world’s best golfers to modernize the sport negotiations are ongoing between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIFfunded by LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will join forces to make a PGA Tour team, with LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka their opponents in this matchup.
The event is an evolution of ‘The Match’, launched by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2018.
Now four of the biggest stars in the game have joined forces to generate income separate from traditional touring, while TGL, founded by Woods and McIlroy, also due to launch in 2025 to further shape the future of the golf landscape.
Here’s everything you need to know about The Showdown:
When and where is The Showdown?
This one-time event takes place at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas on Tuesday, December 17th. Player practice is scheduled for 23:00 GMT (18:00 ET) for the start of the 18-hole tournament.
Is The Showdown on TV?
The event is not shown on UK television, but there is simulcast in the United States on TNT, TBS, truTV and Max’s B/R sports supplement.
What is the format?
McIlroy and Scheffler battle it out against Koepka and DeChambeau over 18 holes of three different styles of golf. The first six holes will be played as four balls, also known as best ball, the middle third will be fours or alternate shots as one partner hits the odd holes and the other takes the even holes. The final six holes will consist of singles, although the exact combination has not been revealed. Each segment will be assigned a point value, and the team that wins two of the three segments will be crowned the champion. In the matchplay format of golf, the winner of each hole claims a point.
What is the prize money?
The event pays out prize money in cryptocurrency through its sponsor Crypto.com, with Golf Monthly reporting that the pot is worth “at least $10m (£7.9m)”.
The winning team will invest their prize fund in CRO, the Crypto.com token. The prize money will be more than most PGA Tour events, although major and signature events, as well as LIV Golf events, offer more than four and three-day tournaments. Scheffler earned $3.6m (£2.8m) for winning this year’s Masters at Augusta National.
Reports suggest that each player will also receive an appearance fee.
What is the form of McIlroy, Scheffler, DeChambeau and Koepka?
Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, enjoyed an incredible year, winning seven times on the PGA Tour, including The Masters, and winning the FedExCup at the end of the season, in addition to Olympic gold in Paris. The American’s sensational form carried over to team golf with Team USA triumphing in the Presidents Cup, and its dominance extended to defending its Hero World Challenge title earlier this month.
McIlroy also had a successful 2024, with four world wins. He recently shone during the DP World Tour Middle East, winning the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai title for the sixth time in late November.
However, McIlroy’s major drought, which stretches back to 2014, continues, and his runner-up finish to DeChambeau at the US Open is particularly painful.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, enjoyed one of the best years of his career, winning his second career major at the No. 2 course at Pinehurst and jumping back into the top 10 in the world. crown at the team championship, eventually finishing in a tie for seventh place.
Koepka was fifth on LIV’s individual points list this year, with wins at LIV Golf Singapore and the Greenbrier, although his Smash side finished a disappointing 13th in the team championship.
What was said about the event?
Koepka: “I think this is a great showcase to bring the two tours together a little bit and I think we’re going to do that [more] next year.
“We can all align and bring something bigger and better so that we can have a few more times where we can see most of the best players from both sides competing, more against each other.
“I can promise you from the other side [PGA Tour players]they don’t sit there and want to lose. Rory doesn’t want to, Scottie doesn’t want to lose to us and there’s no way [we want to lose]we are too competitive on our part.
“We don’t want to lose. This is nothing but just being competitive and wanting to beat these guys and show them who the best golfers are.
“I really think you have the greatest figure in golf in Bryson, and then one of them [golfers with the] most majors. We have a lot on our side. We want to beat them, we want to show the world that we are the top two dogs.”
McIlroy: “I’m delighted to be partnering Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December.
“This is not just a competition between some of golf’s greatest champions; it’s an event designed to excite fans.
“We are all here to put on a great show and contribute to a goodwill event that brings the best together again.
“We all want to see more of the best golfers in the world battling it out, battling it out on the back nine of the tournament.
“At a time when the professional game has felt divided, we believe this event can bring fans an incredible day of entertainment.”