The Showdown is here in what is the latest attempt from the best golfers in the world to modernise the sport amid ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi’s PIF, which bankrolls 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 match.
The event is an evolution of ‘The Match’, which was 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 the traditional tours, while TGL, founded by Woods and McIlroy, is also set 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-off event takes place at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas on Tuesday, 17 December.
How can I watch The Showdown?
The action will be shown on TNT Sports. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 11pm GMT (6pm ET).
What’s the format?
McIlroy and Scheffler take on Koepka and DeChambeau over 18 holes with three different forms of golf. The first six holes will be played as fourballs, the middle third will be foursomes and alternate shot as one teammate tees off on odd-numbered holes and the other takes the even-numbered holes. The final six holes will consist of singles, though the exact combination has not been revealed.
What’s the prize money?
The event pay out prize money in cryptocurrency through its sponsor Crypto.com, with Golf Monthly reporting the pot to be worth “at least $10 million (£7.9m)”.
The winning team will bank their prize money in CRO, the token of Crypto.com. The prize will be more than most PGA Tour events, though majors and signature events, as well as LIV Golf events, offer more over four and three-day tournaments.
Reports suggest each player will also receive an appearance fee.
What’s been said about the event?
Koepka: “I think this is a great showcase for bringing the two tours a bit together and I think we’re going to do [more] next year.
“All of us can align and bring something bigger and better so we can have a couple more times where we can see most of the best players from both sides competing, more against each other.
“I can promise you on the other side [PGA Tour players], they’re not sitting there wanting to lose. Rory doesn’t, Scottie doesn’t want to lose to us and there’s no chance [we want to lose], we’re too competitive on our side.
“We don’t want to lose. This isn’t anything other than just us being competitive and wanting to beat those guys, and show them who the best players in golf are.
“I truly think you’ve got the biggest figure in golf in Bryson and then one of the [golfers with the] most majors. We’ve got a lot going on our side. We want to beat them, we want to showcase the world we’re the top two dogs.”
McIlroy: “I’m thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December.
“This isn’t just a contest between some of golf’s major champions; it’s an event designed to energise the fans.
“We’re 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 going head-to-head, battling it out on the back nine of a tournament.
“At a time where the professional game has felt divided, we believe this event can bring fans an incredible day of entertainment.”
