On December 17, PGA TOUR and LIV Golf players will lock horns for the first time in an event outside the majors, the DP World Tour, and the Olympics. The much-anticipated battled, dubbed “The Showdown,” will be a made-for-TV event airing on TNT Sports and taking place at the Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, the NBA’s In-Season Tournament will finish the same day, also in Vegas, further fueling the hype.
The PGA TOUR will be represented by two of its best players: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. The LIV Golf outfit will equally wield a pair of its most formidable opponents: Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Although many people speculate that the event is the latest iteration of “The Match,” it’s a new series that will likely take place annually and visit international venues every other season. All the four players involved reportedly own a stake in the enterprise.
About the Tours
The PGA TOUR is the main organizer of professional golf tours in North America, operating independently from the PGA of America since December 1968. The nonprofit organization headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is responsible for most events on the flagship annual series of tournaments we know as the PGA TOUR. It also organizes events on the Korn Ferry Tour for professional golfers not yet qualified to play on the PGA TOUR, the PGA TOUR Champions for players aged 50 and older, the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, and the PGA TOUR Canada.
LIV Golf is the latest entrant in the professional men’s golf tours scene, with its first Invitational Series event starting in June 2022. The LIV Golf League became official in 2023, backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. LIV stands for the Roman numeral 54, referring to the number of holes played at the series’ events. Since its launch, the league has poached top talent from the PGA Tour, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, and Phil Mickelson.
LIV’s entrance into professional men’s golf in 2022 significantly shook the sport’s established world order. The likes of Rory McIlroy were quite vocal about their skepticism for the new outfit, deeming any player who joined it a sellout. However, in 2023, talks emerged of a possible merger between the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf, with the Saudi PIF said to be considering an investment into PGA TOUR Enterprises. The talks have been ongoing, with PIF governor Yassir Al-Rumayyan and PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan recently playing golf together at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in early October.
The Showdown is a clear sign that the two sides are working together for fan engagement, collaborating to bring fans an entertaining day of golf.
Meet the Players
PGA TOUR:
Scottie Scheffler – The world number one golfer has had a spectacular 2024, winning eight titles. After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second time in March, he became the first back-to-back winner of The Players Championship a week later. In April, Scheffler clinched his second Green Jacket in three years, followed by a win at the RBC Heritage a week later. His other wins include the Memorial Tournament in June, the Travelers Championship two weeks later, the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the FedExCup title.
Rory McIlroy – The Northern Irishman has 40 professional wins on his resume, including four major titles. Nonetheless, the Northern Irish suffered a string of near misses in 2024, such as narrowly losing the U.S. Open title to DeChambeau at Pinehurst. McIlroy had three global wins this year, including successfully defending the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, clinching the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Shane Lowry, and winning his fourth Wells Fargo Championship title.
LIV Golf:
Bryson DeChambeau – The Scientist has had a promising 2024. He narrowly lost the PGA Championship to Xander Schauffele and then bounced back to clinch his second US Open title in June. His only two wins at the LIV Golf League were in 2023, at The Greenbrier in August and Chicago in September.
Brooks Koepka – Koepka is a star in his own right, boasting five major victories: three PGA Championship titles and two U.S. Open wins. Since joining LIV Golf in June 2022, the golfer leads with the most wins (5), which include the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah (October 2022), LIV Golf Orlando (April 2023), LIV Golf Jeddah (October 2023), LIV Golf Singapore (May 2024), and LIV Golf Greenbrier (August 2024).
Venue, Broadcasting Rights, and Format
The Showdown will take place at the Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, a venue famed for hosting the first version of ‘The Match’ between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2018. Mickelson won the match after 22 holes, walking away with a $9 million purse. Shadow Creek also staged the inaugural Netflix Cup, bringing together Full Swing and Drive to Survive stars to promote the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
TNT Sports will be The Showdown’s official broadcast partner, which has long been the home of many made-for-TV matches. Although the event’s format has not been officially communicated, it’s expected to be a high-stakes, 18-hole head-to-head match play, including a variety of medal/strokeplay and matchplay. The show’s producers are reportedly considering evolving it to some version of the Ryder Cup.
Final Thoughts
It will be a day golf fans worldwide will be looking forward to as two of the biggest golf factions that have been warring in recent times come together in a show of unity for the sport. With each side prepared to emerge the victor, and the players some of the best to ever tee it off, every golf fan should get their popcorn ready for the optimal enjoyment of The Showdown.