PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler will face LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in an exhibition occasion in Las Vegas in December, the organisers introduced Wednesday.
The 18-hole, made-for tv occasion between 4 of the largest names from the upstart Saudi-backed LIV sequence and the PGA Tour shall be staged at Shadow Creek.
Scheffler, who received the Masters and Olympics amongst his eight titles this yr, and McIlroy, a four-time main winner, will accomplice in opposition to two-time US Open champion DeChambeau, who edged McIlroy for this yr’s US Open crown, and five-time main winner Koepka — the one gamers to win majors whereas lively LIV members.
The PGA Tour and LIV’s backers, the Saudi Arabian Public Funding Fund (PIF), are in merger talks however have been unable to finish a deal to reunite golf’s elite gamers.
READ | Caitlin Clark to play in pro-am at LPGA’s The Annika
The LIV-PGA billed as ‘The Showdown’, McIlroy stated final month on the Irish Open, is much less about attempting to push these long-stalled negotiations and extra about bringing some pleasure to golf followers aggravated by the three-season break up.
“I wouldn’t say it’s meant to ship a message. It’s extra we needed to do one thing that, I suppose, all golf followers may get enthusiastic about,” stated McIlroy.
“You’ve acquired the perfect participant on this planet. You’ve acquired two guys in Bryson and Brooks which have received majors within the final two years. You’ve acquired me in there who — I haven’t performed what these guys have performed the final couple years however I’ve undoubtedly been I really feel among the best gamers on this planet.
“It’s a approach to present golf followers on this planet that that is what may occur or these are the chances going ahead.”
With LIV gamers banned from PGA Tour occasions because the upstart sequence swiped big-name gamers from the PGA in 2022, main championships have been the one place the place LIV and PGA stars compete in opposition to each other.
“It’s in the midst of December. There’s not lots occurring within the sport of golf. So attempting to get individuals enthusiastic about one thing earlier than the season begins once more,” McIlroy stated.
“All of us thought it was a good suggestion and one thing that hopefully is an indication of issues to come back sooner or later.”
In June at Pinehurst, McIlroy had an opportunity to win his first main since 2014 however misplaced to DeChambeau by one stroke on the ultimate gap at Pinehurst.