The PGA Tour got the best of LIV Golf during a high-stakes duel in the desert as Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Scottie Scheffler teamed to earn 2 1/2 points and win "The Showdown" over Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Playing three different 2-on-2 competitions of six holes apiece, with the final 10 holes under temporary lights, the PGA Tour duo won the opening best-ball competition after just four holes and also came out on top during the alternate-shot competition over holes 7-12.
In singles competition over the final six holes, Scheffler secured the decisive half-point by going up two holes on Koepka with two to play.
With four total points available – two in singles play – 2 1/2 points were needed for the victory. The final McIlroy/DeChambeau match was not played to completion.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will each take home $5M in cryptocurrency for their win in ‘The Showdown.’
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 18, 2024
Scheffler: “I don't know a whole lot about Crypto, but this is some good motivation to do some research.”pic.twitter.com/3jGO1n53mN
As the rift thaws between the dueling tours, the competition at Shadow Creek Golf Club could end up being a precursor to a full-blown Ryder Cup-style match between the two tours played over an entire weekend.
McIlroy's hot start helped the PGA Tour team earn a point in the best-ball competition. McIlroy opened with birdies on medium-range putts to win the first two holes. He then clinched the point in the opening session with a 50-foot putt, while DeChambeau missed a short putt to tie.
In the alternate-shot competition over the middle six holes, a DeChambeau missed putt gave McIlroy and Scheffler the ninth hole, and a McIlroy 4-footer at No 12 clinched the session for a 2-0 lead. The LIV Golf team did not win a hole until No 11.
While DeChambeau struggled with his putter all day, it was a pair of stray drives at No 16 for both DeChambeau and Koepka that spelled doom. Scheffler, the No 1 player in the world, clinched the match with a birdie at 16, while Koepka missed a birdie putt to tie the singles match.
McIlroy and Scheffler earned $10 million for the victory, with the sum paid in cryptocurrency.