The PGA Tour wins this round against LIV Golf.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy topped Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in the latest version of “The Match,” this time renamed the “Crypto.com Showdown” at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.
The event was billed as the “first-ever multi-million dollar professional sports awards show in CRO Cryptocurrency.” It is unclear how much the winning team took home, but the prize pool was reportedly “at least $10 million”.
The competition was divided into three six-hole segments, which resembled the Ryder Cup at Shadow Creek. The first six holes were best ball, the middle six holes were alternating shots, and the last six holes were singles matches.
The PGA Tour duo had the edge at every stage of the match.
They were 1 up after the first hole with the best ball and just kept going, earning the first win of nights 3 and 2 via an incredible 40-foot birdie putt from McIlroy on the fourth hole. DeChambeau had a chance to keep the phase going with an eagle putt from within five feet, but pulled it.
The LIV tweet did do some damage, though, as DeChambeau’s tee shot at No. 2 reportedly hit Scheffler’s father.
The alternate shot was closer, with the same result. Both teams struggled putting, but McIlroy and Scheffler were exactly one shot better, putting them ahead 2-0 going into the singles phase and only having to match one of the two head-to-head matches.
For singles it was Scheffler vs. Koepka and McIlroy vs. DeChambeau and over at the 16th hole, when Scheffler locked up his matchup to wrap things up, leading by two holes with two to go. McIlroy also managed DeChambeau at the time.
PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf is finally happening as the deal nears
Now, Tuesday’s event, which is just the latest in the history of “The Match,” doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. However, it did mark a step in the right direction in the battle between the Tour and LIV Golf – something that finally appears to be nearing an end after years of turmoil between the organizations and its golfers.
There was a time when pitting two Tour golfers against two LIV Golf members would have been an unthinkable idea based on the way the two entities interacted. Even after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan shocked the golf world more than a year and a half ago with the surprise framework agreement between them and LIV Golf, things were still very shaky.
But recently things have turned around. The Saudi Public Investment Fund – which backs LIV Golf – is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire a minority stake in PGA Tour Enterprises. According to a Bloomberg report last week, the PIF would get about 6% of PGA Tour Enterprises.
While the details of that deal are not yet known, and it is unclear when (or if) it will actually close, it is the closest thing to a deal since the golf world initially fell apart. The fact that McIlroy has completely changed his stance on LIV after being one of the strongest opponents of his willingness to participate in a televised event pitting the two leagues against each other is a perfect example of this.
McIlroy and DeChambeau even threw jabs at each other prior to the event as they used to, when referencing McIlroy’s brutal collapse at the US Open earlier this summer.
If nothing else, top players from both leagues are willing to come together and are doing everything they can to prove it with events like Tuesday in Las Vegas. It is now up to the leagues themselves to actually finalize a deal.
Until then, we’ll have to wait for the Masters in April before we can get the best of golf all on the same course at the same time.
