This Tuesday, 17 December, “The Showdown” exhibition event will be played in Las Vegas, featuring two PGA Tour players, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, against two of the best players from LIV Golf, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
An unthinkable event just a year and a half ago, and as Rory acknowledged, it took some convincing of the PGA Tour Board about the importance of this event happening to gradually restore normality and engage the fans.
The intrigue of seeing players from both circuits face off is undoubtedly the main attraction of the event. It remains an exhibition, but all four players will want to uphold the honour of their circuits. Another element is the pairing of Koepka and DeChambeau, who were rivals for some time but seem to have smoothed things over in recent months.
Where is ‘The Showdown’ played? The exhibition takes place at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. The course, located in Nevada, is owned by MGM Resorts International. A green fee at this luxurious course costs around $1,250. Among other exhibitions, the course hosted the 2018 match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
What format is it played in? They play 18 holes combining three different parts. The first six holes will be played with the best ball rule, the next six with alternate shots (foursome), and the last six in individual format. The competition will take place at night under the lights.
Prize? Although there has been no official statement from the organisers, there is talk of a $10 million prize. There will be no cash prize as the millionaire prize will be paid in cryptocurrency. The main sponsor of the event is The Crypto.com
The event will start at midnight in peninsular time, six in the evening in Las Vegas. In Spain, for the moment, no television channel has confirmed that it has the broadcasting rights for the event.
