The biggest names in golf are about to face off in what could be a preview of golf’s future reunification.
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau from LIV Golf will take on the PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy in a special match at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas on December 17.
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It’s a rare chance to see golf’s divided stars compete against each other outside of major championships.
"Let’s be real — wouldn’t you want to see a LIV versus PGA Tour Ryder Cup-style thing? That’s what this is," Koepka said. "This is growing into a big thing. That’s what will draw the fans."
The timing couldn’t be better. Behind the scenes, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (which backs LIV Golf) is in talks with the PGA Tour about bringing the sport back together through a commercial deal.
Scottie Scheffler has dominated golf lately, racking up nine wins including another Masters title and Olympic gold. But he’s only faced Koepka and DeChambeau four times since golf’s big split.
That’s led to some interesting questions about how things might have been different if golf’s best players were still competing regularly.
"Scottie had a hell of a year. I think it’s arguably one of the best years the Tour has ever seen," Koepka admitted. "But I think we would have put up a good fight. It would have been interesting."
The PGA Tour had to give special permission for Scheffler and McIlroy to participate in what’s being called "The Crypto.com Showdown."
DeChambeau hints this might just be the beginning: "We’re going to do something a little bigger and badder next year, so we can have at least one more time where we see most of the best players on both sides competing."
For golf fans who’ve been missing these matchups, December 17 can’t come soon enough.
