As they prepare to face the PGA Tour’s best in Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, both Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau hinted that it could be the start of something much bigger.
Four of the biggest stars in golf will go head-to-head in The Showdown – an exhibition match in Las Vegas being shown on TNT on 17 December.
McIlroy said the players themselves organized the event in order to give golf fans a glimpse of what could be the future if the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF finally get a deal done.
Having the best players facing each other more often is the ultimate aim, but while that could take time we could see a regular PGA Tour v LIV Golf event taking place similar to The Showdown.
That’s a prospect both DeChambeau and Koepka teased when promoting the upcoming event, saying a future competition in more of a Ryder Cup format could be on the cards.
“Let’s be real – wouldn’t you want to see a LIV versus PGA Tour Ryder Cup-style thing? That is what it is,” Koepka told reporters on a conference call for The Showdown. “This is growing into a big thing. That’s what will draw the fans.”
Players from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf currently compete in just the four Majors, and until some sort of deal is sorted out that’s likely how it will remain.
And while the questions over which tour has the better quality remain, having a Ryder Cup-type event could be something that emerges from this first fixture.
“What we’re doing is so unique for golf,” Koepka added. “It could start something going into the future.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
McIlroy admitted that the PGA Tour needed some convincing before signing off on him and Scheffler playing in the event, and while the DP World Tour stance seems to have softened Jay Monahan’s organisation continues to ban LIV golfers from its events.
DeChambeau, though, thinks the upcoming match will show how popular matches between players on the two tours can be – and he believes there’ll be a bigger version next year.
“The showdown is a great showcase for bringing the two tours a bit together,” DeChambeau said.
“And I think what we’re going to do next year, all of us aligned, is bringing something a little bigger and badder, so we can have a couple of times – at least one more time – where we can see most of the best players on both…
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