Four of the most famous players in the world are set for ‘The Showdown’ – released by some as a grudge match between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf teams that make up each side of the golf wars called civil war.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who have remained loyal to the established PGA Tour, took on LIV pair Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in an 18-hole Ryder Cup-style event under floodlights in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
“This is not just a competition between some of golf’s major champions, it’s an event designed to empower the fans,” McIlroy said.
American duo DeChambeau and Koepka were among the marquee names drawn to the fractious Saudi-backed tour with multi-million dollar deals.
With opportunities for all players to compete on the same field restricted by the PGA Tour’s ban on LIV defectors, the Showdown offers a rare opportunity to bring together four players with a combined tally of 13.
“We want to beat them, we want to show the world that we are two top dogs,” Koepka said.