Golf

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler win The Showdown over LIV duo

PGA golfers defeat Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau during competition in Las Vegas

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler of the PGA Tour talk during The Showdown at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Photograph: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler of the PGA Tour talk during The Showdown at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Photograph: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown
Wed Dec 18 2024 - 12:17

The PGA Tour got the best of LIV Golf during a high-stakes duel in the desert as Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Scottie Scheffler teamed to earn 2½ points and win “The Showdown” over Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Playing three different 2-on-2 competitions of six holes apiece, with the final 10 holes under temporary lights, the PGA Tour duo won the opening best-ball competition after just four holes and also came out on top during the alternate-shot competition over holes 7-12.

In singles competition over the final six holes, Scheffler secured the decisive half-point by going up two holes on Koepka with two to play.

With four total points available – two in singles play – 2½ points were needed for the victory. The final McIlroy/DeChambeau match was not played to completion.

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As the rift thaws between the duelling tours, the competition at Shadow Creek Golf Club could end up being a precursor to a full-blown Ryder Cup-style match between the two tours played over an entire weekend.

McIlroy's hot start helped the PGA Tour team earn a point in the best-ball competition. McIlroy opened with birdies on medium-range putts to win the first two holes. He then clinched the point in the opening session with a 50-foot putt, while DeChambeau missed a short putt to tie.

In the alternate-shot competition over the middle six holes, a DeChambeau missed putt gave McIlroy and Scheffler the ninth hole, and a McIlroy 4-footer at number 12 clinched the session for a 2-0 lead. The LIV Golf team did not win a hole until 11.

While DeChambeau struggled with his putter all day, it was a pair of stray drives at 16 for both DeChambeau and Koepka that spelled doom. Scheffler, the number one player in the world, clinched the match with a birdie at 16, while Koepka missed a birdie putt to tie the singles match.

McIlroy and Scheffler shared $10 million for the victory, with the sum paid in cryptocurrency.