The Crypto.com Showdown does not begin until Tuesday, but Monday’s driving range session produced plenty of fireworks.
Bryson DeChambeau, the reigning U.S. Open champion and LIV Golf superstar, gave Rory McIlroy an all-time diss about his performance down the stretch at Pinehurst No. 2 this past summer. If you recall, McIlroy missed a pair of par putts from inside five feet on the 16th and 18th holes and ultimately lost to DeChambeau by a stroke. McIlroy then left the premises in agony after DeChambeau made one of the best up-and-downs you will ever see to win. He then went on to parade around the property in a euphoric celebration.
Perhaps that is what makes this Showdown so intriguing. For the first time since that unbelievable finish, golf fans will see DeChambeau and McIlroy square off side-by-side. Joining DeChambeau will be 5-time major winner Brooks Koepka, as these two players will represent LIV Golf.
Koepka’s most recent major triumph came at Oak Hill in 2023. The 34-year-old has won three LIV Golf events since then but has not posted a top-10 at a major since his win in Rochester.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will play with McIlroy on the PGA Tour side. Scheffler just wrapped up a marvelous 2024 season with another win at the Hero World Challenge. He won nine times overall, which includes come-from-behind victories at The Players and the Olympics. He also fended off plenty of contenders around Amen Corner en route to his second Green Jacket in April. Scheffler added four Signature Event titles to his trophy room, further cementing himself as the best player in the world. No wonder why some have compared him to Tiger Woods.
The Showdown promises to be intriguing, an event that shows how these players long for golf’s great schism to come to a peaceful end. Fans want that, too, as they only see PGA Tour and LIV Golf stars tee it up together at the four majors. This event has become an exception to that, thus serving as the perfect made-for-TV event in a typical dead spot on the golfing calendar.
Tournament Info
Course: Shadow Creek Golf Course, Las Vegas, Nevada
Yardage/Par: 7,560 yards, Par 72
Architect: Greg Norman
Purse/1st Place: More than $1 million in Crypto
Format: Holes 1-6 (Fourball), Holes 7-12 (Foursomes), Holes 13-18 (Singles)
Odds
Pre-tournament odds for players to win provided by FanDuel:
Scheffler/McIlroy -148
DeChambeau/Keopka +122
How to Watch
Turner Sports will provide live coverage of The Showdown, which can also be streamed on HBO MAX in the United States.
Tuesday, December 17: 6 to 11:00 p.m. ET (TNT/TBS/truTV)
The broadcast team for ‘The Showdown’ includes 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman, who covers the PGA Tour, The Masters, and the PGA Championship for CBS Sports, David Feherty, former NBC Sports broadcaster who now works for LIV, two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, and perhaps the most famous announcer at Turner Sports, Charles Barkley. Emmy-award-winning broadcaster Ernie Johnson will host the telecast.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
