Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler rout Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in PGA-LIV duel
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Rory McIlroy says he is super happy to get the win in the PGA Tour v LIV Golf showdown.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and third-ranked Rory McIlroy were thrilled to give the PGA Tour a 2.5-0.5 win over LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in The Showdown matchplay exhibition on Dec 17.
The PGA pair captured the US$10 million (S$13.5 million) top prize and bragging rights over the Saudi-backed upstart circuit in the four-man event at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.
“We’re super happy to get the win. It’s a nice way to finish the year,” McIlroy said.
“Scottie and I got off to a pretty good start and then from there it was just about trying to keep the momentum.”
The event, played mostly after dark under special lighting, pitted four-time Major winner McIlroy and two-time Masters champion Scheffler against five-time Major winner Koepka and two-time US Open champion DeChambeau.
“Under the lights was fun,” Scheffler said. “It was really challenging.”
The Showdown joined the Majors as the rare places where top players from the rival tours tested each other since the start of LIV, whose Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund backers remain in talks with the PGA about reuniting.
“It was great. I’d love to have another opportunity. Felt like it was a pillow fight from us,” DeChambeau said.
“It’s good for the fans,” added Koepka. “We didn’t play that good but they played really solid.”
The event featured a best-ball format for the duos on the first six holes, an alternate-shot format on the second six and a singles format fro holes 13 to 18 with McIlroy facing DeChambeau and Koepka against Scheffler for one point each.
McIlroy won the first two holes with five-foot birdie putts.
He sank a 40-foot eagle putt and won the fourth hole when DeChambeau missed an eagle putt from inside five feet, giving the PGA duo a 3&2 best-ball triumph for the first point.
“Rory getting off to a great start was pretty big for our team and made a statement out of the gate,” said Scheffler.
The foursomes began under the lights with Scheffler and McIlroy winning the par-four ninth to go 1-up.
PGA Player of the Year Scheffler, whose nine wins in 2024 included a second Masters title and Paris Olympic gold, dropped his approach six feet from the hole and the birdie was given after the LIV duo could not make par.
Koepka sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the 11th to lift LIV level in the format entering the last hole.
“It was nice to make one,” he said. “I felt like we needed it.”
McIlroy, however, responded with a six-foot birdie putt to win the 12th and give the PGA a 2-0 advantage, leaving LIV in need of two singles wins to force a play-off.
“It was a bit of a battle in the alternate shot and we were lucky to scrape a win,” McIlroy said.
He sank a five-foot par putt to win the par-three 13th after DeChambeau lipped out his par putt.
Scheffler also parred to win No. 13 for a 1-up lead over Koepka.
McIlroy then sank a 15-foot birdie putt to win 14 for a 2-up edge, while Koepka made an eight-footer for birdie to win 14 and tie Scheffler.
At No. 15, McIlroy missed a bogey putt to hand DeChambeau his first hole and Koepka missed a par putt give Scheffler a 1-up lead.
On the par-five 16th, both LIV players went into the trees off the tee and Scheffler delivered the clinching blow with a tap-in birdie, sealing a title-clinching half-point by going 2 up with two holes to play, after Koepka missed a 14-foot birdie putt. AFP
