The last time Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were locked in a battle, there was only one man smiling at the end.
Now, five months after their US Open battle when DeChambeau grabbed the Major title right from McIlroy’s grasp in an enthralling final round at Pinehurst, both golfers were left laughing at events that day as they prepare to go head to head in The Match tonight.
Ahead of their latest face off – a made-for TV challenge between McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler who take on DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka – the two were reunited in more casual circumstances on the driving range at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas.
With both golfers mic’d up, McIlroy said: “I’d like to go up against Bryson and get him back for what he did to me at the US Open.”
DeChambeau responded: “To be fair, you kind of did that to yourself.”
McIlroy was left lost for words momentarily, before cracking a laugh and responding: “I don’t really know where to go from there.”
The Northern Ireland man was three behind starting the final day at the US Open but then looked destined to end his Major drought when he birdied the ninth, 10th, 12th and 13th to go from one behind to two ahead.
But after following a bogey at the 15th with another at the 16th, where he lipped out from two-and-a-half feet to find himself tied, he suffered a nightmare finish. While he got up and down from sand at the 17th to remain tied, he drove into scrub left at the 18th and came up short of the green.
A chip and run from 30 yards left him three feet, nine inches for par but his left-to-right breaking putt missed low and after he tapped in for a 69 to take the clubhouse lead on five-under 275. He waited in the scoring for a miracle but DeChambeau made a brilliant par from the front bunker, rolling in a four-footer for a one-over 71, a one-shot win and his second US Open victory since 2020.
Here is all you need to know about this battle for bragging rights in Nevada.
When is it on?
The match will take place tomorrow, December 17, 2024. It is expected to get underway at 6pm eastern time, which would be 11pm Irish time.
Where is it on?
Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas will host the contest.
The course played host to the T-Mobile match play earlier this year where Ireland’s Leona Maguire lost out in the final to Nelly Korda.
The course also hosted the 2018 match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, which was the first of this exhibition series of events. That match failed to live up to the hype so hopefully this one is more exciting.
The Showdown format
The 18 holes will be split into three six-hole matchplay contests, replicating the format of the Ryder Cup.
The first six holes will be played in the fourball format, where all four players play their own ball, with that then switched to foursomes for holes seven to 12, which is one ball per team as the players take it in turns to hit a shot.
The final six holes will be contested as two singles matches.
Where to watch The Showdown?
The event is set to be broadcast on TNT Sports, but start times timings for the coverage have not been confirmed.
What is the purse?
In a development that shows the sign of the times, ‘The Showdown’ will award the winner millions in cryptocurrency as prize money. The amount has been reported to be a minimum of $10million in value.