Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler crushed LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka to win The Showdown in Las Vegas and scoop $10 million in cryptocurrency.
In an exhibition that was low on banter and high on good quality golf from the PGA TOUR duo at Shadow Creek, there was little drama in the end as Scheffler and McIlroy won the opening fourball and foursomes sessions before closing out the singles under floodlights.
“I’d love to have another opportunity,” DeChambeau said after what turned out to be a non-event. “It was kind of a pillow fight for us, we didn’t give (McIlroy and Scheffler) much to go for.”
McIlroy and Scheffler had both won in recent weeks and they were far more polished than their LIV Golf rivals, who had not played competitively in three months.
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The match was divided into three parts — fourballs, foursomes and singles — and the PGA Tour pair were unbeaten in all three, easily taking the spoils, which were put up by sponsors Crypto.com.
“Under the lights was fun, it’s really challenging,” said Scheffler, who teamed up with McIlroy to win the opening fourball section 3&2 at the end of a dominant season in which he won nine times.
“We kinda made a statement out the gates and kept it going from there.”
McIlroy holed a huge eagle putt from off the green at the fourth before DeChambeau missed from around five feet for a half to give the PGA pair the fourball session.
According to reports, there was little banter between the quartet, who were wearing microphones for the coverage on TNT.
The viral moments on social media were few and far between.
DeChambeau turned up in the chilly Nevada evening wearing an enormous puffy parka, drawing derision from social media users who pointed out it was a balmy 18C in Las Vegas.
McIlroy was also in comic mode, quipping as he munched on a snack, “Not as much as you, Chuck,” when asked by former NBA star Charles Barkley if he ate much in the course of a round.
At one point, on-course reporter Bubba Watson chimed in that DeChambeau’s wayward tee shot on the second hit Scheffler’s father.
The lack of banter could be explained by the poor golf from the LIV pair, who didn’t make a birdie until the fifth hole of the foursomes when Koepka walked in a putt and muttered “Welcome to the tournament” as he trudged to next hole.
The PGA Tour duo won the foursomes 1-up and needed just a half from the singles to take the match.
Scheffler two-putted for birdie at the par-five 16th hole ensure a half and the match while McIlroy was one up with two to play against US Open champion DeChambeau, who was frustrated by his play and took out his earpiece at one point during the match.
DeChambeau was putting so poorly, and McIlroy so well that the Co Down man remarked that he wished he’d seen similar form on the greens during their showdown at Pinehurst No 2 back in June, when he bogeyed three of the last four holes to lose by a shot.
The Crypto.com Showdown, Shadow Creek
Scoring (6 hole matches)
Fourballs: McIlroy/Scheffler beat DeChambeau/Koepka 3&2
Foursomes: McIlroy/Scheffler beat DeChambeau/Koepka 1 up
Singles: McIlroy 1 up v DeChambeau after 4 Scheffler 2 up v Koepka with 2 to play.