Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have revealed that convincing the PGA Tour to help subsequent week’s high-profile exhibition match towards LIV Golf stars Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau wasn’t a simple course of.
The occasion, The Crypto.com Showdown, scheduled for December 17 in Las Vegas, guarantees a $10 million cryptocurrency prize and has been labeled as an unofficial LIV vs. PGA Tour contest.
McIlroy, a long-time critic of LIV Golf, and Scheffler, the present world No. 1, will face Koepka and DeChambeau, two of LIV’s most distinguished defectors.
Whereas the PGA Tour was initially hesitant in regards to the match, McIlroy defined that it took a number of conversations to persuade the governing physique that it could possibly be useful for the game.
“It wasn’t all plain crusing,” McIlroy admitted.
“It took just a few conversations to get them to see that this could possibly be a constructive factor in the long term. However ultimately, they had been very supportive.”
Reuniting golf by competitors
Though the upcoming occasion has stoked the continued rivalry between LIV and PGA gamers, with Koepka and DeChambeau hinting at a possible Ryder Cup-style competitors, Scheffler emphasised that the last word purpose is unity within the sport.
“An important factor is competitors,” mentioned Scheffler.
“All of us need to get again to competing towards the very best gamers, wherever they’re taking part in. It is not in regards to the rivalry between LIV and PGA; it is about bringing golf again collectively.”
With the present construction limiting gamers to competing with these from the other tour simply 4 occasions a 12 months, Scheffler expressed a want for extra frequent alternatives to play towards the highest expertise.
“Ideally, we would be able to do this 20 weeks a 12 months as a substitute of simply 4,” he mentioned.
Each McIlroy and Scheffler made it clear that the long-term purpose is to unite the game and shift the main focus again to golf’s core values, competitors and the love of the sport.
The occasion in Las Vegas could also be a small step towards resolving the division, as gamers from either side come collectively to showcase their abilities in a novel and high-stakes setting.
