Rory McIlroy has admitted that it wasn’t an easy task to get the PGA Tour to agree to ‘The Showdown’. This event will see the Northern Irishman and Scottie Scheffler go head-to-head with LIV Golf rivals Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
The four golfers will offer fans a first glimpse of a PGA Tour vs LIV clash, as they compete over 18 holes in three different formats in Las Vegas on December 17. Until now, players from opposite sides of golf’s divide have only been allowed to compete against each other at the four majors, following the PGA Tour’s decision to ban players who participated in the LIV set-up.
However, ‘The Showdown’ will provide four of the world’s top golfers with the opportunity to compete away from the major stage, with bragging rights certainly up for grabs.
This comes at a time when PGA Tour bosses are still in talks with LIV backers, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), about a potential peace deal. Despite the Tour entertaining interest from PIF, their relationship with LIV seems to be modest at best still.
Ahead of the showdown in Vegas next week, LIV has been actively promoting the event, allowing their stars more freedom to their membership status.
DeChambeau, for instance, has made a name for himself on YouTube since joining LIV, with stars like Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm also making appearances elsewhere.
The PGA Tour, however, appear to have been less enthusiastic, with McIlroy claiming it took some convincing for the governing body to give the green light to the match-up. He said: “It took a few conversations to get them to the point where they saw this could be a good thing in the long run.
“It took a few conversations. It wasn’t all smooth sailing but we got there in the end… They’ve been very supportive.”
Previously, McIlroy had been one of LIV’s biggest critics, expressing his dislike for the Saudi-backed league even after the PGA Tour announced a framework agreement with PIF back in June of last year. However, since the start of this year, the four-time major winner has softened his stance and has continued to call for unity through ‘The Showdown’.
He added: “I don’t know if it was to spur things with everything that went on, it was really about us taking this into our own hands a little bit and do something outside of either tour to not only give back to the fans, but to show them or at least let them know we’re trying.
“We’re trying to bring these players together, and the most opportunities we can get to do that, the better,” McIlroy stated. “Does it remind people we’re not playing together all the time? Yes. But at least we’re making the effort to try to bring the best together more often. If we can start by doing something like this, that’s only a good thing.”
