Tiger Woods says he’s not ‘tournament sharp’ at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods wanted to play his event this week in the Bahamas, the Hero World Challenge. His body isn’t quite ready.
PGA Tour
A much ballyhooed match between PGA Tour vs. LIV golf will unfold Tuesday evening as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy lock horns with Bryson DeChambeau and Brook Koepka in “The Showdown” on TNT.
The match itself is sure to offer the kinds of twists and turns that come with getting this foursome on the course. However, there will be some more intrigue thanks to a novel format and a prize purse that can best be described as novel.
Here is everything you need to know to watch these golf superstars take the course at Shadow Creek golf course in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
What time is The Showdown golf match?
The Showdown golf event will be broadcast on TNT, and coverage will start at 6 p.m. The actual time to tee off has not yet been announced.
How to watch The Showdown on TV and streaming
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 17
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV: TNT
- Streaming: MAX, Sling
- Location: Shadow Creek golf course in North Las Vegas, Nevada
Catch The Showdown on TNT with a Sling subscription
Bryson DeChambeau, the 2024 U.S. Open champion, will team up with former rival Brooks Koepka, a five-time major winner, to represent LIV Golf. On the other side, 2024 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler will compete with four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, representing the PGA Tour.
Scheffler, who won the 2022 and 2024 Masters tournament, is the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer and just won PGA Tour Player of the Year in a landslide vote. McIlroy, currently ranked No. 3, won the PGA Champonship in 2012 and 2014, the U.S. Open in 2011 and the British Open in 2014.
DeChambeau won the U.S. Open earlier this year after winning it for the first time in 2020. Koepka has won the PGA Championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2023) and the U.S. Open twice (2017 and 2018). But it could be a large hill to climb for DeChambeau and Koepka to stand a chance. The pair currently rank 10th and 86th, respectively.
This will indeed be a lively event as the network is bringing on familiar faces from “Inside the NBA.” Ernie Johnson will be alongside Charles Barkley to call the action. As for commentary from the course, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson will be alongside Lauren Jbara. The broadcast also gets a boost with experts Trevor Immelman and David Feherty.
Odds via Draftkings.
- Scottie Scheffler/Rory McIlroy: (-155)
- Bryson DeChambeau/Brooks Koepka: (+125)
Golfweek: Scheffer/McIlroy: -155
Riley Hamel writes, “This pick is pretty simple: one team has Scottie Scheffler, the other doesn’t. He’s on a different level than any other golfer on the planet at the moment, and he’s a gamer. He wants to win no matter what he’s competing in. I have a hard time seeing Scheffler and McIlroy losing this match, but it is Vegas — anything can happen.”
Bleacher Report: Scheffler and McIlroy win
Kristopher Knox writes, “McIlroy hasn’t been as consistent this year, but he’s still ranked third in the World Golf Rankings. DeChambeau and Koekpa are both elite golfers with Majors wins on their resumes. However, it’s hard to envision anyone unseating Scheffler, even in a team event.”
Sports Illustrated: McIlroy/Scheffler
Iain MacMillan writes, “I’m going to lean with the favorites in the Showdown almost solely due to their recent form. Both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are fresh off wins ahead of Tuesday’s event. McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship last month and Scottie Scheffler captured his ninth victory of 2024, winning the Hero World Challenge. Not only is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world coming off his win, but his new claw grip led to his best putting performance of the year. If his putting becomes a strength of his, he’s going to be near invincible.”
According to TNT, the tee time should commence at 6 p.m. ET. However, it’s safe to assume that there will be some fodder at the start of coverage, with actual golf taking place moments after the broadcast begins.
Although most renditions of The Match are 12 holes long, this battle between the PGA Tour and LIV will be a full 18. Those 18 holes will be divided into three sections of six, with the first six being best ball, holes 7-12 being alternate shot, and singles closing out the final six holes.
A whopping $10 million in prize money will be up for grabs, according a report last month by Front Office Sports. And, in a bit of a twist, it will be distributed to the participating golfers in the form of cryptocurrency.
Title sponsor Crypto.com said in a news release that the event will be “the first ever major golf tournament with a multimillion dollar purse to be paid in CRO cryptocurrency.” (CRO stands for Cronos, which is the primary cryptocurrency of Crypto.com, a Singapore-based crypto exchange.) — Tom Schad
The Showdown tees off from picturesque Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas, Nevada. It is distinguished as the state’s premier public access course by Golfweek.
The Showdown will put the spotlight on one of architect Tom Fazio’s best courses, Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fazio has been one of the most prolific and successful golf course architects of the past 65 years, having either created or renovated 47 of the top 200 Golfweek’s Best modern courses in the United States. His work stretches coast to coast, showing his adaptability and willingness to move plenty of earth to create holes, as he did at Shadow Creek.
Golfweek cited Shadow Creek as one of Fazio’s 20 highest-rated traditional U.S. courses in our its Best rater program, ranking it No. 2. See the full rankings here.
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