Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will face LIV golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for-TV match in Las Vegas. Golfweek reported Wednesday.This will be the first time that the top players from each circuit will compete against each other outside of a major tournament.
Blake Smith, who manages Scheffler and Koepka for Hambrick Sports, confirmed their appearance and said they were both “excited to be a part of this unique event.”
Details yet to be announced include when in December the tournament will take place and at which course.
The four have won a combined 13 major championships in the past decade.
Adding to the allure, the tournament will attract players from the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia-sponsored LIV Golf, which only takes place at the four majors and the Olympics.
The PGA Tour is in talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a financier of LIV, for a minority stake. There are no signs a deal is near and the matter remains under review by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The PGA Tour confirmed last week that any player competing against LIV will be ineligible to play in a tour event for one year after his last appearance.
Golfweek said the match will be broadcast on TNT, which has aired “The Match” nine times so far, a series that began with Tiger Woods versus Phil Mickelson.
McIlroy said in a text message to Golfweek that the match was “designed to get the fans going.”
“We're all here to put on a great show and contribute to a friendly event that brings the best players together again,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy, once LIV's strongest critic, has been lobbying for a reconciliation between the two sides.
He sits on the negotiating committee with PIF.
“I understand the argument that it was their choice to leave and it doesn't matter,” McIlroy said, referring to the departures of DeChambeau, Koepka and others from a rival league backed by Saudi Arabia to secure riches. “But I think it's been going on long enough. I think everybody's trying to find a solution. It's just hard to find a solution.”
Golfweek magazine, citing two sources, reported that the players will receive appearance fees but no prize money.
