Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will partner world No 1 Scottie Scheffler in a made-for-TV match against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka later this year.
The match between two of the biggest names on the PGA Tour and two of the highest-profile LIV Golf players will be held in Las Vegas in mid-December, although the exact date, venue and format have yet to be announced.
It will be the first time that PGA Tour players have competed against LIV Golf players outside of the majors and the Olympics, with DeChambeau and Koepka both unable to feature on the PGA Tour since joining the Saudi-backed circuit in 2022.
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World No 1 Scottie Scheffler says he isn’t at all frustrated by a lack of progress over a deal being struck between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment fund.
The event has been confirmed to Sky Sports by McIlroy’s manager Sean O’Flaherty, who said the contest “will be a positive event for golf”.
Speaking about the match, McIlroy told Golfweek: “I’m thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December.
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“This isn’t just a contest between some of golf’s major champions, it’s an event designed to energize the fans. We’re all here to put on a great show and contribute to a goodwill event that brings the best together again.”
Koepka moved above McIlroy’s major tally when he won the PGA Championship last May, his fifth major title, while DeChambeau edged out the Northern Irishman in a dramatic finish at the US Open earlier this year.
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Scheffler has won seven times on the PGA Tour in 2024 and won gold for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, with the world No 1 and reigning FedExCup champion looking forward to partnering McIlroy.
Blake Smith, who represents Scheffler and Koepka, told Golfweek: “Brooks and Scottie are very excited to be a part of this unique event and look forward to sharing more soon.”
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The event will be broadcast in the United States on TNT, which previously hosted nine editions of The Match – a series of exhibitions which began with Tiger Woods taking on Phil Mickelson in 2018.
Negotiations to unite golf continue
The news comes a week after PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said he had been encouraged by “enhanced” negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, but warned no deadline has been set for a deal to be agreed.
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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan says they’re continuing to negotiate with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in an attempt to build a framework for the future of golf.
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF – financers of the breakaway LIV Golf League – signed a framework agreement in June 2023 that would combine the respective tours and seek to bring over $1bn of Saudi investment into the game of golf.
Eight months on from the original December 31 deadline, the PGA Tour and PIF remain in negotiations over the proposed agreement, with Monahan unable to commit a date on when negotiations will conclude.
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Tiger Woods said ahead of the US Open that a deal between LIV and the PGA Tour could be closer than ever and says that he believes there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“We have not agreed to a deadline,” Monahan said after of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship. “I don’t think we want to restrict ourselves in that way. We want to achieve the best and right outcome at the right time.
“Together, we’re at the table and actively engaged with the Public Investment Fund. We remain hopeful about that outcome. At the same time, we’re moving forward at speed and focused on what we can control. Because that’s what we owe to our fans.”
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