The Crypto.com Showdown is set to make its bow in Las Vegas today, with four of the world's best players facing off over 18 holes at Shadow Creek Golf Course, a venue that possesses the most expensive green fee in the United States of America.
It will be a chance for fans to see the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League unofficially come together for a brief moment, potentially offering a glimpse of something like the future of men's professional golf.
Discussions continue behind the scenes in regard to a potential amalgamation between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf League, but - at the time of writing - there is still no end in sight.
In the meantime, this made-for-TV match will also remind both fans and stakeholders what they have been missing since the PIF-backed circuit arrived on the scene back in 2022.
Ahead of 'The Showdown', here is everything you need to know - including the format, who is involved, and what the winners receive...
WHO IS PLAYING IN THE SHOWDOWN?
The Showdown will feature Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka in teams of two - with the PGA Tour pair of Scheffler and McIlroy taking on LIV's DeChambeau and Koepka.
Scheffler was named PGA Tour Player of the Year after an extraordinary nine-win season while McIlroy scooped his sixth DP World Tour Order of Merit title at the end of a year where he triumphed four times.
DeChambeau and Koepka might not have landed the LIV Golf title - with that particular honor going to Jon Rahm - but they have both tasted Major glory since moving across to the 54-hole competition and remain the only duo to have done so.
THE SHOWDOWN FORMAT
The Showdown's format will include three different styles of golf over 18 holes of match play.
The first six holes will consist of fourballs, the middle third of the contest will feature foursomes play, with alternate shot in operation and one teammate teeing off on odd-numbered holes and the other taking even.
The final half-a-dozen holes will be singles, although the individual clashes have not yet been revealed. Many are hoping that McIlroy will face off against DeChambeau as the pair revisit their thrilling indirect battle at the US Open back in June.
Holes 1-6: Fourballs - each golfer plays their own ball and the teammate with the lower score on that hole provides his team's score.
Holes 7-12: Foursomes - each team plays one ball and teammates hit alternate shots until the ball is holed. One teammate will tee off on the odd-numbered holes; the other player on the even-numbered ones.
Holes 13-18: Singles - a one-on-one match between a player from each side. The exact format of this section has yet to be announced.
A general view of Shadow Creek Golf Club's fourth hole
THE SHOWDOWN COURSE
Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada - known as the most expensive green fee in the country at north of $1,000 - will host 'The Showdown' in 2024.
It is an incredibly beautiful site carved out of the rugged desert, featuring creeks, ponds and looming mountains throughout. Shadow Creek's signature hole is the par-3 17th, which requires a shot over water to a green guarded by bunkers and a waterfall overlooking it.
The layout is wonderfully manicured, helped by its relative lack of footfall, and has been used previously as the stage for Nelly Korda's 2024 T-Mobile Match Play victory over Leona Maguire as well as Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods' battleground in the 2018 edition of The Match.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson during The Match: Tiger vs Phil at Shadow Creek
HOW TO WATCH THE SHOWDOWN
Live TV coverage of 'The Showdown' is due to begin at 6pm ET on Tuesday, December 17 on TNT, TBS, and truTV. It can also be streamed on MAX in the USA. For those unable to watch live, event organizers said “extensive highlights and content will also be available via Bleacher Report’s digital and social platforms.”
The broadcast team for 'The Showdown' will include Trevor Immelman, who regularly covers the PGA Tour on NBC, and David Feherty - one of LIV Golf's main voices plus Bubba Watson as an on-course reporter and Ernie Johnson as the anchor. Charles Barkley will also be a part of the coverage.
Read more: How To Watch The Showdown: TV Channels, Live Stream Details
Bubba Watson performing broadcast duties during the 2022 LIV Golf season
THE SHOWDOWN PRIZE PURSE
The prize purse at 'The Showdown' is believed to be "at least $10 million," according to multiple reports. No exact figure has been declared by the title sponsor, but Crypto.com has revealed the winner will be paid in the form of CRO Cryptocurrency and the amount is in the millions of dollars.
The players do not have any obligation to hold onto the rewards, so they are allowed to trade or sell their winnings as soon as they wish.
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