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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Fans won’t have to wait until the Masters in April to watch golfers from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League compete in the same event.
PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have agreed to face LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for-TV match in Las Vegas in mid-December.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December,” McIlroy told Golfweek. “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.”
Blake Smith, who represents Scheffler and Koepka, confirmed those players’ participation to ESPN.
“Brooks and Scottie are very excited to be a part of this unique event and look forward to sharing more soon,” Smith said.
There have been nine previous iterations of the made-for-TV exhibition, which debuted in 2018 with Tiger Woods battling rival Phil Mickelson. NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, former NBA star Charles Barkley, and others have competed in the event as well.
In the most recent previous match on Feb. 26, McIlroy and Max Homa competed with LPGA stars Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf League have spent the past three years competing for the best golfers in the world. The PGA Tour continues to negotiate with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV Golf, about a potential investment, which might bring the fractured sport together again.
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are expected to be separate entities in 2025. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has prohibited LIV Golf League players, many of whom are former PGA Tour members, from competing in his circuit’s events.