Tuesday just might be considered a historic day in the golfing world. The Crypto.com Showdown is set to take place on Tuesday evening at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Like TNT Sports’ “The Match” series, The Showdown will be a made-for-TV event with a unique up-close broadcast and an emphasis on fun. Like The Match, a broadcast team led by TNT Sports’ Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley will follow every moment of the action and provide access not found at a typical golf tournament.

When Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka take the course, however, things will be quite a bit different than anything that has come before.

Who: Scheffler and McIlroy vs. DeChambeau and Koepka

When: Tuesday, December 17

Where: MGM Resorts’ Shadow Creek Golf Course

TV and Live Stream: TNT and Max

There are quite a few storylines to follow heading into Tuesday’s event. One of the biggest is the prize purse. For the first time in a prolific golfing event, the prize will be paid to the winning team in cryptocurrency.

“Crypto.com’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency and today’s announcement is our latest effort by introducing the world’s first major golf tournament with a purse in CRO cryptocurrency.”

While a firm figure for the prize purse hasn’t been announced, it’s believed to be “at least $10 million,” according to Jonny Leighfield of Golf Monthly.

Since crypto values fluctuate, the prize could be more or less at the time of payout, though most reports suggest that $10 million will be the minimum.

The course itself will serve as a storyline, as it will serve as a unique challenge for the two teams involved. Shadow Creek features narrow fairways and numerous hazards, which will make precision and planning priorities.

There are more shots than usual from 175 to 225 yards, and a player
can separate himself because of how the greens are shaped and framed by
trouble,” Edoardo Molinari of Golf Digest recently wrote.

The unique format of The Showdown should also be quite a bit of fun. It’s an 18-hole team event, but the match will be broken down into three six-hole sections. The first will be a round of best-ball play, while the second will feature an alternating-shot format. The final section will be individual play. Each section will have a point value, and the team with the most points will win.

Scheffler and McIlroy will represent the PGA Tour on one side, while DeChambeau and Koepka will comprise the LIV Golf team.

According to DraftKings, Scheffler and McIlroy opened as -150 (bet $150 to win $100) favorites, while DeChambeau and Koepka carry +125 (bet $100 to win $125) odds.

Seeing which team wins the multimillion-dollar crypto prize will, of course, be the biggest draw for fans watching live. However, the most notable aspect of The Showdown is that it will feature stars from the world’s two biggest golf leagues.

The PGA and LIV have been at odds in recent years, and fans have rarely seen golfers from the rival leagues on the same course at the same time. There have been a few events where both were welcome—DeChambeau’s epic U.S. Open win over McIlroy was one of the highlights of the 2024 season—but The Showdown will be about camaraderie as much as it is about competition.

“I think with everything that has went on, it was really about us saying, you know what, we’re going to take this into our own hands a little bit,” McIlroy said, per Sean Zak of Golf.com.

, “and we’re going to do something basically outside of either tour, to give something back to the fans.”

That sense of unity should shine throughout the competition. While stars from both the PGA and LIV have been critical of their rivals at times, they’re hoping to make the game of golf bigger and more profitable for everyone involved.

It would seem that these four, at least, are ready for a more unified sport.

“The players want to play together more often,” McIlroy said, per Zak.

That includes DeChambeau and Koepka, who once had their own heated rivalry but have since set their differences aside.

“We had our spats,” DeChambeau said, per Christopher Powers of Golf Digest. “But we realized when we both went to LIV we had quite a few things in common, kind of like step-brothers in a sense, and we’ve developed a pretty solid relationship,”

The two leagues announced in 2023 that they were working on a framework of a potential merger, though it hasn’t actually transpired yet. In a sense, The Showdown could be viewed as a preview of what’s to come—at least when it comes to seeing players like McIlroy and DeChambeau on the course together again.

If nothing else, it will serve as proof that some of the world’s biggest stars are eager to get back to playing together.

“I think we’d love to see everybody back together,” Scheffler said, per Paul Higham of Golf Monthly. “What I love most is the competition. All this talk about LIV and PGA Tour and money. I think most of us just want to get back to the competition.

Fans will get to see Scheffler, McIroy, DeChambeau and Koepka together again, at least for a night, on Tuesday.

Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.