PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler dominated The Showdown in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, walking away with $5 million each in cryptocurrency.
The world-ranked No. 1 and No. 3 players made quick work of their LIV Golf opponents, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, at the Shadow Creek course.
It wasn’t even close.
The unique event featured three different formats over 18 holes – six holes of best ball, six of alternate shot, and six of singles matches. The PGA Tour duo looked comfortable throughout all three.
The winners’ purse came with an interesting twist – instead of regular cash, the $10 million prize was paid out in “CRO,” a cryptocurrency from event sponsor Crypto.com.
Scheffler had a pretty funny reaction to his crypto windfall.
“You know I don’t know a whole lot about crypto,” he said with a laugh, “but this is some good motivation to do some research.”
It’s been quite a year for both PGA Tour stars. Scheffler has already earned over $63 million in prize money this season, while McIlroy’s take is north of $20 million.
The match had its share of equipment buzz too. Both McIlroy and DeChambeau showed up with new drivers, though DeChambeau got more attention for his fashion choice – sporting gear from his new sponsor Reebok.
The victory adds another chapter to the ongoing rivalry between PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, with the traditional tour’s representatives coming out clearly on top this time.
No word yet on whether McIlroy and Scheffler plan to hold onto their crypto winnings or cash out – but with their 2024 earnings already sky-high, they probably aren’t too worried about it.
