‘We’re Trying’: Rory McIlroy Sees ‘Showdown’ vs. LIV Golf As an Olive Branch to Fans

While negotiations to unify the pro game drag on, Rory McIlroy said the players were "taking this into our own hands a little bit" in creating an exhibition between rival circuits.

Scottie Scheffler (left) and Rory McIlroy will play LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a rare event given golf's split. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rory McIlroy, perhaps to his dismay, has spent a good portion of the last two-and-a-half years attempting to be a voice with insight during a volatile in men’s professional golf.

He’s changed his views on various aspects of the PGA Tour/DP World Tour/LIV Golf tussle as time has passed, leaving the PGA Tour Policy Board but still staying involved as a member of a transaction committee that negotiates directly the Public Investment Fund of Saudia Arabia.

McIlroy earlier this year expressed frustration over the pace of negotiations, which clearly led to some conjecture when news broke in late August that he and Scottie Scheffler would be taking on LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for TV match that will take place next week.

While it turns out that McIlroy first had discussions about such a clash as far back as January, it was still fair to wonder if perhaps this was being done as a way of sending a message.

“I don’t know if it was to spur things with everything that went on, it was really about us taking this into our own hands a little bit and do something outside of either tour to not only give back to the fans, but to show them or at least let them know we’re trying,” McIlroy said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters.

“The players want to play together more often. I feel like we’re all in this holding pattern because of the negotiations and the deal and it’s not really good for anyone.”

McIlroy was joined by Scheffler on the call, which was set up to promote the Crypto.com Showdown on Tuesday to be televised by TNT (6 p.m. ET). The 18-hole match will see some of the action played under the lights, with three different formats used for six holes each.

While bragging rights are at stake, the winner of the exhibition is not likely to have much overall competitive meaning.

But the fact they are even doing this is significant, especially in light of various recent reports that talks for the PIF to invest in PGA Tour Enterprises—and presumably some sort of resolution to the stalemate—are getting closer to a conclusion.

In order for McIlroy and Scheffler to take part, the PGA Tour had to sign off on their participation as a matter of membership rules. The PGA Tour was not part of any announcements about the competition and has not promoted the event via its various outlets.

“They’ve been very supportive,” McIlroy said. “It took a few conversations to get them to the point where they saw this could be a good thing in the long run. It took a few conversations. It wasn’t all smooth sailing but we got there in the end.”

It is unclear when the PGA Tour gave its approval but McIlroy and the event organizers—along with agent Blake Smith, who represents both Scheffler and Koepka—clearly put this in motion before taking it to the Tour.

“I think we’d love to see everybody back together,” said Scheffler, who Tuesday was named PGA Tour Player of the Year for the third straight year after winning seven times, including the Masters. “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.

“To have an event where we’re playing against each other, we don’t get to do that often. It’ll be fun to get together and compete. After Brooks and Bryson left, we only play (against them) four times a year. I think we need to start focusing on the competition aspect of it.”

Scheffler added: “Ideally, I think the end goal here is to get the game of golf back together.”