Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka are hopeful that next week’s LIV Golf vs. PGA Tour match against Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler can be a stepping stone toward officially reuniting the two tours.
“It could transcend golf,” Koepka said during an event preview Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday. “Whether it be back together, whatever that case may be, I know that we’ll be a part of that.”
The Crypto.com Showdown next Tuesday in Las Vegas will pay out a $10 million cryptocurrency purse following an 18-hole match that will be simulcast across TNT, TBS, truTV, and Max. The competition will be divided into three six-hole formats: best ball, alternate shot, and singles.
LIV Golf and the PGA Tour are allowing each of their golfers to compete. But neither tour is an organizer of the event, which was created by Hollywood producer Bryan Zuriff’s BZ Entertainment and EverWonder Studio, which is backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI (which is the majority investor in Front Office Sports).
“The Showdown” is a new franchise, separate from “The Match” series, which was also created by Zuriff (but not EverWonder), and has previously featured DeChambeau, Koepka, McIlroy, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson, among other golfers, as well as celebrities and other professional athletes.
“If we can create something special for the future, something that’s lasting and leaves a good impact on the game of golf, that’s what I hope comes from this event,” DeChambeau said.
DeChambeau and Koepka are both captains of and have ownership stakes in their respective LIV Golf teams. Zuriff previously told FOS that all four participating golfers have equity in “The Showdown.”
Koepka said the players are “extremely involved” in “The Showdown.” “We want to have our say, and I think that’s something we enjoy. We’ve become more than just players. I think we’ve—with LIV—become actual, true businessmen.”
PGA Tour–LIV Talks Continue
Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was “nearing a deal to acquire a minority stake in PGA Tour Enterprises.” That’s the for-profit entity that the PGA Tour created earlier this year to essentially serve as its commercial arm.
The Strategic Sports Group—a consortium largely made up of professional U.S.-based sports team owners—has already invested $1.5 billion in PGA Tour Enterprises, with an option to double that to $3 billion. Per Bloomberg, the PIF is “in advanced talks about taking a roughly 6% stake” at a potential $12 billion valuation, which would equate to $720 million—just under 50% of SSG’s initial investment.
However, any potential deal will face scrutiny from the Department of Justice, Woods said last week ahead of the Hero World Challenge, which he annually hosts in the Bahamas. “Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the DOJ’s hands,” he said.
If and when a deal finally happens, DeChambeau hopes his voice can be heard. “I’d love to have some say in how the game comes back together,” he said.
