• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 1, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot
exclusive
Marketing

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf TV ‘Showdown’ Will Pay Out $10M Crypto Purse

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will be competing against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka at a Las Vegas golf course in December with at least $10 million up for grabs.

Apr 7, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka set up to putt on no. 9 during the first round of The Masters golf tournament.
Katie Goodale-Imagn Images

What would a PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf battle be without a little cash up for grabs? Actually, a lot of cash.

Next month’s made-for-TV team golf match in Las Vegas will see Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler compete against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka for a purse of at least $10 million, Front Office Sports has learned. And the purse will be paid in crypto.

On Tuesday, a new title sponsor was announced that will see the event officially named the Crypto.com Showdown. The announcement said the match would feature “a multimillion-dollar purse to be paid in CRO cryptocurrency,” which is the native token of the Cronos blockchain created by Crypto.com. 

A spokesperson told FOS it is an eight-figure purse, but would not share details about exactly how it will be distributed among the winning and losing teams. 

A figure of at least $10 million makes the prize money for the four-player event larger than most standard tournaments on the PGA Tour (outside of major championships and signature events), which typically range from roughly $8 million to $9 million, with winners taking home first-place checks of more than $1 million. 

For most golf tournaments, the purse size correlates almost directly with the amount the title sponsor is paying.

McIlroy, Scheffler, DeChambeau, and Koepka will need to have Crypto.com accounts to receive their prize money, Crypto.com CMO Steve Kalifowitz tells FOS, but there are no obligations for them to hold the cryptocurrency for any amount of time. They’ll be free to sell or trade their winnings whenever they please. As of Wednesday, CRO was the No. 28 cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $4.28 billion, and has risen more than 90% from a year ago. (Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, was trading at $95,686 Wednesday.) Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange based in Singapore.

TNT will air the 18-hole contest from the exclusive Shadow Creek Golf Course on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. ET. Full competition details have yet to be announced, but the intention is to use some elements of the Ryder Cup, which features match-play rounds of alternate shot, four-ball, and singles.

Crypto.com’s sponsorship deal is only for this iteration of “The Showdown,” a new franchise created by Hollywood producer Bryan Zuriff’s BZ Entertainment and EverWonder Studio, which is backed by Jeff Zucker’s RedBird IMI (also the majority investor in Front Office Sports). Zuriff helped create “The Match” series, which featured pros and celebrities in one-off made-for-TV matches. EverWonder, which launched in 2023, was not involved in any of those previous editions.

The very first edition of “The Match” in 2018 saw Phil Mickelson beat Tiger Woods to earn a winner-take-all $9 million prize. Others have been focused on charity, but McIlroy did win $2.4 million in February against Max Homa, Lexi Thompson, and Rose Zhang.

BZ Entertainment and EverWonder had to get approval from the four golfers (who each have equity in “The Showdown” franchise) for the purse to be paid in cryptocurrency, but Kalifowitz says there was no hesitation and that the players were “excited” about the idea.

While this marks Crypto.com’s first golf sponsorship deal, Kalifowitz says his company has been looking at golf for a while, but that the PGA Tour–LIV Golf split had made it difficult to get involved. Crypto.com could be interested in sponsoring future iterations of “The Showdown” or one-off golf events, according to Kalifowitz.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Leo Messi
exclusive

MLS Commissioner Don Garber Defends Messi Suspension

Messi was punished for skipping the MLS All-Star Game.
Carlos Correa
exclusive

Twins Moving Toward Selling Team After Deadline Teardown

Minnesota moved about 40% of its roster ahead of the trade deadline.
Michael Johnson
exclusive

Grand Slam Track Misses Deadline to Pay Athletes $3 Million

The league said it would pay athletes for their Kingston meet Thursday.
Happy Gilmore 2

Is ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Really About LIV vs. PGA Tour?

The movie’s main plotline may sound familiar to many golf fans.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Athlos
May 4, 2025

Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile

Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick.
Jul 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., United States; Sheryl Swoopes hosts a WBNA All-Star brunch in honor of her former teammate, Nikki McCray Penson, at Thea in Phoenix on July 19, 2024
May 12, 2025

Sheryl Swoopes: A’ja Wilson Shoe Campaign Shows Nike Sea Change

Nike released the Air Swoopes in 1995.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Apr 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire Ron Kulpa (46) calls a third strike during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field
May 4, 2025

Pro Refs Get Offered Free Lasik for Better Calls. Some Took It

Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery.
January 15, 2025

State Farm Cancels Planned Super Bowl Ad Amid California Fires Controversy

State Farm’s Super Bowl ad last year featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
December 17, 2024

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Oct 29, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) reacts after hitting a RBI single against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium.
October 31, 2024

Strauss Ads on MLB Helmets Annoyed Some Fans. CEO Says They Were a ‘Huge Success’

Strauss’s deal with MLB goes until 2027.