McIlroy and Scheffler defeated Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau (Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy couldn’t resist a playful dig at NBA legend Charles Barkley during commentary before he triumphed in ‘The Showdown’ in Las Vegas.
On Tuesday, PGA Tour stars McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler outperformed their LIV Golf rivals Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau to secure the prize purse of reportedly at least £7.8million ($10m).
The event, held at Shadow Creek Golf Course, was touted as the “first-ever multi-million-dollar professional sports prize purse in CRO Cryptocurrency”.
Prior to the event, McIlroy was in high spirits as he teased Barkley, who was serving as a commentator for TNT Sports for ‘The Showdown’. When Barkley asked McIlroy about his eating habits and whether he eats much during a round, the Northern Irishman cheekily responded: “Not as much as you Chuck.”
Barkley, a massive golf enthusiast who follows the sport throughout the year, laughed it off saying, “Okay, I’m on a diet.”
Chuck: “How much in a regular round do you eat?”Rory: “Not as much as you, Chuck.” ??????
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest)
‘The Showdown’ was split into three six-hole segments, mirroring the format of the Ryder Cup.
The first six holes were best ball, the middle six holes were alternate shot, and the final six holes were singles matches.
McIlroy emerged as the standout star in a top-tier lineup, making waves right from the opening hole. Together with his PGA Tour compatriot, they seized control early on and never let go – culminating in McIlroy sinking a sensational 40-foot birdie putt at the fourth hole to snag their first victory of the evening.
The competition might have swung differently had DeChambeau converted an eagle chance from a mere five feet, but he faltered, leading McIlroy and Scheffler to triumph with a score of 3 and 2.
Despite both sides facing troubles with their putts in the alternate shot format, McIlroy and Scheffler edged out one stroke ahead to establish a 2-0 lead.
Only needing a draw in either one-on-one, Scheffler sealed his win over Koepka, maintaining a two-point advantage with just two left to play. At that juncture, McIlroy also had the upper hand over DeChambeau.
Reflecting on his victory while talking to the TNT commentators, McIlroy shared: “It got cold pretty quickly but obviously Scottie and I got off to a really good start, and then from there it was just about trying to keep the momentum. It was a bit of a battle in the alternate shot and we were lucky to scrape a win over those six holes.”