Golf fans look set to be in for a treat before the end of the year, with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler set to go up against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in a match which is going to pit two of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars against two of LIV Golf’s major champions.
Of course, this is not first time that there have been exhibition matches between some of the world’s best players in recent years, but there seems to be real significance in a match which involves two PGA Tour stars up against two from LIV Golf given that the sport has been divided for more than two years now.
It is perhaps a sign that an agreement which brings the sport back together is edging ever so slightly closer, while it is certainly an acknowledgement that the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are growing tired of the game’s decision-makers struggling to find a way forward.
In truth, it is hard to see the event not being a success, given the quality of the players involved. There are also plenty of storylines when you consider McIlroy’s stance on LIV in the past, the duel between McIlroy and DeChambeau at the US Open, the dynamic between DeChambeau and Koepka, and Scheffler’s dominance on the PGA Tour this season.
It is certainly about as exciting a matchup as could have been put together, but there are others which also attract attention. With that in mind, here are three more PGA Tour vs LIV Golf matchups golf fans should perhaps want in the future…
Viktor Hovland/Ludvig Aberg vs Jon Rahm/Tyrrell Hatton
One match which may not be too difficult to put together at all would be one pitting Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, with the quartet more than playing their part in Europe regaining the Ryder Cup in Rome last year.
Rahm and Hatton won their two matches together in Italy, while Hovland and Aberg famously beat Scheffler and Koepka by 9&7 on Saturday morning – a Ryder Cup record.
Rahm and Hatton have been superb on LIV since their moves ahead of this season, with the Legion XIII pair in the top three in the individual standings. Meanwhile, Aberg has been superb at times during his first full year on the PGA Tour. And matchplay could bring the best out of Hovland, who is still finding his best form again.
Adam Scott/Tom Kim vs Cameron Smith/Joaquin Niemann
With the Presidents Cup just around the corner, it is hard not to think about the drama which led up to the event at Quail Hollow in 2022, when Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann missed out on playing after recently joining LIV. Smith was first in the qualification standings while Niemann was fourth, so it was a massive blow to the Internationals.
Tom Kim was the star of that event, even in defeat, while Adam Scott has had another impressive year on the PGA Tour. Both men will be in Mike Weir’s team in Canada this month, so it would be interesting to see how they would fare against Smith and Niemann.
Niemann has found another gear on LIV, winning twice at the start of this year. Smith’s form has been much more underwhelming, so it could be an interesting matchup.
Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas vs Patrick Reed/Phil Mickelson
If the previous two matchups seem possible, this one probably has next to no chance of happening. It is easy to forget now, but following the 2014 and 2016 Ryder Cups, it appeared that the partnership of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed was going to become one of the greatest the competition had known.
They won 2.5 points from three matches together at Gleneagles, and then won the same number from four matches at Hazeltine. And thus, Reed did not hold back in 2018 when he could not understand why his partnership with Spieth was split up.
Of course, it was Justin Thomas who become Spieth’s regular partner from then.
So there could be fireworks if they were to face off in the future, while Phil Mickelson probably would not have any hesitation when it comes to adding to the drama. None of the quartet have been at their best over the last few years, but it would definitely be entertaining.
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