Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are heading for an exciting partnership, with the pair set to take on Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka next week.
The Showdown in Las Vegas has a $10million purse, with the iconic Shadow Creek Golf Club playing host on December 17.
McIlroy’s and DeChambeau’s stock yardages have emerged ahead of the clash that sees two PGA Tour players take on two LIV Golf players.
The pair played out an intriguing US Open battle earlier this year, with DeChambeau edging out McIlroy at Pinehurst.
But Scheffler stole the show on the PGA Tour, with the world number one winning seven titles in the 2024 season.
Rory McIlroy predicted to be a ‘no-show’ in The Showdown
Conversely, it was a season of near misses for McIlroy, who has now been predicted by Rick Shiels to find trouble in Las Vegas next week.
“Next week it’s The Showdown,” he said on The Rick Shiels Golf Show. “Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler versus Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in Las Vegas. It’s going to be very spicy, I think.
“What’s very interesting is that he will be the shortest hitter by a mile. It’ll be Bryson then Rory then Brooks. Brooks will be third longest in that group!
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“But Scottie will be hitting his second shot in first every time and his irons are so incredible that his five iron probably goes closer than Rory’s pitching wedge.
“I think that will be a real interesting match-play dynamic and I don’t know if Scottie will get massively flustered by Bryson’s bomb drives. I think Rory will do.
“This is how I think it is going to go; I think it’s going to be Scottie Scheffler versus Bryson and Brooks. I envision a Rory no-show.
“I feel like he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders in this match and if he starts seeing Bryson bombing it, he hits it a long way Rory, but I feel like he is going to be almost encouraged to try and hit it harder than he needs to and I feel like that is going to put him in some trouble.”
Why Rory McIlroy can actually shine vs Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka
All four iconic players should be more than up for the challenge regardless of there being very little at stake.
Plenty of money is involved as ever in the exhibition event, with PGA Tour and LIV Golf bragging rights perhaps the only other matter at hand.
McIlroy will, therefore, likely not be feeling the pressure that he has felt throughout his latest season, particularly having come so close to an elusive fifth major.
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And that could result in the Northern Irishman playing more freely given that he really does have nothing to lose, while he should be full of confidence after his DP World Tour Championship win.
Moreover, much of the pressure and the eyes should be on world number one Scheffler, although again he is perhaps unlikely to break a sweat given the ultimately friendly nature of the competition.
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