talkSPORT betting tips – Best golf bets and expert advice for The Showdown
Golf fans have a final pre-Christmas treat this week as The Showdown pits two of the biggest names on the PGA Tour against two counterparts from the LIV Tour. It’s the world number one Scottie Scheffler and number three Rory McIlroy teaming up from the PGA Tour, while one-time rivals Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka join forces to take them on. The special one-off event is set to take place on Tuesday, December 17 at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas with TNT Sports set to have live coverage for viewers in the UK. talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets* The Showdown best bet Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to win – 4/6 This is a straight better-ball matchplay format, the sort known to club golfers up and down the land. Two against two over 18 holes, each player playing his own ball, and the best score on each hole wins. The foursome are playing for a $10million (£7.9m) prize, though quite unconventionally, they will be paid in cryptocurrency, a golfing first. Koepka has talked up the event ahead of The Showdown in Las Vegas, suggesting: “We want to showcase the world we’re the top two dogs.” That could be deemed rich talk for a man who posted no better than tied-26th at any of the four Majors in 2024 – the environment in which the five-time Major champion has traditionally tended to reserve his best for. Has the relatively sedate nature of life on the LIV Tour taken away some of Koepka’s edge? On his team is the US Open winner DeChambeau. He pipped none other than McIlroy in dramatic fashion at Pinehurst in June, when the Northern Irishman’s putter went into self-sabotage mode late on Sunday. That was DeChambeau’s second Major success, and he posted two more top-10s at the Masters and USPGA Championship. Scheffler remains, by some way, the best player on the planet and he won his second Green Jacket at Augusta in the spring alongside top-10s at the USPGA and The Open. Which leaves McIlroy. He was underwhelming in the first two Majors but came agonisingly close at Pinehurst to ending his decade-long wait for a fifth Major title. A few weeks later at The Open, his frame of mind was perhaps not quite right, still pondering Pinehurst perhaps, as he missed the cut. He signed off last month as Race To Dubai winner again though, equalling Seve Ballesteros’ record, and won the DP World Tour Championship to boot, making it two wins apiece on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour this year. Koepka once couldn’t hide his disdain for DeChambeau and his slow place of play on the PGA Tour. They have been Ryder Cup teammates but the camaraderie between the two does appear a trifle contrived. Koepka said ahead of The Showdown: “I think he’s severely misunderstood, and I think the world is starting to see who Bryson DeChambeau is, which is cool.” DeChambeau responded suggesting: “We had our spats, but when we both went to LIV, we realized we had quite a few things in common.” One thing they may have in common in Las Vegas this week is the realisation that taking on Scheffler and McIlroy could be too much for them. The former just won the Hero World Challenge with a closing round of nine-under par 63. Both he and McIlroy are entirely amenable personalities and share a common love for the purity of golf as a sport. That should be enough to see off the built-for-purpose pairing opposite them. talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets* *18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 4x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org
Golf fans have a final pre-Christmas treat this week as The Showdown pits two of the biggest names on the PGA Tour against two counterparts from the LIV Tour.
It’s the world number one Scottie Scheffler and number three Rory McIlroy teaming up from the PGA Tour, while one-time rivals Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka join forces to take them on.
The special one-off event is set to take place on Tuesday, December 17 at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas with TNT Sports set to have live coverage for viewers in the UK.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets*
The Showdown best bet
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy to win – 4/6
This is a straight better-ball matchplay format, the sort known to club golfers up and down the land. Two against two over 18 holes, each player playing his own ball, and the best score on each hole wins.
The foursome are playing for a $10million (£7.9m) prize, though quite unconventionally, they will be paid in cryptocurrency, a golfing first.
Koepka has talked up the event ahead of The Showdown in Las Vegas, suggesting: “We want to showcase the world we’re the top two dogs.”
That could be deemed rich talk for a man who posted no better than tied-26th at any of the four Majors in 2024 – the environment in which the five-time Major champion has traditionally tended to reserve his best for.
Has the relatively sedate nature of life on the LIV Tour taken away some of Koepka’s edge?
On his team is the US Open winner DeChambeau. He pipped none other than McIlroy in dramatic fashion at Pinehurst in June, when the Northern Irishman’s putter went into self-sabotage mode late on Sunday.
That was DeChambeau’s second Major success, and he posted two more top-10s at the Masters and USPGA Championship.
Scheffler remains, by some way, the best player on the planet and he won his second Green Jacket at Augusta in the spring alongside top-10s at the USPGA and The Open.
Which leaves McIlroy. He was underwhelming in the first two Majors but came agonisingly close at Pinehurst to ending his decade-long wait for a fifth Major title. A few weeks later at The Open, his frame of mind was perhaps not quite right, still pondering Pinehurst perhaps, as he missed the cut.
He signed off last month as Race To Dubai winner again though, equalling Seve Ballesteros’ record, and won the DP World Tour Championship to boot, making it two wins apiece on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour this year.
Koepka once couldn’t hide his disdain for DeChambeau and his slow place of play on the PGA Tour. They have been Ryder Cup teammates but the camaraderie between the two does appear a trifle contrived.
Koepka said ahead of The Showdown: “I think he’s severely misunderstood, and I think the world is starting to see who Bryson DeChambeau is, which is cool.”
DeChambeau responded suggesting: “We had our spats, but when we both went to LIV, we realized we had quite a few things in common.”
One thing they may have in common in Las Vegas this week is the realisation that taking on Scheffler and McIlroy could be too much for them.
The former just won the Hero World Challenge with a closing round of nine-under par 63. Both he and McIlroy are entirely amenable personalities and share a common love for the purity of golf as a sport. That should be enough to see off the built-for-purpose pairing opposite them.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £20 in free bets*
*18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 4x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org
