Rory McIlroy wowed audiences as he joined forces with Scottie Scheffler to triumph over LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka at 'The Showdown' - but fans weren't exactly enthralled.
During Tuesday's face-off at the lavish Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, PGA Tour aces Scheffler and McIlroy successfully repelled the challenge presented by their rivals, pocketing £7.9m ($10m) in cryptocurrency as prize money for their victory.
The competition's format was split into three parts, each consisting of six holes, reminiscent of Ryder Cup play - with best ball leading off, followed by alternate shots, and culminating with singles. H
owever, it was the dynamic duo of McIlroy and Scheffler who consistently outperformed their adversaries, taking an early lead in best ball and building upon it, highlighted by McIlroy's staggering 40-foot birdie on the fourth.
In stark contrast, DeChambeau flubbed his chance to keep the first segment alive with a missed eagle putt from within five feet - a miss that echoed McIlroy’s own misfortune back at Pinehurst No.2 in June.
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Their quick start allowed McIlroy and Scheffler to clinch the opening round 3 and 2. Although both teams grappled with their putting game in the alternate shot stage, the PGA Tour representatives narrowly came out on top, preserving a solid 2-0 advantage going forward.
Scheffler clinched his bout against Koepka, needing just a draw in one of the final two match-ups, by holding a lead with two holes remaining. Similarly, McIlroy had an advantage over DeChambeau at that crucial juncture.
The event, however, failed to win over fans, and they did not hold back their opinions on various social media platforms. Disgruntled viewers aired their views, with comments such as: "Total borefest... shut it off!"
Others expressed their struggle with the spectacle, with remarks like, "What a tough watch," while another spectator quipped: "Nearly put me to sleep. It was not a good product. Players even seemed bored and unmotivated."
The sentiment continued as a further comment read: "It was SOOOOO BORING! ! Whoever planned this did everything he could to make the event a total snooze."
A particularly pointed suggestion from one user was that even some lively banter wouldn't have salvaged the entertainment value: "I mean the LIV boys got absolutely cooked, talking trash would have just been internet fodder. There's not much you can do when you can't make a putt."
Post-match, speaking to TNT after securing triumph, McIlroy reflected on the playing conditions and the game itself, saying: "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."
McIlroy's victory alongside Scheffler offered him some solace from his earlier defeat to DeChambeau at this year's US Open. With eyes now set on 2025, all four players are bracing themselves for an action-packed season featuring four majors and a Ryder Cup.
