How golf's 'Crypto Showdown' turned into a badly-organized mess with even the players' families left fuming

The true genius of Las Vegas lies in the sheen. All of the color and all of the noise and all of the extravagance – it’s enough to convince anyone that this really is a strip of paradise in the desert.

But take a short walk down Las Vegas Boulevard or inside one of the casinos and you soon realize: beneath the veneer of opulence, behind the facade of beauty, Sin City is not quite as glamorous as it seems.

All of which made it the ideal for setting for Tuesday’s ‘Crypto.com Showdown’, when Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy took on Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

On the surface, it was a mouthwatering prospect. Two of the PGA Tour’s prized assets against two of the most high-profile defectors to LIV Golf. A rare clash between four of the biggest names in golf and – who knows? – a first step on the way to a LIV vs. PGA Ryder Cup. Or even unity in a divided sport. On the line? $10million – to be paid in cryptocurrency.

The reality? Barely an hour after the opening tee shot, darkness was falling, the temperature was plummeting and chaos had taken over Shadow Creek. Many of the 2,000-odd fans were headed for home. Many more were unsure what was happening.

Perhaps someone close to one of the players put it best when they were overheard saying, only a few holes in: ‘Now I know why they said you should just watch it on the TV instead.’

A few minutes later, fans stood in long lines for the restrooms and the bar. They just couldn’t watch any of the golf. Because the majority of Shadow Creek was, in fact, closed to the public. Not that many people knew that until they were turned away trying to keep up with the action.

It seemed only VIPs and TV crews were allowed past the fifth green. From there, just two holes, the odd green or the odd tee box were open to everyone else.

The only solace, as night closed in and the players disappeared into the darkness? Tickets were at least free. Not even that stopped one fan concluding: ‘We got scammed’.

By the end, even the players were feeling the pinch. DeChambeau was wrapped up in a giant coat, while Koepka struggled in the cold. McIlroy and Scheffler leant over a heater in their cart.

Shadow Creek sits about a dozen miles north of the Strip but this was a world away from a normal week for the players and their families. Not just because of the prize. Not just because of the format – three, six-hole contests ending with a singles shootout.

For one, Scottie Scheffler’s dad was hit by a ball. DeChambeau’s wayward drive on the second hole struck him on the foot. He faked a limp and they could laugh about it afterwards. Scott has been following his son for years but that had never happened before.

It wasn’t the only time he found himself in unfamiliar territory. At one point, Scheffler’s parents were traipsing near the perimeter fence and then peering through trees. Just to get a shot of the action.

Right from the first hole, it was a struggle to find a good vantage point. There were no grandstands, the best spots were reserved for ‘VIPs’ and ‘VVIPs’. Oh, and the decision to put it on primetime TV meant that in Vegas, the setting sun was blinding.

The paths were crammed and security struggled to keep control. Many fans slipped under the rope to walk behind the players. Others went wandering in search of somewhere to watch.

‘Where are we going?’ someone close to one player asked. What were we doing? The action was, at least, easier to follow on TV.

TNT had a celebrity cast of analysts including Bubba Watson and Charles Barkley. They had mics on the players and cameras inside their carts. That provided some unique insight and some comedy, too.

Such as when Barkley asked Team LIV, ‘How different are your guys' balls?’ Or when he quizzed McIlroy on how much he eats during a round, and the Northern Irishman replied: ‘Not as much as you’

But as McIlroy and Scheffler cruised to victory, TV viewers were treated to more snivels and coughs and shivers than soundbites. 

By then, Shadow Creek was illuminated by floodlights and only the most patient fans remained.

They had put up with a lot of waiting, just to catch another glimpse of the best players battling it out. In that sense, this was a good advert for golf at the end of 2024.

A few hours earlier, the atmosphere had started to build on the fourth green, after McIlroy rolled in a long eagle putt to secure the first point. A few cries of ‘P-G-A’ went up from the galleries. 

And then the fans were shut out for a while. When Scheffler and McIlroy closed out victory in the dark, the celebrations could hardly have been tamer.

So forget those grand plans and this event’s place in golf’s geopolitics. Beneath the Vegas veneer, this was little more than a jolly and an early Crypto present for the winners.

Both teams had talked up this opportunity to give something back to the fans. They must not have meant those who turned up to Shadow Creek. As one described it on his way out? ‘A mess.’