How golf's 'Crypto Showdown' turned into a badly-organized mess with even the players' families left fuming
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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.
![[Around 2,000 fans were let into Shadow Creek to watch the unofficial LIV vs. PGA Tour match]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/12/93261211-14204353-Around_2_000_fans_were_let_into_Shadow_Creek_to_watch_the_unoffi-a-2_1734526589701.jpg)
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 showdown ended under the lights after darkness fell over the course in Las Vegas]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/12/93261115-14204353-The_showdown_ended_under_the_lights_after_darkness_fell_over_the-a-3_1734526589701.jpg)
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.’.
![[DeChambeau shakes hands with McIlroy following the climax of the event at Shadow Creek]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/18/12/93261111-14204353-DeChambeau_shakes_hands_with_McIlroy_following_the_climax_of_the-a-4_1734526589702.jpg)
