For both Rory and Bryson, green jacket isn’t the only thing at stake

This is it.

Rory vs. Bryson, Masters Sunday.

A battle for the ages.

For anyone tracking the 2:30 p.m. ET pairing at Augusta National, that’s the hope. Truth is, anything short of these two alphas going birdie for birdie and running away from the field will be — with apologies to the other contenders — a serious buzz kill.

The PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf overtones also will not go unnoticed.

Since 2022, when a new golf league came online that would not only compete with the PGA Tour but poach some of its top players, professional golf has been deeply polarized. No need to rehash the timeline, but the aftermath has consisted of ridicule, banishment and other territorial warfare. Pro golf got tribal.

On Sunday, we have the two most recognizable, and vocal, players from each tour in the final pairing. Yes, they dueled at Pinehurst No. 2 last summer but not in the same pairing and not with each player chasing his first green jacket.

Many may say the pressure falls largely on Rory. That’s fair, but Bryson carries the weight of a multi-billion-dollar startup and, to a degree, the future of the men’s professional game. DeChambeau is Exhibit A that beyond the glittering fairways of the PGA Tour, perhaps there’s something better out there.

DeChambeau has carried LIV on his back the last two years. In that period, he’s shot 58, become the biggest draw in YouTube golf — including trying to break 50 with President Trump — and oh yeah…he won the U.S Open, tied for 6th at last year’s Masters and finished runner-up at the last year’s PGA Championship. All while playing most of his golf on a tour that critics allege is 54-hole “exhibition” golf. However you feel about LIV’s format, it cannot be ignored that its players have won two majors and notched a gaggle of major top-5s.

McIlroy, on the other hand, has shouldered his own burdens. He is the face of the game’s biggest tour, its premier player and needle-mover and for a long stretch was Ponte Vedra’s de facto spokesperson in its fight against the LIV threat. That war has evolved into peace talks, but now those talks have seemingly gone cold.

So, yeah, much is at stake for both players. Let’s take a closer look.

What would a Rory McIlory Masters win mean?

For one, the PGA Tour’s most important player will finally get the green jacket the golf world has been aching for him to win, not to mention the career grand slam. Rory McIlroy, Grand Slam Winner — it just sounds right.

A Rory win also would put the PGA Tour in a strong spot optics-wise. The Tour’s top dog thriving on golf’s grandest stage, and taking down its competitor’s top gun? That’s marketing gold. The Tour’s supporters will scream and yell “I told you so” on social media until it hurts to type.

News

Nobody will be bummed out by a Rory win. It helps professional golf, period, end of story. He’s an all-time talent, and few players have exhibited his grace both in victory and defeat. He’s been a gift to the game.

What would a Bryson DeChambeau Masters win mean?

This is where it gets interesting.

If Bryson were to take down Rory, it not only reignites the LIV vs. PGA Tour debate but also would be another endorsement of Bryson’s unconventional approach to…everything.

His scientific approach to game improvement. His marathon range sessions. His you-won’t-find-those-at-Golf-Galaxy clubs. DeChambeau’s already sizable YouTube reach will also grow; he owns a demo that the Tour desperately wants to grab: young fans or would-be young fans. Bryson is a force of nature in every way imaginable. His winning wouldn’t just boost his own brand and LIV’s, it also would help the whole golf ecosystem.

The Tour knows his value. If Bryson ever entertained the idea of coming back, the Tour would move heaven and TPC Sawgrass to make it happen.

Of his final-round date with DeChambeau, McIlroy said Saturday, “I think the big thing is not to make it a rematch.” Bryson went another direction, saying, “It will be the grandest stage that we’ve had in a long time, and I’m excited for it. We both want to win really, really badly. … In regard to the patrons, it’s going to be an electric atmosphere.”

At a major last year, a caddie told me that squaring off with Bryson with a full head of steam is suboptimal. When he’s gets rolling and takes the galleries with him, he can be a freight train of energy and momentum. The vibe is just different, chaotic almost. Think more UFC than golf, and not all of his opponents are wired to handle it.

Can Rory? We’re about to find out.