Mcilroy, Fowler Set To Meet In Prime-time Match In June

Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, two of golf's biggest headliners, will reportedly meet in a prime-time exhibition match a week before the U.S. Open at the Detroit Golf Club, according to Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press.

The details for the event—which Ferguson noted is set for June 7, the Tuesday before the U.S. Open—haven't been finalized.

Quicken Loans, which is based in Detroit, will reportedly put on the exhibition and is currently ironing out the final details.

The first two hours will be on the Golf Channel, and CBS will air the 9-11 p.m. ET time frame.

Per Ferguson, there will also be a celebrity element, featuring "Team Rory" vs. "Team Rickie." Which stars will compete, how many will be on each team, the number of course holes and the format are still to be decided.

This is the first nighttime exhibition match since Tiger Woods' now-defunct Motorola Showdown at Sherwood, which was established in 1999. Initially a head-to-head pitting Woods against David Duval when both were the world Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, the format transitioned to team events and expanded to include women and seniors until the event ceased in 2005.

McIlroy and Fowler, the world Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, are among the best and most popular golfers today, and an ambitious idea of a weeknight exhibition in prime time should draw a sizable TV audience.