On December 17 at the Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, Scottie Scheffler will go against Rory McIlroy, captaining four-man squads at the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games. His biggest enemy there apparently won’t be McIlroy but something else altogether.

“The clock will definitely be a factor in the games,” Scheffler told GolfWeek. “That’s something we’re definitely not used to. I’m one of the guys who likes to operate at my own pace in my own little world. It will be fun to interact and have fun as the competition evolves, and try to beat the clock.”

Though Scheffler is generally not considered a slow player, he does like to take his time. After all, his group received a warning for delaying the pace of play during the third round of the BMW Championship. Now, this is not the first time Scheffler has advocated against the pace of play. The PGA Tour started testing the use of distance-measuring devices to speed up play during the RBC Heritage week.

“Is it going to help the pace of play? Maybe a few minutes. Will it be anything significant? No. In this tournament, what affects the pace of play is walking the golf course. I think we’re playing twosomes all week, so it will go from a five-hour round to maybe four hours or less,” he said at the time.

This unique event also mixes an “All-Star” energy where we will see trick shots and speed drills that we often miss on the PGA Tour. The Optum Golf Channel Games will go through several challenges, like the Timed Drive Competition, Timed Short Game Competition, 14-Club Challenge: Two Players, One Bag, Timed Shootout, and finally Captains’ Challenge: Rory vs. Scottie.

In the first two challenges, players will compete in head-to-head duels with two minutes on the clock and hit shots from multiple locations around the green before tackling a putting competition on the green with just three minutes in their hands. And in the Timed Shootout round, a four-player alternate shot challenge on three holes will take place, one in the fairway and two around the green. And the best score in the shortest amount of time will win that round.

So, it’s not rocket science to understand where the problem lies for the world’s No. 1 golfer.

This design intentionally disrupts the rhythm of traditional play and can tip the scales for Rory McIlroy at the Trump National Golf Club Jupiter.

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While Scottie Scheffler takes this as a challenge, Rory McIlroy embraces this shift

McIlroy noted that while they have played matches before, this offers a unique lean into other sports.

“Just the opportunity to showcase our game differently. Scottie and I have been a part of some of these matches before. They’re great, and hopefully they’re providing some entertainment,” McIlroy said. “But this is an opportunity to do something different and lean into other sports in a way. It’s a chance to try something new, try something different.”

And a deep Ryder Cup storyline runs through the veins of these supposedly friendly games beside the McIlroy vs. Scheffler duel.

Three players from each roster battled at Bethpage Black last September, where Europe claimed a decisive victory. Luke Donald captained his European teammates, Shane Lowry and McIlroy, along with Haotong Li. And U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley led his American squad featuring Sam Burns, Luke Clanton, and Scheffler. So the memory of Europe’s second straight triumph still lingers fresh in everyone’s mind.

Despite the team loss, Scheffler holds a personal edge over his Northern Irish rival. He defeated McIlroy 1-up in Sunday Singles, handing the European star his only loss of that week. McIlroy hasn’t forgotten that sting, admitting, “Scottie got me in the singles, so it would be nice to get him back.”

The exhibition provides the perfect stage for immediate redemption for everyone in the field, and you can catch every second of the action live on Golf Channel and USA Network. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 17, to see who beats the clock.