'The Match' lineup confirmed without any LIV Golf and PGA Tour stars

The latest edition of 'The Match' is set to take place in December, with eight celebrities set to compete in the two-night event.

The latest instalment of 'The Match' is set to be a star-studded affair, but not in the way you might expect. This time around, there won't be any professional golfers on the course.

Instead, celebrities and athletes from other sports will go head-to-head in an exciting new twist. The exhibition series, which kicked off in 2018, has seen nine contests so far, with most featuring pro golfers.

However, this two-night event, starting on Thursday, Nov. 21 and wrapping up on Friday, Nov.22, will see eight celebs compete for a cool $1 million prize. The first night's line-up includes actor Bill Murray and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky taking on NBA legend Charles Barkley and 13-time MLB All-Star Ken Griffey Jr.

Then, actor Mark Wahlberg and Olympic legend Michael Phelps will face comedian Nate Bargatze and current NBA player Blake Griffin. The winning teams will then go head-to-head in the semi-finals, leaving two celebs to duke it out in the final for the $1 million prize.

But don't worry, golf fans - the usual contest between professional golfers hasn't been scrapped. The 'Showdown', billed as the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf, is still set to take place on Dec. 17 amid ongoing rivalry and merger negotiations between the two leagues.

PGA's Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are set to face off against LIV's Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau at Shadow Creek Golf Course, where the first edition of 'The Match' was held.

The inaugural contest saw Tiger Woods face Phil Mickelson at the course in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the latter coming out on top. The second edition merged with NFL legends, as Woods was partnered with Tom Brady while Mickelson teamed up with Peyton Manning.

In the following seven contests, past and present sports stars such as Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Travis Kelce have been involved. On June 29, 2023, the contest was carried out without any professional golfers for the first time.

That edition saw Kansas City Chiefs teammates Mahomes and Kelce face former Golden State Warriors pairing Curry and Klay Thompson. The contest was a major success and due to the increased popularity of Pro-Am competitions and celebrity tournaments, 'The Match' has evolved.

While money and bragging rights are the incentive for 'The Match' it will be a different story when McIlroy and Scheffler face Koepka and DeChambeau in December. There will be no prize money on the line and the four golfers will only receive an appearance fee for taking part in the competition.

McIlroy has already described the contest between PGA Tour members and LIV Golf as a "goodwill event" as he hopes it can finally end the feud between the entities. McIlroy has been involved in merger talks, and Woods is also a permanent member of the PGA Tour Policy Board.