There has been a singular question about Capital One’s The Match as golf fans continue to see different formats and participants since it launched in 2018.
When are we going to get a mixed event?
That question will be answered for the latest edition, set for Feb. 26, as LPGA Tour stars Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang will tee it up alongside Rory McIlroy and Max Homa.
The format has traditionally been match play, with two teams of two against each other. But the ninth edition of The Match will, for the first time, feature male and female golfers competing in a skins format. The 12-hole competition will take place under the lights at The Park – a municipal course in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The Park opened in 2023 following a complete transformation by celebrated designer Gil Hanse.
All four golfers will use the same tees for the four par-3 holes in the routing. The remaining eight holes will use varying tee boxes and yardages for the men and women. The golfer raising the most funds through the skins format at the end of the event will be declared the winner.
“It’s been exciting to see how ‘Capital One’s The Match’ has evolved over the past several years, and we’re proud to be a part of this year’s inclusive lineup with the addition of Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, two of golf’s biggest talents,” said Byron Daub, Vice President Of Sponsorships And Experiential Marketing at Capital One.
This is McIlroy’s second appearance in The Match. He and Tiger Woods lost to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 3-and-2 in the seventh edition in December 2022. Homa, along with Thompson and Zhang, are debutants.
The latest edition of The Match took place last June, where members of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – defeated Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors 3-and-2 in Las Vegas.
The broadcast team will include six-time Emmy Award winner Ernie Johnson along with basketball hall of famer Charles Barkley. Masters winner Trevor Immelman will return as analyst with Kathryn Tappen as the on-course reporter and three-time LPGA Tour winner Christina Kim making her ‘The Match’ commentary debut.
Grammy winner DJ Khaled and NHL media personality Paul Bissonnette will also be joining the broadcast team as special contributors.
Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.