• Loading stock data...
Monday, March 17, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

‘The Match’ Will Include Female Golfers For The First Time

  • The LPGA’s Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang will play in “The Match” next month.
  • The two stars are the first women to compete in the series, which started in 2018.
Lexi Thompson The match
Syndication: The News-Press

Capital One’s The Match”, the popular exhibition featuring professional golfers and other athletes, will include female competitors for the first time.

LPGA star Lexi Thompson and 20-year-old Rose Zhang will compete alongside the PGA Tour’s Rory McIlroy and Max Homa. Thompson has 11 LPGA championships under her belt, while Zhang was the top amateur player in the world for a record 141 weeks before turning pro and winning her debut tournament. Thompson competed professionally against men in the PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open in October, the seventh woman to ever do so.

The competition will be held on Feb. 26 at The Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, and broadcast on TNT Sports. The 12-hole event will give proceeds to First Tee, an organization dedicated to accessible and affordable youth golf, adding to $38 million-plus distributed to philanthropic causes since the inaugural event in 2018.

The eighth and latest edition of the series in June, during which Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce bested Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, drew record low viewership for the event, failing to reach the 1 million mark for the first time.

The LPGA has increased its media rights revenue, corporate partnerships, and prize money in the past few years. The prize pot specifically has grown 70% and reached record levels since its current commissioner began her term in 2021, according to Sports Business Journal. The league announced a two-year media deal with ESPN in November that will stream events on ESPN+.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

How New $15M Women’s March Madness ‘Units’ Payouts Work

Men’s teams have benefited from this format for decades.

Conference Realignment, Starpower Shape Women’s March Madness

Three No. 1 seeds are conference newbies this season.
exclusive

Alexis Ohanian Wants TGL to Expand Into Women’s Golf: Q&A

Ohanian is bullish on the future of TGL.

Boston NWSL Team Will Not Be Named BOS Nation FC

The team has faced controversy surrounding its rollout and stadium plans.

Featured Today

Auburn Tigers guard Miles Kelly (13) reacts after hitting a three-point shot against Kentucky during the first half in SEC basketball at Rupp Arena Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky March 1, 2025

The SEC’s Ascent to Men’s Basketball Supremacy

The league brought its football pageantry and power to college hoops.
San Diego Wave FC falls to Orlando Pride at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA on April 29, 2023.
March 14, 2025

The New Tailored Approach to Women’s Sports Uniforms

For new women’s sports leagues, every detail is custom.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) cuts down the net after beating LSU in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament between Iowa and LSU at MVP Arena, Monday, April 1, 2024 in Albany, N.Y.
opinion
March 9, 2025

Reader Mailbag: Leagues Need Must-Watch Moments

Readers responded to NHL success and what it means for other leagues.
Moolah Kicks
March 8, 2025

Breaking the Mold: The Brands Designing Footwear Specifically for Female Athletes

New companies are laser focused on changing the women’s athletic footwear landscape.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.
January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’