The novel concept of Capital One’s “The Match,” which features golf legends Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Lexi Thompson, and Rose Zhang, will be unveiled on February 26. Held in April 2023 at the recently remodeled municipal golf course “The Park” in West Palm Beach, this live event features an exciting 12-hole competition against the backdrop of lit night play.
The novel structure, which presents golf in a lively and unorthodox environment, promises an exhilarating fusion of talent and spectacle. This Capital One-sponsored event aims to provide fans with an exciting golf experience by presenting a novel viewpoint on the classic game against the vibrant backdrop of a redesigned course.
For its first event, the 9th iteration of Capital One’s “The Match” featured a ground-breaking mixed skins format. Every hole in this special competition has a set value that is donated to a charitable organization. To ensure a level playing field, the four golfers taking part—Max Homa, Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang—will all tee off from the same set of tees on the four par-3 holes.
Nevertheless, the last eight holes will have different tee boxes and yardages designed for players of both genders, adding still another level of difficulty and variety. By the end of the competition, the golfer with the largest charity total wins. But what about the qualifications of each participant?
Well, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy is notable because he is the only player who has played in “The Match” before. Max Homa, meantime, adds to the event’s challenging field with his stellar career that includes six PGA Tour triumphs.
With eleven LPGA Tour victories under her belt, Lexi Thompson contributes a plethora of expertise. She previously competed in a PGA tour tournament, having participated in the Shriners Children’s Open the previous year. Following an incredible rookie season, Rose Zhang created history by becoming the first player to win on the LPGA since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
“The Match 8” added a fresh element, in contrast to the seven editions in 2022 that pitted Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas against Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. In contrast to the celebrity-athlete format of “Match 7,” it featured two teams of professional athletes who were also close friends.
Last year’s eighth iteration of “The Match” pitted Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. It was held in a scramble format at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.
Each member of the team tees off in this arrangement, chooses the best drive, and then hits their subsequent shots from there. This particular event featured “challenge holes” with a $5 million charity award for the gift, along with a novel 12-hole match-play format. Since its launch in 2018, the Match has raised $35 million for charitable causes, with the Super Bowl-winning team defeating the four-time NBA Champion team.
