The ninth iteration of The Match took place live on Monday evening, for the first time showcasing two LPGA players in Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson alongside two PGA Tour stars in Max Homa and Rory McIlroy.
Under the lights on a public golf course—the Gil Hanse-designed Park at West Palm—the 12-hole skins game featured a hodgepodge of witty Charles Barkley commentary, stellar but also rusty golf, and interesting interactions between unlikely individuals. At one point during the round, DJ Khaled joined the foursome, who share over 40 professional wins, to offer some advice ahead of the par-3 11th hole.
Ending in a wedge-off from 105 yards, McIlroy captured The Match title, which took nearly three and a half hours to complete. The Northern Irishman stuck his 54-degree wedge to inside five feet, winning $1.6 million for charity at the last.
Besides McIlroy’s runaway victory, here were some of our favorite things about this installation of The Match.
The lights
The stadium-lit setting for this year’s exhibition-style event not only made for a unique look on TV, but it posed a real challenge for the four Tour pros. Throughout the broadcast, Zhang could often be seen staring into the distance aimlessly, asking commentators where her ball landed.
Homa, on the other hand, had a handful of wayward tee shots that forced to him to explore some unlit areas of the course. The legendary Twitter account “Art But Make It Sports” even picked up a screen grab from one of those moments, comparing the scene to a 1905 painting by Henri Rousseau titled “Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest.”
The floodlights might not have done their job perfectly on Monday evening, but they sure did make for some quality content. Who doesn’t like to see the pros suffer once in a while?
Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest, by Henri Rousseau, 1905 pic.twitter.com/05hMdbZTm2
— ArtButMakeItSports (@ArtButSports) February 27, 2024
Rory’s one-club challenge creativity
The skills on display at this year’s Match were inconsistent to say the least. There were multiple three-putts, some snap-hooked tee shots and miscalculated distances by all four players. But each managed a highlight-worthy moment at some point during the skins game.
McIlroy’s most impressive shot came on the fourth hole, which posed a “one-club challenge” to all four players. The major champion perplexed viewers by selecting a 5-wood on the 475-yard par-4.
He bombed the fairway metal off the tee but was then left with an awkward 175-yard approach shot with a club that he typically launches 275. McIlroy got creative, of course, and aimed 30 yards left of his target, hitting a sweeping chip-cut that just skipped off the edge of the green. Even Homa was blown away by his shot-shaping and control.
“I don’t care where that ends up,” he said. “That was sick.”
From there, the Northern Irishman hit a bump-and-run and a perfectly solid putt to get up-and down and win the hole, making the awkward one-club obstacle look easy. Immediately after the victory, McIlroy revealed that eight-time Tour winner Brad Faxon, who serves as his putting coach, makes him putt with a 5-wood for practice. The news of McIlroy’s quirky drill made the club choice just a bit easier to defend, and it provided a fun, nerdy piece of information for viewers.
Casual par using only a 5-wood ????
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 27, 2024
@McIlroyRory earns another $200k for charity. pic.twitter.com/a0dGi0wdqT
Lexi showed up
It’s hard to crack the 11-time LPGA champion. Thompson is a stone-cold competitor who has been in the Tour spotlight since age 15, and she’s often focused on the task at hand at LPGA events. But at The Match, the mic’d up format allowed the world a glimpse of Thompson’s on-course personality.
During the one-club challenge, for example, the commentators asked Thompson what was going through her head as she attempted to hit a delicate chip shot with a 4-iron.
“I’m thinking I wouldn’t use a 4-iron from here,” she quipped.
Thompson also drained an eagle putt on the second hole to contribute $200,000 to charitable causes, and perfectly navigated an overstimulating series of high-fives and fist bumps from the rest of the foursomes.
Lexi Thompson with the first skin of the night! ????#CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/CsQ9jUdQkX
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 27, 2024
Barkley’s banter
The Match simply wouldn’t be the same without the NBA legend turned TNT analyst. He had snarky back-and-forths with DJ Khaled, Homa and McIlroy, but delivered his best line while discussing The Park and the tradition of night golf itself.
“I’ve played nine holes lit many times,” he said.
“I’ve played nine holes lit many times”
— Stina Sternberg (@StinaSternberg) February 27, 2024
(Charles Barkley, on the topic of night golf.)
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