GOLF · 2 years ago

The Match LIX Betting Preview: PGA and LPGA Collide as McIlroy, Homa, Zhang and Thompson Face Off

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

Lexi Thompson: +300 at DraftKings
Lexi Thompson made her LPGA debut when fellow golfer Rose Zhang was probably still swinging a Nerf golf club at the age of eight. Like Zhang, Thompson was a phenom in her own right, becoming the youngest amateur at the time to qualify for the US Women's Open at just 12. She turned pro at 15 and 17 years, and almost $14 million in career earnings later, Thompson has made her mark in the world of golf.

While Zhang has the accuracy advantage, Thompson possesses game-changing power. The 29-year-old ranked 11th last season, averaging over 271 yards on her drives.

After 11 LPGA career wins, Thompson became one of just seven women to ever participate in a PGA event when she teed it up in last year's Shriners Children's Open. She shot 73 and 69 to narrowly miss the cut by a pair of strokes.

Thompson has experience playing against the boys, and you can bet she wants to avenge that missed PGA cut last year. She has the power to keep up on the eight longer holes and is just two years from ranking second in the LPGA in greens in regulation, so her irons game is nothing to discount.

Thompson has the game and motivation and will bring some edge to West Palm. At +300, the value is there for the taking.
The Match IX: What You Need to Know
This year, the ninth version of the made-for-TV golf competition has a few new twists. For the first time, LPGA golfers will be front and center in a ladies vs. men format. The boys representing the PGA are Rory McIlroy and Max Homa, while Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang are on the other side.

This competition from West Palm Beach, Florida, will also be a skins competition rather than a traditional best overall score format in most golf tournaments.

Each hole will also have a specific monetary value, given to this year's chosen charity, First Tee. Each golfer will play from identical tees on all four par-3 holes of the course. For the other 12 holes, different tee boxes and distances will be used for male and female players. The golfer who generates the highest amount of money via the skins format by the event's conclusion will be named the winner.

The Match 9 Tee Time
- Date: Monday, Feb. 26
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
How to watch The Match 9
- TV channels: TNT, truTV, HLN
- Live stream: Sling TV, Max
Where is The Match 9?
- Location: West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Venue: Park Municipal Golf Course
Rory McIlroy: +210 at DraftKings
While he may be the most decorated competitor in West Palm Beach, Rory McIlroy is not playing his best golf coming into this event. The four-time major champ has yet to win an event in 2024 and is also without a T-5 or T-10 finish. Rory's best showing came at the Genesis just over a week ago when he shot a five-under to end up T-24. Before that, he scored a very un-Rory-like two under at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am to kick off the season.

McIlroy's power can never be questioned, but that might not play as well in this competition, where a third of the holes are short par 3s. The world's No. 2 ranked golfer is fifth in the PGA in averaging driving distance (311.2) this season but just 106th in putts per hole (1.79)

While he wants to avenge his 2022 loss in The Match VII when partnered with Tiger Woods, this will not be now. At +210, the value isn't there, and if Rory is still working out the rust, we will look elsewhere.

Up Next: Max Homa
Max Homa: +230 at DraftKings
If Rory McIlroy is not at his best, Max Homa is right there with him in the early going of the PGA season. Homa shockingly missed the cut at the Phoenix Open on Super Bowl weekend and, before that, was right with Rory finishing T-66 at Pebble Beach. Max was better last week at the Genesis with a strong finish but did not look good in his opening round, shooting a 73 at Riviera Country Club.

The world's No. 8 ranked golfer's flatstick has not been a strength early this year, where he ranks 87th with 1.776 putts per hole. Accuracy could be paramount in this competition and Homa has struggled in 2024, hitting just 68.6% of his greens for a 109th PGA rank. He also ranks 84th in driver precision. Keep in mind this sample size is larger than Rory's, as Homa has played in five tour events to McIlroy's two.

At +230, we will steer clear of Homa.

Up Next: Rose Zhang
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Rose Zhang: +300 at DraftKings
It may sound like an overstatement, but Rose Zhang is as big a phenom as Tiger Woods was when his rise began. Zhang burst onto the scene to win her first LPGA event, the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open. She also won more on the college level than Tiger did while at Stanford. Rose spent more time as the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world than anyone in history at 141 weeks.

The 20-year-old's strength is undoubtedly her precision. Zhang ranks third in the LPGA in driving accuracy (89.29%) and fifth at hitting greens in regulation at nearly 82% after her first and only tournament of the year. The former Cardinal finished seventh in January's Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions after carding a score of seven under.

While you may say the 2024 sample size is too small, she was sixth-best in GIR last season and hit nearly 80% in driving accuracy. In her rookie LPGA season, Zhang had four top-10 finishes and made 12 of 13 cuts.

The 2023 Rookie of the Year is a real dark horse in this competition, but we're not discounting the gravity of this moment. In the primetime event, this will be the biggest stage Zhang has ever stepped on. Even the most steel-willed of golfers can get the jitters; at just 20, this could be a factor for Zhang.

We will take a pass on the LPGA sophomore for a seasoned veteran with the same odds.

Up Next: Lexi Thompson
Lexi Thompson: +300 at DraftKings
Lexi Thompson made her LPGA debut when fellow golfer Rose Zhang was probably still swinging a Nerf golf club at the age of eight. Like Zhang, Thompson was a phenom in her own right, becoming the youngest amateur at the time to qualify for the US Women's Open at just 12. She turned pro at 15 and 17 years, and almost $14 million in career earnings later, Thompson has made her mark in the world of golf.

While Zhang has the accuracy advantage, Thompson possesses game-changing power. The 29-year-old ranked 11th last season, averaging over 271 yards on her drives.

After 11 LPGA career wins, Thompson became one of just seven women to ever participate in a PGA event when she teed it up in last year's Shriners Children's Open. She shot 73 and 69 to narrowly miss the cut by a pair of strokes.

Thompson has experience playing against the boys, and you can bet she wants to avenge that missed PGA cut last year. She has the power to keep up on the eight longer holes and is just two years from ranking second in the LPGA in greens in regulation, so her irons game is nothing to discount.

Thompson has the game and motivation and will bring some edge to West Palm. At +300, the value is there for the taking.
The Match IX: What You Need to Know
This year, the ninth version of the made-for-TV golf competition has a few new twists. For the first time, LPGA golfers will be front and center in a ladies vs. men format. The boys representing the PGA are Rory McIlroy and Max Homa, while Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang are on the other side.

This competition from West Palm Beach, Florida, will also be a skins competition rather than a traditional best overall score format in most golf tournaments.

Each hole will also have a specific monetary value, given to this year's chosen charity, First Tee. Each golfer will play from identical tees on all four par-3 holes of the course. For the other 12 holes, different tee boxes and distances will be used for male and female players. The golfer who generates the highest amount of money via the skins format by the event's conclusion will be named the winner.

The Match 9 Tee Time
- Date: Monday, Feb. 26
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
How to watch The Match 9
- TV channels: TNT, truTV, HLN
- Live stream: Sling TV, Max
Where is The Match 9?
- Location: West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Venue: Park Municipal Golf Course

The Match LIX Betting Preview: PGA and LPGA Collide as McIlroy, Homa, Zhang and Thompson Face Off

The Match 9 Tee Time

How to watch The Match 9

Where is The Match 9?

The Match 9 Tee Time

How to watch The Match 9

Where is The Match 9?

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