Report: Lexi Thompson And Rory McIlroy To Star In Next Edition Of 'The Match'

"The Match," the made-to-for-TV showcase which has featured several PGA Tour stars and sportsmen across the years, is to break new ground, with LPGA stars set to feature in the latest edition, according to reports.

Now entering its ninth edition, The Match has provided some classic encounters, including Tiger Woods vs Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka vs Bryson DeChambeau and, more recently, Woods and Rory McIlroy against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

The contest has yet to feature women in its five years, but that may soon be about to change. According to Golfweek, plans are in place for a 2024 edition of the show that would - for the first time - feature two stars of the women's game: 11-time LPGA winner Lexi Thomspon and rookie sensation Rose Zhang.

Reports have also suggested that the event will be a mixed team format, with four-time Major champion McIlroy and World No.7 Max Homa in discussions to feature in the ground-breaking edition, too. 

McIlroy has appeared in a December 2022 edition of "The Match" and would be returning for his second stint. Homa, meanwhile, would be making his debut in the format, although the American did recently compete in the Netflix Cup - another made-for-TV product which saw PGA Tour stars compete alongside Formula One drivers in Las Vegas. 

However, the attention would undeniably be on the American duo of Thompson and Zhang, who would become the first female golf stars to appear on the show, an idea which has been suggested for many years. 

Zhang, an amateur sensation at Stanford, burst onto the professional scene in June when she won the Mizuho Americas Open to become the first player to win an LPGA Tour event on professional debut since 1951. 

Thompson, meanwhile, recently became the latest female to compete in a PGA Tour event after receiving a sponsor's invite to the Shriners Open. The 28-year-old who is ranked 28th in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, was aiming to become the first woman to make a cut at a PGA Tour event since 1945 but narrowly missed out despite a spirited fightback during her second round.

Plans were initially to hold the event on December 15th, but it now seems likely that scheduling conflicts will push the prospective event back into the middle of next year. It is suspected to be held in primetime and contested under the lights.