Rory McIlroy Favored in “The Match” on TNT on Monday Night

“The Match” is back, and for the first time ever, two female golfers will be competing alongside the men. Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang will join Rory McIlroy and Max Homa for the a 12-hole skins match on Monday night in West Palm Beach, Florida. The competition will take place under the lights and have a start time of 6:30 p.m. Eastern and be televised on TNT and truTV. Rory McIlroy is favored to win the most money in the event with odds of +185 at Caesars. TNT and truTV will be broadcasting this event. The two lead broadcasters will be Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley with Trevor Immelman doing commentary. On the course will be Kathryn Tappen and Christina Kim. Also involved in the broadcast will be Grammy winner DJ Khaled and NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette.

“The Match” Odds at Caesars.

Rory McIlroy +195

Max Homa +240

Lexi Thompson +370

Rose Zhang +380

This will be just the second time in the history of “The Match” that the competition will take place at night. The seventh edition of “The Match” had Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas winning over Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in 2022. The 2024 edition of “The Match” will mark the first time that four players have competed against each other individual. Previously there have been team competitions and two head-to-head matchups, but never four players competing individually and this will be the first time that women are in the event.

This mixed event will feature a skins format with each hole being worth a certain dollar amount that will go toward charity. The par 3 holes will have all four players teeing off from the same tee box. The other eight holes will have different tee boxes for the men and the women. The golfer who wins the most money for charity through winning skins will be the champ.

Rory McIlroy is the only player of the four to have played in a previous edition of “The Match.” He lost with Woods in the competition against Thomas and Spieth. McIlroy is listed as the golf betting favorite in this event. Max Homa is second in the betting and he played in a similar type of competition in the Netflix Cup. Lexi Thompson has played against men in the past, as she played in the Shriners Children’s Open and nearly made the cut. Rose Zhang turned pro last May and she won her LPGA debut. Thompson and Zhang played in the Grant Thornton Invitational earlier this season.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy has won four majors, two PGA Championship victories (2012, 2014), and a U.S. Open (2011) and the Open Championship (2014). He has 38 wins in his career with 24 on the PGA Tour and 17 on the DP World Tour.

Max Homa

Homa has won six times on the PGA Tour and was a member of the USA’s Ryder Cup team in September. He is considered one of the young stars in golf and a contender to win majors this season.

Lexi Thompson

Thompson has 11 LPGA Tour wins including one major, the 2014 Chevron Championship. She has played in the Solheim Cup six times, winning twice. She became the seventh woman to play a PGA Tour event when she nearly made the cut in the Shriners Children’s Open.

Rose Zhang

Zhang is just 20-years old but she already has an LPGA Tour win, as she won the Mizuho Americas Open in her professional debut. She was one of the best amateurs in history, winning two NCAA Women’s Golf Championships.

“The Match” Picks

I am a little surprised that McIlroy is not more of a favorite in this event. I don’t take golf betting favorites that often, but he is listed at almost 2-1 and only has to beat three other players. I also think the women may do better than expected in this event, as distance off the tee shouldn’t be a major factor with the distances set up appropriately for the men and women. Zhang looks like a future star and it would not surprise me if she wins the most money in this event.

Check out the latest golf betting odds at Caesars.