Big changes are in place for the fourth edition of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. With a new sponsor, format, date and player perks, there are plenty of things that have changed about the LPGA Tour’s one-of-a-kind event, but what remains the same is that the best in the world are once again squaring off in a five-day competition at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about the enhanced and expanded match-play event, which is providing players with one final tune-up ahead of the season’s first major championship.
What’s New?
The re-tooled Tour stop in Las Vegas is seeing some major modifications this season. To start, the event moved from May to April on the 2024 schedule, which has allowed more of the world’s top-ranked players to tee it up at Shadow Creek. Next, the purse saw a 30-percent increase to $2 million, and with a new title sponsor in T-Mobile on board, the tournament will be covering hotel expenses for all players. Here’s a rundown of what else has changed:
- Field expanded from 65 to 96 participants
- Players previously competed in a group-play format, but starting this week, they will instead compete in stroke play from Wednesday to Friday with a cut made to the top 65 players and ties after 36 holes
- After 54 holes, the top eight players will advance to the weekend’s match-play competition
- The Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will be played on Saturday with the Championship Match held on Sunday
The Field
Come Sunday, the champion will have plenty to celebrate as they will have outlasted one of the strongest fields so far this season, with just over two dozen major champions slated to compete at Shadow Creek. But the biggest name poised to tee it up in the desert is Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda. Fresh off a historic third consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour, Korda will look to keep luck on her side as she chases a fourth straight win in Las Vegas. Korda is joined at Shadow Creek by Lydia Ko, who continues her quest to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, Rose Zhang, who is making her match-play debut, and a slew of major champions, including Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson, Jennifer Kupcho, Anna Nordqvist and Paula Creamer, to name just a few. Tournament invitations were extended to two-time major champion Brittany Lincicome and amateur McKenzi Hall.
Anannarukarn Defends in the Desert
Last season, Pajaree Anannarukarn survived the desert sun and scorching temperatures to capture her second career LPGA Tour victory at the T-Mobile Match Play. Anannarukarn won seven matches in five days, including the championship match against Ayaka Furue, whom she defeated 3 and 1. Anannarukarn will be looking to get lucky once more in Las Vegas as she remains in search of her first top-10 finish of the year. Furue, who has finished runner-up in the match-play competition the past two seasons, will definitely be one to watch at Shadow Creek as she’s already racked up four top-10 results in six starts this year.
Yin Returns From Injury
An offseason injury sidelined Angel Yin during the first three months of the season, but the American is poised to make her 2024 debut at the T-Mobile Match Play. In January, Yin was photographed on social media wearing a walking boot on her left foot and was seen sitting in a wheelchair. While she hasn’t yet disclosed the details of what caused her injury, it forced her to withdraw from the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Yin earned a spot in the winners-only field on the heels of a career-best season in which she won for the first time at the Buick LPGA Shanghai and recorded five more top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at The Chevron Championship that came after she fell in a playoff to Lilia Vu.
Final Chance to Qualify for Season’s First Major
The outcome of the T-Mobile Match Play will determine the final field for The Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, which gets underway in two weeks in Houston, Texas. Players who have not yet qualified for the major championship will have a chance to do so with either a win in Las Vegas or a strong finish that could move them up the Race to the CME Globe point standings. Currently, the cutoff to get into the field is the No. 102 position in the points race, a spot currently held by Hee Young Park, Caroline Inglis, Weiwei Zhang and Jennifer Song. The Chevron Championship field will be finalized on Sunday, April 7 with a total of 132 players.
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