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5 things to know from the Seri Pak Championship, where Rose Zhang contends and Lexi Thompson exits early

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With the LPGA back in the U.S. for the first time since January, a number of the tour’s stars have returned including Rose Zhang. It’s finals week at Stanford, yet Zhang isn’t playing like someone who balanced practice rounds at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship with term papers and exams.

As No. 1 Lilia Vu clawed her way back to play the weekend, another breakout star from 2023, defending champion Ruoning Yin, finds herself in familiar territory.

Here are five things to know from the early action at Palos Verdes Golf Club, where the legendary Seri Pak plays host to the next generation.

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Yin hasn’t had the best start to 2024 but still sounded confident coming into Palos Verdes, where she won her first LPGA title last year. Her second-round 65 included a front-nine 31 (her second nine of the day).

“The front nine the fairway is wide open and I can smoke it whenever I want,” she explained. “Plus, today’s pin position is quite easy for attack. I can be aggressive.”

Yin credited her caddie, veteran David Jones, for repeatedly reminding her to stay patient.

Full marks


Zhang returned to the LPGA after nearly a two-month break and put herself right back in contention. The Stanford student reports that she received full marks on an exam she took on Tuesday.

On the leaderboard at Palos Verdes, she’s one back of defending champion Yin.

“We’re slowly getting there,” said Zhang, who wrapped up the winter quarter earlier this week. “I think being able to come back and really stay in the zone, I think what I really missed about competitive golf is once you’re in the zone, it feels really good to just commit to everything that you have and put your all out there.”

Zhang, who shot a second consecutive 68, won a college event at Palos Verdes in February 2023 and reports that the greens are softer this time around.

“Last year I remember I couldn’t go at any pins just because it was so hard to stop the ball in certain areas,” she said. “This year I think it’s a little bit more playable. You can attack in certain areas.”

Terrific turnarond


Maria Fassi joked that she should get the “most improved gold star” for her 6-under 65. The former NCAA champ opened with a brutal 76 and looked in danger of not playing the weekend.

While Fassi has missed the cut in her two previous LPGA starts this year, she did finish third on the LET in Morocco.

“I would’ve quit golf a long time ago without the amazing people I have around me,” said Fassi. “They really keep me in it. Yeah, I have a lot of very good friends out here as well that just always say the right thing when I need to hear, whether they know it or not.”

Friday slump


Lexi Thompson holed out for eagle, her second of the day, to end Thursday’s round at Palos Verdes. Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t carry over to Friday.

Thompson’s second-round 78 included six bogeys, one double and only one birdie. She hit only 10 fairways and 10 greens on Friday and took 33 putts. This was Thompson’s second LPGA start this season. She has played in two LET events, finishing 11th two weeks ago in Florida.

She finished the Seri Pak event at 7 over.

College connection


This week marks the third time Palos Verdes has hosted an LPGA event. Zhang is one of five past winners of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in the field this week, joined by World No. 1 Lilia Vu (2018), Andrea Lee (2019), Lindy Duncan (2012) and Carlota Ciganda (2011).

There are 11 alums between UCLA and USC in the field. Rookie Malia Nam, who opened with a 65 on Thursday, said she’s played Palos Verdes over 100 times.

“It’s really nice that we were able to practice here,” said Nam. “We had a tournament here every year. I was able to play that when I was in college, so, yeah, it really helped today just knowing exactly what clubs I’m going to have in and how to prepare for this tournament as well.”

Players representing the Bruins this week include Alison Lee, Ryan O’Toole, Patty Tavatanakit and Vu. Former Trojans include major champions Sophia Popov and Allisen Corpuz, Gabriela Ruffels, Lizette Salas, Jennifer Song, Gabriela Then and Nam.

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THE MATCH 9 ODDS, PICKS: PROVEN GOLF EXPERT REVEALS BEST BETS FOR LEXI THOMPSON, MAX HOMA, RORY MCILROY AND ROSE ZHANG

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SportsLine’s Mike McClure has locked in his best bets for The Match IX on Monday from The Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.

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The Match is a made-for-TV golf exhibition that has helped expand the game with a primetime audience. On Monday, The Match IX will feature a four-player battle between Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang played under the lights at The Park in West Palm Beach. It marks the first time The Match has featured male and female golfers, and they are competing in a mixed skins format. There will be 12 holes in the individual event, with all four competitors using the same tees for the four par-3 holes. There will be different tees and yardages for the other eight holes.

McIlroy is the only competitor who has prior experience in this event, teaming up with Tiger Woods in the Match 7. The 12-hole match will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. The latest Match IX odds list McIlroy as the +210 favorite (risk $100 to win $210), followed by Homa (+230), Zhang (+300) and Thompson (+300).

In addition to picking a winner, a number of prop bets will be available for bettors to wager on, and SportsLine’s Mike McClure has pinpointed his must-play. So, before you lock in The Match IX picks, be sure to see McClure’s best bet.

McClure’s model has returned more than $9,000 on $100 best bets since June of 2020 and has called the winner of 10 major tournaments entering the weekend. McClure was also all over Brooks Koepka defeating Bryson DeChambeau as a +110 underdog in The Match V and nailed Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth for an easy win over Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in The Match VII. Anyone who has followed it has seen MASSIVE returns!

Max Homa | Golfer | Titleist

Now, with sportsbooks taking bets on The Match IX, McClure has scoured the odds and released his winner! You ABSOLUTELY need to see his pick before making any selections of your own!

So who wins The Match 9? And where does all the betting value lie?

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Does Lexi Thompson Have a Boyfriend? Exploring the Love Life of the LPGA Star

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Lexi Thompson is having a mellow 2024 season. She has competed only in the LPGA Drive-On Championship this year. At the event, she earned $21,585 from her 16th finish. With her not taking part in many events, naturally, fans will be curious to know where she is spending her time and with whom!

The American golfer did give a glimpse of her off-the-course adventures to her fans via her social media. But another thing fans would be interested to know is the love life of the LPGA star. Is the 29-year-old dating someone? Is she married?

Is Lexi Thompson secretly married?
The American golfer celebrated her 29th birthday on February 10. She had a unique way of celebrating her birthday as she accepted the role of being the godmother of her nephew, Maverick Cole Thompson. But with this acceptance came speculations about the love interest of the LPGA star.

To all the golf fans wondering, Lexi Thompson is not dating anyone and is currently single. The LPGA Tour player has been secretive about her love life from the start, and there is no publicly available information about it. So nothing is known about her current or previous dating history.

But fans can say the 29-year-old has been in love with golf since the start. And this love runs in her whole family! Along with the LPGA star, her two brothers, Nicholas Thompson and Curtis Thompson, are also pro-golfers. They both have played on the PGA Tour. She shares a strong connection with her siblings.

Her brothers have time and again taken care of her purse in her career. She loves spending time with her nephew. Before leaving for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on February 15, she spent time with Maverick. She shared this information with the caption, “I went to see Little Mav before I left the country.” Apart from strong family ties, some other reasons such as her love for golf may point out why the LPGA star is too busy for a love life.

Praise-worthy achievements of Lexi Thompson’s illustrious career
While there is zero information about Lexi Thompson’s love life, her golfing career shines brighter than all. She is one of the few players who are considered to be child prodigies. At the age of 12, she qualified for the US Women’s Open, becoming the youngest player ever to do so. Lucy Li later broke this record in 2014.

Looking at her budding career in golf, she began home-schooling to focus all her attention on the sport. This move made a huge impact on her career, as she broke the record for the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour by winning the Navistar LPGA Classic. This record was broken by Lydia Ko after 11 months.

TSUKUBAMIRAI, JAPAN – MAY 05: Lexi Thompson of the USA celebrates after making her birdie putt on the 9th hole during the first round of the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup at the Ibaraki Golf Club on May 5, 2016, in Tsukubamirai, Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Following her Navistar LPGA Classic win, she won the Dubai Ladies Masters. This made her the second-youngest player to win on the Ladies European Tour. The American star also became the seventh women ever to compete on the PGA Tour event. Notably, now she will be going head-to-head with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, and Rose Zhang in an exhibition event called The Match 2024.

While her golf career is the highlight of her life, other areas of her life show Lexi Thompson is a strong, independent woman.

The LPGA star leads a life filled with charity work
Another aspect of the female golfer that shines brighter than her love life is her passion for doing charity. She has aligned herself with many causes, like breast cancer and veteran support, promoting charities for the same. In January 2024, she took part in a panel from the Morgan Pressel Foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Furthermore, she is also part of the Caddy for a Cure mission along with Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, and many more. She also regularly helps out charities like the CVS Health Charity Classic and the Michael Phelps Foundation. From making millions on the golf course, coupled with sponsorships from Bridgestone, Puma, Rock-Tenn, Rolex, and Volkswagen Group, the American golfer does not forget to give back to the community.

While not much is known about her love life, other areas of her life do serve as inspiration to others. What are your thoughts on the heartwarming career of Lexi Thompson? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Lexi Thompson, Rose Zhang to star alongside Rory McIlroy and Max Homa in the first mixed edition of The Match

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Those who have been clamoring for more mixed events in professional golf will get their wish next month when Rose Zhang and Lexi Thompson tee it up in the first edition of Capital One’s The Match that includes top women and men competing against each other. The rising LPGA talent and the longtime LPGA star will be joined by a pair of PGA Tour heavyweights in Rory McIlroy and Max Homa

Lexi Thompson: Married Or Single? Golf Star's Love Life Revealed Rallshe

For the second time, this version of The Match will take place under the lights on Monday, Feb. 26 at West Palm Beach’s newly reimagined “The Park” Municipal Golf Course in Florida. Simulcast coverage across TNT, truTV, HLN and Max will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Trevor Immelman, Christina Kim and Kathryn Tappen will be on hand to call the action. The broadcast also will receive contributions from DJ Khaled and NHL on TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette.

The format has historically been match play, pitting two two-player teams against one another. This version of The Match, however, will be a 12-hole skins game between the four competitors, with each hole worth a specified amount for charity. All four golfers will use the same tees for the four par 3s that are a part of the routing, while the remaining eight holes will use varying tee boxes and yardage for the men and women. The golfer who raises the most funds through the skins format after 12 holes will be declared the winner.

Rory McIlroy: Golf ball distance rule change will make no difference to the average golfer | Golf News | Sky Sports

The previous eight iterations of the made-for-TV event have featured only men, some of them not even professional golfers. Current NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, as well as former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, have each starred in two editions of The Match. The same goes for Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who teamed up with Manning in one and Warriors teammate Klay Thompson in another. Zhang and Thompson will be the first two women to play in the event.

This marks McIlroy’s second appearance in The Match, his first also coming under the lights at Pelican Golf Club in December 2022. There, he and teammate Tiger Woods lost, 3 and 2, to the duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. Like Thompson and Zhang, this will be Homa’s first time competing in the event.

Stanford star, top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang officially turns pro after back-to-back national titles

The other “star” of this Match will be the golf course. The Park, formerly known as West Palm Beach Country Club, was a PGA Tour venue in the 1950s and 1960s. Renowned architect Gil Hanse designed the new version of the course—whose mission is dedicated to youth programs and community outreach such as affordable golf instruction, classrooms for mentoring and after-school tutoring—along with a two-acre kids-only golf area.

As always, there will be a number of different challenges throughout the event. Those will be revealed at a later date, as will the designated 12 holes they will be using. Only eligible Capital One cardholders will have access to attend the event. Cardholders will be able to purchase or redeem their rewards for tickets exclusively through Capital One Entertainment.

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LPGA stars Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang in talks to be first female competitors in ‘The Match’ in 2024

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The LPGA could be making its debut in “The Match” in a mixed-team version before too long, Golfweek has learned.

According to multiple sources, the latest rendition of the made-for-TV event, which has featured PGA Tour stars and celebrities from the world of sports, is expected to include rookie phenom Rose Zhang and former major champion Lexi Thompson. The two male players being discussed are no slouches either: four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and Max Homa, who recently won the Nedbank Golf Challenge and appeared in Netflix’s PGA Tour-F1 mashup.

Rose Zhang of team USA plays a shot during practice prior to the The Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin Golf Club on September 19, 2023 in Casares, Spain.

Rumors have been flying that The Match would be held at The Park Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, Dec. 15, but Golfweek has confirmed that the exhibition has been delayed due to scheduling and other logistical challenges and won’t happen until the first quarter of 2024 or possibly in the second quarter of the year.

“I will acknowledge we’ve had some conversations but there are no intentions to have a Match in December,” said a source with knowledge of the event.

Last December, McIlroy teamed with Tiger Woods against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Just as in that 18-hole competition in South Florida, the proposed match would be contested under the lights in primetime.

Lexi Thompson: Married Or Single? Golf Star's Love Life Revealed Rallshe

The Match has previously included Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, Bryson DeChambeau head-to-head against Brooks Koepka and most recently in the eighth installment in July between the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. (The NFL pros came out on top, winning 3 and 2.)

In the past, WBD Sports has produced the event, which typically airs on TNT and utilizes Bleacher Report, which is also under the WBD umbrella, for exclusive digital coverage.

Zhang, 20, won the NCAA title at Stanford and Augusta National Women’s Amateur before turning pro in May and winning in her LPGA debut. She represented the U.S. in the Solheim Cup in September.

Lexi Thompson didn't earn a check, but rather the golf world's admiration

Thompson, 28, is an 11-time winner on the LPGA including the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship. The American has long been one of the most popular female golfers and played on the U.S. Solheim Cup team for the sixth time this year. She made headlines last month when she competed in the PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open and nearly made the cut.

A source confirmed that when the ninth installment is held next year it isn’t expected to be a battle of sexes competition but rather a mixed-team match.

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