“I love this format and it’s been a lot of fun,” said Lydia Ko about the LPGA Tour’s Las Vegas stop in Shadow Creek. Interestingly, the fifth edition of T-Mobile Match Play reverted to a pool-based format after last year’s change to include stroke play, multiple cuts, and match play. So, what went down last year? Nelly Korda continued her dominance by securing her fourth consecutive win by defeating Leona Maguire 4 and 3 in the final. As the competition at T-Mobile Match Play is difficult, the question remains: What exactly are the golfers fighting for?

The purse is for $2 million! Out of which the winner will take home $300,000, with the second-placed finisher following close behind with $189,207. Similarly, the 3rd and the 4th finishers will take home a whopping $121,718. The second-to-last two finishers will receive $4,869 (63) and $4,766 (64).

In 2024, Korda had bagged $3M only after her fourth straight win of the season. The purse had increased by $50,000 in 2024 as the 2023 champion, Pajaree Anannarukarn, won $225,000 after defeating Ayaka Furue from the $1.5 million purse.

Here’s a better look at the purse breakdown.

This year, besides the $300,00 monetary prize, the winner will also receive 500 CME Globe points for the Race to CME rankings. This, in turn, will contribute to the season-ending championship. The competition is tough. So, let’s take a look at what’s going on at the ongoing T-Mobile Match Play!

What’s going on at the ongoing T-Mobile Match Play?

Firstly, let’s look at the World No. 1, Nelly Korda. Korda avoided a second consecutive collapse by finishing 1 up against Jennifer Kupcho, who is now 0-2 in the T-Mobile Match Play. This performance is an improvement for Korda, who had halved her match in the first round against Brittany Altomare.  Talking about the game, Korda said, “Golf doesn’t necessarily bring out (head-to-head competitiveness) unless you’re in a playoff or whatnot. (It) just makes you a little bit more aggressive of a player.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, however, kept her advantage in Group 1 play. Jutanugarn defeated Altomare 2 and 1. She faced off with Nelly Korda in the third round and won by 1 up. Similarly, the World No. 8, Jin Young Ko, finished tied with Leona Maguire in the second round. In the third round, Ko faced off against Brooke M. Henderson. However, despite her good form, she lost against Henderson by 1 up.

Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul defeated Gaby Lopez 2 and 1 in round 2, improving to 2-0 in Group 2. In round 3, she faced off with the South Korean golfer Hye-Jin Choi and once again won by 1 up! Seriously, Thitikul is going strong in the game. South Korea’s Sei Young Kim also advanced to 2-0 in Group 4 after beating Japan’s Yuna Nishimura 4 and 2. In the third round, Kim faced the Chinese golfer, Ruoning Yin, by 1 up.

A lot many golfers will advance to the final round on April 6. Who do you think will win?