The Match 9 is set to take place on Monday, and the mixed skins game involving Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang will bring some new dynamics to the event.

The past three iterations of The Match—and six of the first eight—have featured team play. This format has helped deliver some interesting storylines, and a bit of trash talk, to the game. This one will be an individual competition, so fans won't likely witness quite as much head-to-head banter.

There's still plenty for fans to look forward to ahead of Monday evening, though. The unique broadcasting format will remain the same, and there are some intriguing topics to consider.

The Match 9 will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT, truTV and HLN. The live stream will be available on the B/R Sports Add-On on Max.

The Match's First Mixed Skins Game

Rather than a team competition or head-to-head play, The Match 9 will be a skins game that, for the first time, features both male and female golfers.

Several iterations of The Match have been centered on celebrity athletes like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Stephen Curry. The others have featured PGA stars like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

On Monday, LPGA stars Thompson and Rose will be in the spotlight—literally, as this will be a night event. For fans less familiar with the LPGA, this should provide a glimpse of how the tour's top stars operate. For all golf fans, it should yield a fun atmosphere involving standouts from both leagues.

"We're at least on a journey of trying to produce more of these events where the men and the women come together a little more often. I think it's great for everyone," McIlroy said, per Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek.

All four participants will be on a level playing field. They'll share tees on the four par-3 holes of The Park's course. The other eight holes will have different tees and yardages for the men and women.

It's a skins game with each hole being worth a specific dollar amount for charity. The golfer who has earned the most charity money after 12 holes will be declared the winner.

Rose Zhang Continues to Rise

All four participants in The Match 9 are stars. McIlroy, a four-time Major winner and 24-time PGA winner, is a well-known name in the sporting world. Thompson is an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour, while Homa has claimed victory at six PGA events.

However, Zhang is the rising star of the golfing world, on any tour. She won her first LPGA event, the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open, at age 20, and continues to fare well on the biggest stages.

"I'm a humongous Rose fan," Homa said, per Jourdan. "...I haven't gotten to see her play a lot of golf. I got to meet her at the Masters last year and she's awesome."

Since winning the Mizuho Americas Open, Zhang has earned four top-10 finishes and has missed the cut only twice. She's a rising star who can appeal to the latest generation of golf enthusiasts.

"I mean, I represent Gen Z a little bit," Zhang said, per Sean Zak of Golf.com.

Even golf fans who haven't been exposed to much LPGA action have probably heard of the young phenom, who excelled at Stanford before turning pro last May. The Match 9 will give those fans a chance to see Zhang up close and competing against some of the world's best.

Rory McIlroy Seeking First Victory in The Match

Part of The Match's appeal is that is wholly unlike traditional golf tournaments. Golfers wear microphones, cameras follow them closely, and a star-studded broadcast team will track the action every step.

Monday's broadcast team will headlined by Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley of Inside the NBA, along with 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman, Kathryn Tappen, NHL on TNT personality Paul Bissonnette, former LPGA golfer Christina Kim and musician and producer DJ Khaled.

"It's not a regular tournament where it's all individual and you can kind of trash talk, and you've got the mics on. It's a good group of us so it'll be a good time," Thompson said, per Sarah Kellam of LPGA.com.

Of the four participants, only McIlroy has experience in The Match. He participated in The Match 7, which was also played under the lights. This could give him an advantage, as the other golfers aren't used to The Match's presentation and don't have much experience playing night golf.

"I don't think I've ever played under the lights," Thompson said, per Jourdan. "So this will be a new experience for me."

However, Mcilroy is still seeking his first win in The Match, as he and Woods were defeated by Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. Fans can expect references to this fact throughout the broadcast, and it'll be interesting to see if McIlroy can break through and even his record in The Match.