Las Vegas, September 6, 2025
News Summary
The LPGA has announced a significant change for its 2026 schedule, dropping the T-Mobile Match Play from its lineup. This decision was made during the LPGA commissioner’s first player meeting, with the slot for the match play now marked as a ‘West Coast prospect.’ Las Vegas will not host any professional golf tournament in 2026, marking a historic absence since 1982. The change reflects a broader trend of matches being removed from both LPGA and PGA tours, prompting discussions about the future of match play formats.
Las Vegas
Big schedule shake-up: LPGA removes the T-Mobile Match Play from 2026 calendar
In a move that will turn a few heads in the golf world, the LPGA is reshuffling its 2026 lineup and the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas has been dropped from next year’s schedule. The change was revealed during the LPGA commissioner’s first player meeting at the FM Championship, where a preliminary look at the upcoming season was shared with players.
The slot that used to host the match play in April is now listed on the draft schedule as "West Coast prospect", suggesting the tour is considering a different West Coast stop or some other event to fill that week. The Match Play was a relatively new stop on the LPGA Tour, launching in 2021 under the name Bank of Hope Match Play and later rebranded to the T-Mobile Match Play in 2024. MGM had served as a presenting sponsor for the tournament during its run.
What this means for Las Vegas
With the Match Play gone, Las Vegas will not host a professional golf tournament in 2026. That absence is notable — it would mark the first time since 1982 that there is no pro golf in the city. The loss in Las Vegas mirrors a trend on the men’s side too: the PGA Tour removed its Las Vegas stop for 2025, ending a run that stretched roughly four decades. The broader match play format has also seen cutbacks, with the men’s World Golf Championships–Dell Technologies Match Play ending after the 2023 season.
History of match play on the LPGA
Match play has bounced around on the LPGA schedule over the years. When match play returned to Shadow Creek in 2021, it marked the first LPGA match play event since the 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match Play. Other match play events on the LPGA calendar have included the Sybase LPGA Match Play Championship and the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship. In its short run at Shadow Creek, the event crowned Nelly Korda in 2024 and Madelene Sagstrom in 2025.
Will T-Mobile stay involved?
Even though the T-Mobile Match Play won’t be on next year’s LPGA map, the company is expected to remain involved with women’s golf. The LPGA commissioner framed the schedule update as part of a broader planning process and said he’s optimistic that corporate partners will keep supporting the tour in new and creative ways. T-Mobile’s vice president of sponsorships has indicated the company will continue to back the sport and aims to leverage other partnerships — including one with the PGA of America — to bring technology-driven experiences to marquee events such as the KPMG Women’s Championship, using tools like 5G to enhance fan engagement. T-Mobile has also been linked with leading players on tour, including partnerships with top names on the LPGA roster.
Big picture
For golf fans, the takeaway is twofold. First, schedules are fluid and even established events can be reworked as tours, sponsors and venues rethink priorities. Second, match play as a format has seen waves of popularity and contraction, so its future on both the men’s and women’s schedules depends on demand, sponsorship and logistics. The LPGA is exploring alternatives for that April week and appears to be aiming for a fresh West Coast option instead of simply restoring the previous tournament setup.
Where things stand now
Players and fans will likely keep a close eye on future schedule releases and announcements. The commissioner’s preview at the FM Championship was a first look, not a final brochure — so expect tweaks, venue confirmations and new sponsor moves in the months ahead. For Las Vegas watchers, the city’s brief absence from the professional golf calendar will be a story to follow, especially given the long ties the sport has had with the Strip and surrounding resort courses.
FAQ
Q: Why is the T-Mobile Match Play not on the 2026 LPGA schedule?
A: The LPGA removed the event from the preliminary 2026 calendar as part of a schedule review. The April slot is currently listed as “West Coast prospect”, indicating the tour is looking at other options for that week.
Q: Will T-Mobile stop supporting the LPGA?
A: No. T-Mobile is expected to continue supporting women’s golf through other partnerships and activations, including technology-driven experiences at major tournaments and ongoing ties with top players.
Q: Who won the Match Play events in recent years?
A: The event crowned Nelly Korda in 2024 and Madelene Sagstrom in 2025.
Q: Does Las Vegas often host professional golf?
A: Yes — until this change, Las Vegas had hosted professional golf continuously for decades. Without the Match Play in 2026, the city would go without a pro event for the first time since 1982.
Q: Is match play disappearing from professional golf?
A: Not entirely, but several match play events have been discontinued recently on both the men’s and women’s tours. Organizers and sponsors are reassessing formats and calendars, so match play’s future varies by tour and market.
Quick reference table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event removed | T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek — omitted from 2026 |
| April 2026 slot | Listed as “West Coast prospect” on draft schedule |
| Past champions | Nelly Korda (2024), Madelene Sagstrom (2025) |
| Sponsor notes | T-Mobile expected to remain active in women’s golf and explore tech activations at big events |
| Las Vegas pro golf | No professional golf event currently scheduled for Las Vegas in 2026 — first gap since 1982 |
| Related tour changes | PGA Tour removed Las Vegas stop for 2025; men’s WGC-Dell Match Play ended after 2023 |
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Additional Resources
- Golfweek: LPGA T-Mobile Match Play Dropped from 2026 Schedule
- Wikipedia: LPGA Tour
- LPGA: T-Mobile Match Play Returns to Shadow Creek
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Golf
- Las Vegas Sun: T-Mobile Match Play Promises to Deliver
- Google Search: LPGA Match Play
- LPGA: Five Things to Know about the 2025 T-Mobile Match Play
- Google Scholar: Match Play Golf
- LPGA: How to Watch the 2025 T-Mobile Match Play
- Google News: Las Vegas Golf
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