There’s about a one-month gap between the end of the NBA Finals and when NFL veterans are expected to report to training camp. It’s late June to late July, and it’s exactly what producers of The Match have locked in on for their next made-for-TV golf event.
The Match 8 will seize upon both of the most popular sports leagues in America and pit NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce against NBA stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. That’s about as high-profile as two sets of golf-loving, active player teammates can get.
As for the specifics, June 29 is the day to mark on the calendar, with TNT providing live coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. This won’t be quite like every past iteration of The Match, like the most recent one that featured Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The Match 8 will be a 12-hole event at the Wynn in Las Vegas.
Kelce and Mahomes have spent plenty of time on the course together in recent years, notably at the American Century Championship in Tahoe. Curry got the best of both of them there, mostly because he’s a scratch golfer. Thompson was not involved, but is as avid as amateurs come. It was back during Golden State’s 2018 season that he played Augusta National with Curry during a road trip. Thompson has also visited Golf Channel’s Orlando studios to film episodes of Morning Drive. The golf bug has deeply infected him.
GOLF.com spent some time with his counterparts, Mahomes and Kelce, two years ago in the wake of their first Super Bowl loss together. The pain had worn off a bit — Mahomes was recovering from turf toe surgery — and they were amped up to be attending the 2021 Masters. You can read all about Mahomes’ love for golf and how we works it into his offseason here. Mahomes is a 7 handicap while Kelce plays off an 11.
As for Curry, well, he’ll face the most pressure during The Match. He’ll be the best player by a good margin, once good enough to compete (and not finish last!) in a Korn Ferry Tour event. His partner, Thompson, began at about a 15 handicap and has reportedly since moved down to a 12. He has dreams of becoming a scratch, just like his splash brother teammate, and has set a goal of accomplishing it in the next decade.
The Wynn has been used multiple times by The Match franchise, hosting the four-quarterback battle last year between Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen, as well as the one-on-one duel between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
