Capital One’s ‘The Match 8’: Does Mahomes, Kelce or Steph, Klay Have Edge?

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for The Match

It’ll be a battle of championship-winning duos on Thursday at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas. Neither pair will be playing their best sport, but the entertainment value alone will make the eighth edition of Capital One’s “The Match” a must-see event.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, a duo that has led the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowl championships in the past four years, will be on one side. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Splash Brothers of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors who have won four titles together dating back to 2015, will be on the other.

This won’t be football or basketball. This will be a two-on-two golf match played in a scramble format. And it will begin Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV and HLN, so make sure to tune in for what should be fun to watch.

It’s only the second time in The Match series that no professional golfers will be involved. But none of these four are slouches on the golf course, either.

Mahomes, Kelce, Curry and Thompson are all professional athletes who play plenty of golf in their spare time. They’ve even made some appearances at celebrity events. So there could be some impressive shots made in Las Vegas.

The big question is, which of these duos is better?

There’s little question regarding which of the four is the best golfer. That’s Curry, who has routinely played in the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament held annually in Stateline, Nev.

Curry has played in that tourney 10 times, and his best finish is fourth, which he’s accomplished three times (2013, 2017 and 2020). He finished tied for 16th at the 2022 edition, which was held last July.

Curry also has experience in The Match. In November 2020, he partnered with former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning in a losing effort against pro golfer Phil Mickelson and former NBA player Charles Barkley.

This year, Curry is looking for better golf results across the board.

“We’ll win The Match first, and then, two weeks later, the American Century up in Tahoe,” Curry said, per Jeff Eisenband of PGATour.com. “I know I have the game to do it.”

There’s a good chance Curry will at least do the former. His golf skill set is the primary reason why he and Thompson are the betting favorites to win The Match 8.

Mahomes and Kelce also played in last year’s American Century Championship. Mahomes finished 51st, while Kelce placed 64th.

In a scramble format, teams pick the best lie after each shot and each member takes his next swing from there. Because of that, Curry will have the ability to potentially carry him and Thompson to victory.

It’s a 12-hole event, but because it’s match play, it could be over much sooner. The duo to first win seven holes will be the victorious team.

Maybe Mahomes and Kelce will come out and play surprisingly well. But it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Curry won’t have the best performance, and that’s why the Splash Brothers are the clear favorite to win The Match 8.

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