By Melinda Sheckells
Capital One’s The Match has become a cornerstone event at Wynn Golf Club, the only championship course on the Las Vegas Strip. Previous editions in 2021 and 2022 featured major names in sports such as Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Bryson DeChambeau.
This year, there are four even bigger reasons why you can’t miss these epic 12-holes of golf: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The greatest teammates from the NFL will face off against their NBA counterparts on June 29 for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ highly anticipated eighth installment of The Match.
For the first time, the Sports Emmy-nominated premier live golf event series pits football and basketball superstar duos against each other. Here are six reasons why you need to either be there in person or watch it live on TNT at 3:30 p.m. (PT).
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THE MATCH
See the Biggest Winners in Professional Sports
All four players are among the biggest winners in professional sports today, with both the Kansas City Chiefs and Golden State Warriors the most recent champions in the NFL and NBA, respectively.
Together, Chiefs teammates Mahomes and Kelce have won two Super Bowls with Mahomes capturing a pair of Super Bowl MVPs. In five full seasons together, the two have connected for 48 touchdowns, including 14 in the playoffs, one behind all-time leaders Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
Not to be outdone, the “Splash Brothers” Curry and Thompson are two of the most lethal three-point shooters in NBA history, hitting more than 5,600 three-pointers in their combined careers, with Curry breaking the all-time career three-point record in 2022. Curry and Thompson have led the Warriors to four NBA titles with Curry winning his first NBA Finals MVP Award last year.
Revenge is Sweet
The star-studded pairings include two sports icons making their second appearances in Capital One’s The Match. Mahomes and Curry have both won two Most Valuable Player Awards – in the NFL and NBA, respectively – while Mahomes has been named to five NFL Pro Bowls and Curry to nine NBA All-Star Games. Each will be looking to rebound from their debuts in the event. Last summer, Mahomes and then teammate Josh Allen fell to Rodgers and Brady on the final hole, while in 2020 Curry and Peyton Manning lost 4 and 3 to Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson in Arizona.
It’s Anyone’s Game
Capital One’s The Match returns to Wynn Golf Club, which hosted Brooks Koepka’s 5-and-3 win over Bryson DeChambeau in November 2021, along with Tom Brady/Aaron Rodgers one up win over Mahomes/Allen last June.
In 2022, even before the game started, seven-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time NFL MVP Brady and four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV MVP Rodgers were ready to crush Mahomes/Allen. Brady started by grabbing a Vince Lombardi-themed golf ball and telling the camera that Josh Allen had never seen one of those before. Look back at all the unforgettable action.
Cool Stuff Always Happens
Throughout the nearly five years of hosting Capital One’s The Match, WBD Sports has deployed a number of technological innovations throughout its production that elevate the fan experience, including the Sports Emmy-nominated Cart Cam, drone cameras, and unprecedented access with participating players interacting with one another and the broadcast team via open mics throughout the course.
In the Spirit of Giving
WBD Sports has televised seven editions of Capital One’s The Match with the series serving as a platform to support various philanthropic organizations. To date, Capital One’s The Match has raised more than $35 million for various organizations and has donated more than 27 million meals to Feeding America.
A Sight to Behold
Wynn Golf Club is a 6,722-yard, par-70 championship length golf course and is considered one of the best courses in Las Vegas. Located on the site of the legendary Desert Inn Golf Club, the golf course, designed by Tom Fazio and recently updated with his son, Logan, offers elevation changes and uncharacteristic water hazards on 12 of the Las Vegas course’s 18 picturesque holes. The golf amenities at Wynn Las Vegas, a Forbes Travel Guide five-star luxury resort, are regarded as second to none.