The Match — the for-charity, two-on-two celebrity golf tournament — is back with a new twist: An all-NFL vs. all-NBA showdown. And the teams have natural pairings.
So who is playing in The Match 2023? Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on June 29.
The Match, which will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas Golf Club, will be televised on TNT.
Who Is Playing in The Match 2023?
This is the second time the event will be made up of zero professional golfers. Last summer, Mahomes and Josh Allen faced Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a matchup of star quarterbacks.
Organizers liked the format so much that they brought it back — with a twist. So who is playing in The Match 2023? Let’s take a closer look.
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes might be the defending NFL MVP, but he’s still looking for his first Match title. He and Allen lost to Brady and Rodgers on the final hole at Wynn Las Vegas last June.
Mahomes is a solid golfer, but he’s probably not going to set any records in The Match. As of July 2021, Mahomes had a handicap of 7.7, per Golf.com. But the game is a top offseason priority for the NFL star.
“Golf has become a huge part of everything,” he told Golf.com in August 2021. “When I plan trips, when I set up my offseason, I have to figure out places to play when I’m there. I’ve got this love for golf because I have to get better, and I compete, but it’s also somewhere I can relax and have an awesome time.”
Travis Kelce
Mahomes is the best player on The Match’s NFL team, but Kelce — the Chiefs’ star tight end — is not far behind.
Prior to the star-studded 2022 American Century Championship, Kelce reported a handicap of 11. He finished 64th in that event — just ahead of Nick Jones.
Steph Curry
Curry, like Mahomes, is a Match veteran.
He appeared in the Champions for Change Match on Nov. 27, 2020. Curry and his partner Peyton Manning lost to Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley 4 and 3 at the Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Ariz.
Curry claimed in this January Esquire Q&A that he is a +1 handicap — meaning he’s better than a scratch golfer.
It also means that he’s more than good enough to play in a U.S. Open qualifier, and if he had decided to dedicate himself to golf full-time instead of basketball, he could have seriously pursued a career in golf.
Curry has twice participated in Korn Ferry Tour events — the 2017 and 2018 Ellie Mae Classic outside San Francisco — and was also part of the 33rd annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe last summer.
Klay Thompson
Statistically, Thompson is the weakest of the three golfers in the field. His handicap — 15 — is below average among those who track their results.
But what he lacks in ability, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm.
He, like his fellow participants, has appeared in numerous charity events.
“Everyone knows Steph. He’s a scratch golfer, he’s obviously one of the best, yada, yada, yada, he’s really good,” Thompson said in 2016. “I’m on his heels, though.”
What Is The Match?
The Match is a 12-hole match-play charity event that has featured some of the biggest names in professional sports.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady are among the past participants.
The tournament, with its best-ball format, features in-game betting elements. It started in 2018 with a Tiger vs. Phil showdown as an unofficial money event on the PGA Tour.
After taking 2019 off, the event has been held twice a year.
Will Tom Brady Be Involved in The Match 2023?
Not this year. Tom Brady’s retirement from football has freed up plenty of time, but he won’t be participating in this year’s event.
Brady participated in three of the first seven Match events. He and Phil Mickelson lost to Tiger Woods 1 up in May 2020, and then he and Phil lost again to Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers the following summer.
How To Watch The Match 2023?
Television. And streaming devices. But you’ll need a TNT subscription.
What makes the event special (other than seeing superhuman athletes look relatable as mediocre golfers)? The access.
Players are mic’d up throughout the round, and Charles Barkley’s commentary alone is worth tuning in for.