Who won The Match 2023? Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce dominate Steph Curry, Klay Thompson

Two of the NFL's biggest stars took down their NBA counterparts in significant fashion on Thursday night in Las Vegas

Stop if you have heard this before: The Kansas City Chiefs laid it on their opponents early and often en route to a ho-hum victory. While this particular triumph didn't occur on the gridiron, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce's 3 & 2 victory over Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the eighth edition of The Match might has well been played at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs duo poured it on their Warriors counterparts from the NBA in a 12-hole charity exhibition at The Wynn Golf Club right off the strip in Las Vegas. Mahomes and Kelce won in 10 holes, though The Match was probably over a couple holes before that point.

After exchanging pars on the opener, the Kansas City pair ham-and-egg'd their way to birdies on Nos. 2-3 to surge ahead of the Splash Brothers just as the latter began to show some cracks in their games.

A 2 UP lead was the result for Mahomes and Kelce. While the par breakers began to subside for the leaders, the wins persisted. Pars on two of the next three holes saw the Kansas City teammates double their lead to 4 UP through six.

"We're a third-quarter team," Curry said stepping off the seventh green after a rare tie. Still, the third quarter heroics proved to be too little too late.

With a tie on the seventh, Mahomes and Kelce went to the eighth hole in possession of a 4 UP lead with an opportunity to close out the 12-hole match with ample room to spare.

Another closet-to-the-pin challenge presented itself, and it was the smooth-swinging tight end who stepped up to the plate. Hitting his tee shot inside 10 feet, Kelce gave Mahomes and himself a look for victory. Kelce lipped out his chance to seal the deal, and the Super Bowl MVP did his best Brett Maher impression, missing wide left.

The Chiefs pair continued to struggle on the greens on the ninth. Facing two putts to close out the match, both Mahomes and Kelce needed three from 25 feet; instead, they misread the putt giving Curry and Thompson their lone win of the day to extend the match.

This only delayed the inevitable. Mahomes drove the short par-4 10th with a low runner to put this match to bed and send everyone home -- an action he has inflicted on his opponents several times before.

"You've never seen me win a blowout," said Mahomes on the closing hole. "I just keep it real close till the end."

[Jun 29, 2023 at 9:58 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Warriors win one

A three-putt bogey from the Chiefs have allowed the Warriors to extend this match. They are now 3 UP with three to go after Mahomes and Kelce both missed par putts from inside five feet. That's amateur golf for you. 

[Jun 29, 2023 at 9:25 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Warriors barely alive

Well, it's a tie on the seventh which comes across as a win for the Warriors. Klay Thompson gets in on the action with a made putt, but the tee-to-green was all Curry. The Chiefs are 4 UP with five holes to play. If they win the next, it'll be over.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 8:53 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Chiefs go 4 UP through six

After a birdie exchange on the fifth, the Warriors miss another short putt on the sixth. The Chiefs are 4 UP with six holes to play. If they win the next hole, this match is dormie. Steph Curry looks to have found his swing, but Draymond Green has switched sides. Pat Mahomes is talking trash. Klay Thompson is in shambles.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 8:14 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Oof…Warriors need a win soon

Well, this was unlikely (although my official pick was the Chiefs). Mahomes drains a clutch 10-foot putt for par and applies the pressure on the Warriors who were unable to convert their putt from 6 feet. Chiefs up three though four with eight holes to play.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 7:58 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Chiefs go 2 UP

The Chiefs add another birdie to the board and are now 2 UP through 3. There is some ham-and-egging going on, and it is proving effective for the reigning Super Bowl champs. Steph is probably going to need some help (and energy) from Klay. Kelce is fired up — an absolute mad man.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 7:50 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Mahomes' clutch chip on No. 2

[Jun 29, 2023 at 7:42 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Chiefs go 1 UP

Well, well, well. Curry found the fairway on No. 2 and set them up for success, but they were ultimately upended by the Chiefs. They were in trouble from the start, but Kelce and Mahomes somehow scratched out a birdie on the par 5. Thompson missed a 5-foot birdie bid, and Curry did the same.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 7:25 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Tied thru 1

Alright, after all the fireworks both teams make par on the easy par 4. Klay Thompson is visibly going through it at the moment. This feels like Mito Pereira on the 72nd hole at Southern Hills but in perpetuity. Mahomes was the lone player to duff a drive, but that's going to happen. I still think the Chiefs take this. Kelce's swing is butter.

[Jun 29, 2023 at 6:52 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Best question posed so far

[Jun 29, 2023 at 6:40 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Let's see how this goes

Travis Kelce is rocking all beige and has since shed a layer. The KC tight end said there will be a "plethora" of beer in his cart and some tequila as well. He and Patrick Mahomes are the heavy underdogs, but Klay Thompson has expressed some nerves.