Capital One's 'The Match 8': Explaining Rules for Mahomes, Kelce vs. Steph, Klay

This Thursday, Capital One will present its eighth edition of "The Match." After having Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy battle Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match 7, the made-for-television event is back to being a celebrity-athlete affair.

The twist in The Match 8 is that, for the first time, the event will feature two teams of professional athletes and longtime teammates.

On one side, we'll see quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. On the other side, we'll have the Splash Brothers—Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry—of the Golden State Warriors.

All four competitors are avid golfers during their respective offseasons, so fans should see some quality play on Thursday. Kelce, Mahomes and Curry, for example, competed in last year's American Century Championship, though the NBA star clearly had the best outing.

Curry finished tied for 16th, while Mahomes and Kelce finished tied for 51st and 64th, respectively. He stated in January that holds a handicap of plus-1.

Fans should also expect some entertaining banter and back-and-forth between the two groups of teammates and friends. A star-studded broadcast team that includes Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Draymond Green, Von Miller, Trevor Immelman and Kathryn Tappen should only add to the entertainment value.

Of course, this is also a charity event, with the proceeds benefiting the No Kid Hungry campaign.

Here's everything else you need to know.

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The Match 8

Who: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce vs. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson

When: Thursday, June 29

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas

TV: TNT, truTV & HLN

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Format and Rules

One interesting aspect of this NFL versus NBA matchup is that we're looking at teams that have won a combined six world titles. The competitors know their teammates extremely well, and their chemistry could come into play during this scramble match.

Anyone who has played in a local golf league or participated in a work or charity tournament is probably familiar with the scramble format. Typically played with a team of four, it's a variant in which a team picks the best lie after each shot and each member takes their next swing from that spot.

In this instance, both team members will tee off, select the best drive, and each golfer will hit their next shot from the same spot. It's different than the best-ball format that has been frequently been used in The Match. In best-ball, each participant plays their own shots but only the lowest score is counted for the hole.

This will be a 12-hole match-play event, with the lowest team score winning each hole. This means that the competition could be over well before all 12 holes are completed. Essentially, the first team to win seven holes can claim victory.

The Match will also feature several "challenge holes" that can help deliver more money to the No Kid Hungry campaign.

Hole 6, for example, is the Wagoneer by Jeep Closest to the Hole Challenge. There, a hole-in-one will yield a $2 million donation on the team's behalf, whereas a shot within five feet of the pin will result in a $250,000 donation. If no shots land within five feet, a $100,000 donation will be made on behalf of the team whose tee shot is closest to the hole.

Fans should also expect unique and up-close access to the players throughout The Match. From Warner Bros. Discovery:

"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."

It should be a fun, exciting and likely humorous round at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas this Thursday, and the action is slated to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET.