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The American Century Championship is where celebrities go to duke it out on the golf course.
The Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe is where the biggest show in celebrity golf will take place. The tournament begins July 10 and runs through July 12.
The American Century Championship uses a Modified Stableford scoring system rather than traditional stroke play, which means that instead of counting total strokes, players are instead awarded points based on their score for each hole.
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An albatross is worth 10 points, a hole-in-one is worth eight points, an eagle is worth six points, a birdie is worth three points, a par is worth one point, a bogey is worth nothing and anything two over par or worse is worth minus-two points.
Last year, former NHL star Joe Pavelski won with 73 points. World Series champion John Smoltz finished second with 64 points, country singer Jake Owen came in third with 62 points, former USMNT soccer star Taylor Twellman came in fourth with 61 points and Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry came in fifth with 58 points.
Smoltz told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he has not started fast enough in the first round, forcing him to play catch-up.
“I get off to a slow start. Every tournament I rally second and third round with too big of a hole. I make a ton of pars. It’s so frustrating to say that I make a ton of pars. That would be normally good, but it’s not in this tournament. I think at one point I made 29 pars in a row in one tournament, and it was nauseating. It was like I’d rather bite the head of my putter off because you only get one point for a par,” Smoltz told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Smoltz attributed his slow starts to a conservative mindset and stressed the importance of making birdie putts.
“You get three times the value for a birdie. So, like last year, I think I made seven or eight birdies the last round to finish second. Couldn’t chase down Pavelski, but I’m like, ‘Where has that been? Where’s those birdies in the first round?'” Smoltz said.
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LPGA legend Annika Sörenstam echoed Smoltz’s sentiment about needing to be aggressive because of the scoring system.
“I would love to bring it home. I have not been able to do that. I keep trying every year. Keep knocking on in the door. I want to get the guys one time. I mean, I obviously I have to play well all three rounds. I think I need to be a little more aggressive because it’s Stableford as you know,” Sorenstam told Fox News Digital.
“Different format than I’m used to. I mean, as far as you know, my professional career, we played stroke play for four days. Consistency was really the key. Now, it’s about getting points, and you get points by being more aggressive here. It rewards birdies and eagles. I think I got to really try to be a little bit more aggressive, which is maybe not my nature when it comes to golf.”
Smoltz, Sorenstam, Owen, Pavelski, Curry, former NFL star Adam Thielen and Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves are among the favorites. While the golf is certainly a major draw for some of the celebrities, many praised the atmosphere the tournament has.
“I think American Century does a great job of getting good people to come out there and be a part of the tournament, and it’s a lot of good golf too,” Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
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“They make you feel like you’re on the tour for one week.”
This will be the 37th American Century Championship, and Super Bowl champion Joe Theismann has played in 36 of them. He said he used to be a 2-handicap but is now a nine, as he doesn’t hit the ball as far.
He called the event a can’t-miss event, not just because of the golf, but because of all the people you get to meet.
“The American Century Championship has evolved to one of those things that if you love golf at all, and you happen to be in that quote-unquote celebrity world, it’s the thing you really want to participate in. You get to measure your game. You get to pull back the curtain on so many wonderful people, and you get to see those that you watch on TV because I’m a fan of everything. But now you get a chance to see them up close and personal, and you get a chance to meet them and get to know them, and it’s exciting,” Theismann told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
The 76-year-old said he gets to visit people on the range. He mentioned Jerry Rice, Tony Romo and Miles Teller as people he has had conversations with, calling himself a “fanboy” of Teller’s.
Theismann said “Top Gun: Maverick” is his favorite movie of all time.
ESPN broadcaster Jay Bilas said he was invited six or seven years ago and called it the equivalent of a PGA Tour player being invited to the Masters.
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“When I got invited six, seven years ago, I was thrilled. I just couldn’t believe I would get to do it. And they’ve been, they must have a very low bar, but they’ve invited me back ever since. And to me, getting that invitation has got to be the equivalent of a PGA Tour player getting invited to the Masters. So, you get the invitation, you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe they invited me back again.’ And it’s an automatic yes,” Bilas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“It’s just a thrill. And it’s equally thrilling once you’re there cause it’s a beautiful setting in Lake Tahoe at the Edgewood Resort. The weather’s always spectacular. Seventy thousand people are there in shorts and sundresses and just enjoying seeing some of their favorite celebs.”
Bilas said he loves competing in the tournament but said the atmosphere is what makes it special. He credited CEO Jonathan Thomas for being so welcoming and creating a family environment that everyone loves.
NFL great Patrick Peterson said the event has evolved over the years and said it’s something that his whole family enjoys.
“My girls look forward to going to Lake Tahoe each and every year to not only walk with dad, but to go out on the lake,” Peterson told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “Go on top the mountain and doing the zipline and things like that. So, the memories that they’re able to create for the families that are involved are countless.”
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NFL legend Jerome Bettis said the American Century Championship gives him a locker room vibe he doesn’t get anymore.
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“I think the favorite part is really getting to chop it up with the athletes because, obviously, being retired, you don’t get the chance to do that anymore. And, so, when you do get a chance to kind of rib guys and have fun with guys like that locker room experience again, it’s really fun and exhilarating,” Bettis said.
The tournament has raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at the tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year.
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