Celebrities and Fans Embark on South Lake Tahoe for Hot Weekend of Golf
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. (July 11, 2023) – Defending champion Tony Romo is once again the betting favorite to win the American Century Championship this week in South Lake Tahoe at Edgewood golf course, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Steph Curry, Annika Sorenstam, and John Smoltz are also among the contenders as the34 th annual celebrity golf competition returns for its national television showcase July 14-16 in Lake
Tahoe.
Romo will battle a stacked field on what is prepping to be the warmest weekend of Summer in Lake Tahoe. Players and fans will start arriving in Lake Tahoe this week for the Celerity Golf tournament that draws Thousands of Golf fans and Lake Tahoe enthusiasts each summer to eth famed Shores of Edgewood Golf Course.
The American Century Championship and NBC Sports announced in June a new partnership with Discover Boating, the North American recreational boating industry’s brand for all things boating, to bring golf’s premier celebrity tournament action and fun on the green to the spectacular waters of Lake Tahoe.
Discover Boating is sponsoring the signature waterfront off the par 3, 17th hole to capture epic views of the action on the course surrounded by boaters, fans and celebrities. Additionally, a Discover Boating boat will be cruising Lake Tahoe and anchoring off of the par 3, 17th hole for a can’t-miss, “from the helm” perspective of the on-land and on-water entertainment.
Caesars Sportsbook has pegged Romo, the CBS NFL analyst and reigning champ, as a 5-2 favorite to win the three-day, 54-hole tournament featuring nearly 90 sports/entertainment stars competing for $600,000 in prize money at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in the scenic destination resort.
Mardy Fish, the former top-ranked American tennis player, is next at 11-4, followed by three-time champion and former MLB All-Star pitcher Mark Mulder at 5-1. The top active pro athlete on the board is Dallas Stars’ right winger Joe Pavelski, who is listed at 8-1 alongside Hall of Fame pitcher and Fox MLB analyst John Smoltz. Annika Sorenstam, the most accomplished player in the history of women’s golf, is also 8-1. Steph Curry, the Golden State
Warriors superstar who has two fourth-place finishes in recent years, is the next active pro athlete on the board at 12-1. TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley, arguably the most popular player in the tournament every year, is a super long shot at 7,500-1. Caesars Sportsbook has a range of annual proposition bets for the tournament, including Barkley to finish 70th or better currently at +350 (YES) or -470 (No). GOLF Channel airs the tournament in primetime on Friday, July 14, from 9:30-11:30 p.m. EST (tape delay). Live coverage of the second and final round airs on NBC Saturday and Sunday from 2:30-6 p.m. EST both days. The tournament has raised more than $7 million for charity over the years.
Other prominent players and their odds include Super Bowl Champion and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (200-1), New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (45-1), Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (350-1), New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (500-1), Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (250-1), Super Bowl Champion and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (1000-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (250-1), Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel (1,000-1), Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson (200-1), NFL free agent placekicker Robbie Gould (200-1), NBC’s Today Show meteorologist Dylan Dreyer (5,000-1),
After a six-year absence, former Denver Broncos Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway will return to compete. The Pro Football Hall-of-Fame quarterback John Elway (350-1).
NBC Sports and American Century Investments Announce Six-Year Extension of the American Century Championship Through 2029
Yesterday NBC Sports and American Century Investments jointly announced today a multi-year extension of one of the most prolific partnerships in professional sports – the American Century Championship – to run through 2029, the tournament’s 40th anniversary. The new agreement marks one of the longest title sponsor extensions in golf and comes as the 2023 event kicks off at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course this week, celebrating American Century’s 25th year as title sponsor of the American Century Championship. Now in its 34th year, the American Century Championship is owned, operated and produced by NBC Sports.
“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary of the American Century Championship this week with our partners NBC, Edgewood Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, I can’t think of a better way to kick off this year’s event and look to the future than by sharing the exhilarating news of our continued commitment to this great championship, which has become the gold standard of celebrity golf tournaments,” said Jonathan Thomas, President and CEO of American Century Investments. “Our longtime partnership with the event is an ideal platform to share our incredible story where 40 percent of our profits fund research to find cures and treatments for cancer and other gene-based diseases. In addition, the event serves as the perfect backdrop for fundraising activities that benefit local and national charities.”
“Over the last 25 years with American Century Investments, the American Century Championship has grown into one of the most sought-after events of the summer for our players and one of the most popular events in golf on an annual basis,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions and Partnerships, NBC Sports. “We’ve developed a tremendous relationship of mutual support through the years to build this championship into what it is today, and we look forward to continue growing this partnership for many years to come.”
“Besides it being our largest sporting event of the summer, this tournament represents a special bond, trust and friendship among the various partners: NBC, American Century, the LTVA, Edgewood, our resorts and the local community,” said Carol Chaplin, President and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “It’s impactful as far as creating awareness of the destination and its sustainability initiatives, benefiting the local economy through visitation, as well as support for local charitable organizations. Plus, it accurately reflects our brand of ‘Awe and then Some.”
NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock will televise coverage Friday-Sunday, July 14-16, with NBC Sports surrounding tournament coverage all week to deliver robust linear and digital coverage.
American Century Championship Tournament Air times
Friday, July 14 Peacock 4-6 p.m. ET / 1-3 p.m. PT (Live)
Friday, July 14 GOLF Channel 9:30-11:30 p.m. ET / 6:30-8:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, July 15 NBC, Peacock 2:30-6 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. PT (Live)
Sunday, July 16 NBC. Peacock 2:30-6 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. PT (Live)
The 2023 American Century Championship will feature 93 stars across sports and entertainment, including Hall of Famers from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB – active and retired players – as well as Hollywood actors, comedians and entertainers. The three-day, 54-hole tournament takes place Friday-Sunday, July 14-16 and includes a $600,000 purse, with $125,000 going to the winner, plus a charity component for local and national non-profits.
What began modestly as replacement programming for NBC in 1990, the American Century Championship is the nation’s longest running celebrity golf tournament and is widely recognized as one of the premier events in golf. The American Century Championship has donated more than $7 million to a number of national and local charities. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is the official national beneficiary. Established in 1994 by American Century Investments founder James Stowers Jr., and his wife, Virginia, the Institute is a biomedical research organization that focuses on improving human health through basic research.
In addition to his triumph last year, Romo won the American Century Championship title in 2018
and 2019, immediately after retiring from football, following three second-place finishes during his
active playing days. Fish, former U.S. Davis Cup Captain, took the title in 2020. The 2021 champion,
Vinny Del Negro, is also among the contenders at 12-1.
Both Romo and Smoltz have competed in PGA TOUR events against the best players in the world in
addition to their annual battle to win the American Century Championship. Smoltz has started
several PGA TOUR Champions events (age 50 and above) and, in 2018, he qualified for and
competed in the U.S. Senior Open, an accomplishment that stunned professional golf media experts.
Romo played in three PGA TOUR events in 2019, including the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas. Smoltz
has twice won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions celebrity tournament (2019-
20) in Orlando, Florida. Fish is a three-time winner of that tournament. Romo won the Invited
Celebrity Classic celebrity division this past April.
The 2023 American Century Championship will utilize the Modified Stableford format with points
awarded per hole as follows: Double Eagle – 10; Ace – 8; Eagle – 6; Birdie – 3; Par – 1; Bogey – 0;
Double Bogey – (-2).
For the latest details, photos, celebrity tweets and fan contests using #ACCgolf go to
@ACChampionship on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook. For tournament information:
www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com.
