The American Century Championship turns 27 this week as 86 celebrities of various origins hit Edgewood on the shore of South Lake Tahoe.
Tickets for the first three days (Celebrity-Am on Tuesday, practice rounds on Wednesday and Thursday) are $20 at the gate. The price jumps to $30 for the three days of the tournament itself on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know:
Total purse: $600,000 (winner gets $125,000)
TV coverage: NBC (Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at noon and Sunday at noon)
Defending champion: Mark Mulder
Scoring format: Modified Stableford (double eagle – 10, hole in one – 8, eagle – 6, birdie – 3, par – 1, bogey – 0, double bogey – -2)
Favorite(s): Mark Mulder and Mardy Fish are listed as co-favorites at 3-1 by Harrah’s and Harveys Race and Sports Book.
Longest odds: Charles Barkley. The unofficial Mayor of South Lake Tahoe is listed at 6,000-1.
Notable participants:
Charles Barkley – One who enjoys the experience much more than the competition, Barkley is always a crowd favorite and one of the best “competitors” to follow.
Brian Baumgartner – Fans of NBC’s “The Office” will have no problem recognizing Baumgartner, who played ‘Kevin.’ Better at making jokes than playing golf, Baumgartner was given 300-1 odds to win the tournament.
Blake Bortles – For the first time in years, the Jacksonville Jaguars enter the season with expectations. The same cannot be said for their starting quarterback at the ACC, who was given 3,000-1 odds.
Steph Curry – The NBA’s first unanimous MVP joined the field last week. It will be one of his first public appearances since his Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals to Cleveland. A very strong golfer, Curry is very much a contender and is listed at 5-1.
Mardy Fish – Fish won a tennis silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. At 3-1, he’s a co-favorite along with Mark Mulder.
Ryan Fitzpatrick – Fitzpatrick is coming off a strong year as the New York Jets starting quarterback but is in the middle of a widely publicized contractual disagreement with the front office. He’s been given 60-1 odds.
Jim Harbaugh – The khaki-donning ball coach has not backed down from big bad Nick Saban after just one year running the program at Michigan. A formidable golfer, the former 49’ers coach faces 25-1 odds.
Andre Iguodola – Likely playing with his teammate, Curry, Iguodola made waves last week saying that Oklahoma City, not Cleveland or Golden State, was the best team in the postseason – a perceived slight at Cleveland and OKC. He was given 30-1 odds.
Mark Mulder – The former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A’s and Baseball Tonight analyst is a popular pick after lifting the trophy last year.
Kevin Nealon – Nealon lets his acting do the talking on the golf course. Facing 2000-1 odds, only three golfers in the field are larger underdogs.
Carson Palmer – The Heisman Trophy winner and current quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals was given 50-1 odds.
Jerry Rice – What is the American Century Championship without arguably the best wide receiver in NFL history? A $5 bet on Rice would net $125 (25-1).
Aaron Rodgers – If you follow the Green Bay quarterback around, there’s a good chance you will rub elbows with his longtime actress girlfriend, Olivia Munn. She’s not hard to look at. Rodgers was given 25-1 odds.
Ray Romano – Everybody Loves Raymond. Everybody except Harrah’s and Harveys Race and Sports Book. Romano faces 1,000-1 odds.
Alex Smith – The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (50-1 odds) always has a strong following at the ACC due to his years in San Francisco. He’s one of four active quarterbacks in the field.
Larry the Cable Guy – Edgewood bends the dress code policy for Mr. Git ‘er done (3,000-1 odds) every year. He’s one of the most fan-friendly celebs annually.
Justin Timberlake – Does he really need an introduction? Timberlake faces 40-1 odds.
thecelebritynetworth says
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