Photo credit: American Century Championship
Former champions Tony Romo and Mardy Fish, along with active pro-athletes Austin Reaves and Joe Pavelski, are the top-line favorites to win the 35th annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, according to Caesars Sportsbook odds.
Fish, the 2020 champion, is favored to win with 5/2 odds, followed by Romo (15/4) for the July 12-14 competition, with coverage on NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock. Fish placed 2nd in the 2023 tournament behind champion Stephen Curry, who is unable to defend his title this year as he pursues a gold medal for USA Basketball at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Romo, the former All-Pro quarterback and now prominent NFL TV analyst is a three-time American Century Champion, winning the tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The third choice on the board is first-time participant Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard, who declared himself the best golfer in the NBA last year. Reaves sits at 5/1, ahead of Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (11/2), who was knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the semifinals just a few weeks ago.
At 6/1 are Hall of Fame pitcher and baseball TV analyst John Smoltz, along with three-time American Century Champion (2015-17) Mark Mulder, the former All-Star pitcher for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.
Former star NBA player and head coach Vinny Del Negro, the 2021 tournament champion, sits at 18/1. Actor Jack Wagner, a two-time American Century Champion (2006, 2011), is listed at 35/1.
The longest shot on the board is Charles Barkley 7500/1. Caesars Sportsbook also has a proposition bet on Barkley, offering betters the opportunity to wager that he will finish in the top 75 of the 90-plus player field.
Annika Sorenstam stands at 7/1 as she embarks on her fifth American Century Championship with four top-six finishes over the years.
Other prominent golfers and their odds to win include NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (28/1), and first-time participants Trevor Lawrence (350/1) and Joe Flacco (150/1). Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is listed at 125/1.
Rodgers finished fifth in the 2023 tournament, his best performance to date. Some of the top-performing entertainment stars participating in this year’s championship are country music singer Jake Owen (28/1), celebrity chef Bobby Flay (150/1), and America’s Funniest Home Videos host Alfonso Ribeiro (175/1).
Owen and Ribeiro placed in the top 25 in the 2023 competition.