The brightest celebrity field in the 32-year history of the American Century Championship has just been amped to a higher wattage as Stephen Curry is returning to Lake Tahoe to play in celebrity golfâs pre-eminent tournament, July 7-11 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. (www.americancenturychampionship.com)
Curry, the Golden State Warriorsâ perennial All-Star, three-time NBA champion, and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, will join Justin Timberlake, Annika Sorenstam, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Tony Romo, Michael Strahan, and Charles Barkley among the lineup of 90 sports and entertainment celebrities.
It will be a Curry family affair as his father, Dell, and brother, Seth, will also be in the field. For Stephen, this will be his ninth tournament appearance, itâs Dellâs seventh, while Seth is making his debut.
NBC and NBCSN will televise the tournament live Friday-Sunday (July 9-11), with GOLF Channel surrounding tournament coverage with interviews and insights through the week. Tickets are available online and in advance only at www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com.
Stephenâs best finish is fourth, three times, including last year. He had the best final round in 2020 of any player in the 54-hole tournament, scoring 26 points in the Modified Stableford format. A fan favorite, Curry will also be one of the leading choices in the sportsbooks.
The battle for the 2021 title is slated to include standout golfers like two-time winner Tony Romo, three-time champion Mark Mulder, PGA TOUR Champions exemption competitor John Smoltz, and defending champion Mardy Fish, the U.S. Davis Cup Captain. The event features a $600,000 purse with $125,000 to the winner while many of the players contribute their winnings to non-profits. The American Century Championship has donated over $5.5 million to non-profits.Â
In recent years, Stephen and Dell have had a wager with the loser having to dive into Lake Tahoe or singing the winnerâs choice of song at karaoke night before a large group. The wager this year is to be determined in conjunction with Sethâs participation.
The tournament was safely conducted in 2020 albeit without spectators amidst the global pandemic and raised $600,000 for COVID-19 and social justice charities while fulfilling its commitment to promote the Lake Tahoe region in what is usually the destination resortâs biggest week of the year. Including limits on tickets this year, multiple precautions will be taken by event officials and sponsors to ensure health and safety for all participants and attendees. Lake Tahoe tourism authorities have enacted various âKnow Before You Goâ protocols as well as the Lake Tahoe Take Care Travel Pledge to reinforce mindful and responsible travel efforts. Tickets are available in advance and only online at www.AmerianCenturyChampionship.com.
In addition to Seth Curry, first-timers to the tournament include Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, two-time New York Giants Super Bowl Champions Michael Strahan and teammate Justin Tuck, and former New York Yankees star pitcher CC Sabathia. With Timberlake, Ray Romano and other entertainment celebrities, the field also represents multiple Emmy and Grammy Awards.
All told, the field collectively represents 17 Hall of Famers, 13 Most Valuable Player awards and 15 Cy Young Awards, and eight Player of the Year Awards.
American Century Investments, the title sponsor of the championship since 1998, continues its role in partnership with NBC Sports, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and the South Tahoe community.
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.