Curry, Barkley, Pavelski headline celebrity field at Tahoe’s ACC golf tournament
Sports fans might roll their eyes at the idea of a celebrity golf tournament carrying real stakes or eliciting real feelings from the competitors involved.
After all, many celebrities and former athletes living cushy lives take up golf as a means to pass the time in retirement, stay in shape, get outside or scratch their competitive itches. And many do it at high-priced country clubs, with high-priced coaches, top-of-the-line equipment and lifestyles that almost nobody can relate to.
But, in truth, the annual pro-am American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe brings out the same competitive desire for the golfers that they experienced in their previous lines of work, many of whom won or competed for championships in their respective sports. They might not all be professional golfers, but they never aged out of being professional competitors.
Defending champion Joe Pavelski, the longtime San Jose Shark who won his first ACC last summer, was asked if winning the tournament compared to anything he experienced on the ice.
“It felt like it that day,” Pavelski said, noting he played in more than 200 NHL playoff games and reached the gold medal game in the 2010 Winter Olympics with Team USA, in Vancouver, Canada. “When that putt went in and we won, you had all those same feelings. It’s just a different sport, different setting at the time. It’s a super special feeling.
“The funning thing is, I would score an overtime goal in the playoffs and I would get a ton of ton text messages. But I would get just as many, if not more after that win.”
Pavelski will be attempting to become just the sixth multi-time winner of the tournament that begins Friday at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, just across the California-Nevada border from South Lake Tahoe. Practice rounds start Wednesday and Thursday leading into the three-round tournament with a modified stableford format.
Who’ll be there? Celebrity staples and newcomers
Tahoe’s annual spectacle will continue to feature thousands of spectators lining the famous 17th hole on the water, celebrities shotgunning beverages on the driving range and the rare opportunity to get up close to some of the biggest figures in sports and entertainment, including Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Nate Bargatze, Jerry Rice, Jason Kelce (no Travis Kelce this year, with the Kansas City Chiefs star days removed from marrying Taylor Swift) and Steve Young.
Sacramento Kings shooting guard Zach LaVine and San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk will draw local interest, while 49ers teammate George Kittle remains sidelined from his Achilles tear suffered in January’s playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Among the 10 first-time participants will be former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Macdonald and long-time NBA coach Doc Rivers. Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney of country band Rascal Flatts are also in the field.
“It’s a week you block off every summer, and when that invite comes, you reply as quick as you can,” Pavelski said.
Stephen Curry looking for another victory
One of the biggest moments in the tournament’s 36-year history was when the Warriors star sunk an eagle putt on the 18th green to secure his first championship in 2023. It came amid controversy, with a fan yelling during Mardy Fish’s back swing when he led going into the final hole, after which Fish pulled his drive into the crowd.
But Curry had a highlight-reel week regardless. He drained a hole-in-one on the Par 3 seventh hole hole in the forest, and he holed out from 97 yards on the 13th hole.
Curry will be among the biggest draws for the tournament that will look to break last year’s record of 84,321 fans in attendance. It’s considered the biggest celebrity golf tournament in the country, and organizers say it has generated $30 million toward the local economy.
Tickets can be purchased from the tournament’s website. Single-day tickets are $50 for Wednesday and Thursday practice rounds, $60 for Friday through Sunday. Ground badges for the week are $175.
Kids under 10 get in free with a paying adult, and military members and veterans get free admission for themselves and a guest on Wednesday and Thursday.
