Day 3 of American Century Championship week at Lake Tahoe

Friday marked the official start to the 36th annual American Century Championship (ACC) at Edgewood Tahoe. The main event of the day was the first-round pairings, with the tee-offs starting around 8 a.m., and the last group leaving the green around 3:45 p.m.

Before their tee-times, celebrities could be seen practicing their swings at the driving range. Just minutes before the start of their rounds, former NFL center Jason Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 2023 tournament winner and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry, comedian and actor Larry the Cable Guy and journalist and Fox News host Brett Baier could be seen practicing their swings before being called to get to the respected holes.

The morning first-round starting tees were divided into two groups, one starting on the first hole and the other on the 10th hole, with times ranging from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Today’s groups were mainly arranged by celebrities’ careers, including groups
with comedians, football athletes, TV hosts, family, and more. Tomorrow, groups will be organized mostly by their scores from Friday.

Thus, today’s group categorization led to highly anticipated groups, including a group of football legends with former NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice, former NFL quarterback and 2018, 2019 and 2022 tournament winner Tony Romo and former NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Another fan favorite pairing was the Curry family, including Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry and former NBA guard Dell Curry. Shortly following then on the course was a football-based group composed of Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce and former NFL offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth.

After the starting tee-off, players moved from hole to hole, gaining or losing points depending on the shots they scored using the Modified Stableford system. South Tahoe Now publisher and editor Paula Peterson and intern Sabrina Philip stayed at the tenth hole for an hour, encountering celebrities and watching them tee off during their round.

A notable player who made his way to the hole was first-time ACC participant George Kittle. Strikingly using a stuffed bear head as a club cover, Kittle spoke exclusively to Sabrina at the hole concerning his debut at the tournament.

“I will say this, my anxiety of playing golf in front of a crowd is severely lessened because I have so much positive reinforcement,” said Kittle, referring to playing in front of Bay Area fans at the tournament. “The elevation is fun because I can hit it way further. Besides that, what a beautiful area. I’ve actually only been up here in the winter, so being up here in the summer, being able to actually jump in the lake, has been really fun for me.”

Other celebrities who came through the 10th hole included Jerry Rice, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Annika Sorenstam, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, also came through alongside other top contenders in the tournament.

Following Sorenstam’s group was the Curry family. When South Tahoe Now asked about the annual family wager on their tournament scores, Curry confirmed the bet is planned but too hard to explain (the best is based on their personal point goals). In a later press conference, he told the media that the winner gets to keep the family championship belt for the year. Seth has had it for the last year and was seen wearing it on the back nine on Friday.

Below: Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors celebrates his play on the 18th hole Friday with a little dance:

Hole 10 concluded with the Kelce brothers, followed by a group composed of comedian Nate Bargatze, comedian Larry the Cable Guy and former NFL forward Charles Barkley. Before his tee off, Nate Bargatze told South Tahoe Now that he thinks it’s time for a comedian to win the tournament, but “it’s not off to a great start”.

Additionally, Larry the Cable Guy, who was wearing a camo top from Scheels Outfitters and a camo hat, told us about his liking for Scheels attire and where he buys his clothes.

“I have not been to that Scheels yet,” said Larry the Cable Guy, responding to an inquiry about Scheels in Sparks, Nev. “But I love Scheels. Scheels has a lot of great stuff in there. That’s my two go-tos: Scheels and Cabela’s Bass Pro. Those are the only two stores I shop at.”

After another hour of golfing and bigger masses of rowdier crowds gathering at the various holes, more celebrities started to make their way to the end of their rounds. Cheering and chants of support were particularly loud for actor Miles Teller, accompanied by Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Florida Panthers forward Mathew Tkachuk. Fans of all ages yelled eagerly to get Teller’s attention, even calling him “Rooster”, referring to his role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was partly filmed in South Lake Tahoe.

Kittle, Rice, Romo and Urlacher also drew an abundant amount of support while on the green. Yet, excitement was at an all-time high for fans when both Allen and Curry hit the ball into the crowd, and were forced to hit the ball back onto the green surrounded by fans (and trees). While Curry stayed focused before taking his swing, he celebrated with the surrounding crowd after.

After the day concluded, Barkley remained a popular topic of conversation for his achievement of attaining an eagle on the second hole of his round, the first eagle in his career. This led to his lowest round ever in his Yet, according to Barkley, the accomplishment is only a small part of the fun he is having in Tahoe.

“Well, the people are always awesome,” said Barkley. “The main thing is the weather. It’s hot as hell everywhere else in the country, and for some reason, it’s always perfect in Lake Tahoe. But, the people are always fantastic.”

The tournament will continue Saturday morning with round one tee times from 7:35 a.m. to 9:46 a.m., and pairings based on the results of the rounds today (see list here). Stay tuned to southtahoenow.com for press conference coverage from today, and the South Tahoe Now Instagram for tournament updates

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