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The American Century Championship is where celebrities go to duke it out on the golf course.
Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe is where the biggest show in celebrity golf will take place. The tournament begins on July 10th and runs until July 12th.
The American Century Championship uses a modified Stableford scoring system rather than traditional stroke play, meaning that instead of counting total strokes, players are instead awarded points based on their score for each hole.
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Joe Pavelski celebrates with the trophy after the final round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., July 13, 2025. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
An albatross is worth 10 points, a hole-in-one is worth eight points, an eagle is worth six points, a birdie is worth three points, a par is worth one point, a bogey is worth nothing and anything two over par or worse is worth minus two points.
Last year, former NHL star Joe Pavelski won with 73 points. World Series champion John Smoltz was second with 64 points, country singer Jake Owen was third with 62 points, former USMNT soccer star Taylor Twellman was fourth with 61 points and Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry was fifth with 58 points.
Smoltz told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview that he hasn’t started fast enough in the first round, forcing him to play catch-up.
“I get off to a slow start. Every tournament I put together second and third rounds with too big a hole. I make a ton of pars. It’s so frustrating to say I make a ton of pars. That would normally be good, but it’s not in this tournament. I think at one point I made 29 pars in a row in a tournament and that was something that I was using my putter off because you only get one point for a par,” Smoltz told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
Smoltz attributed his slow start to a conservative mindset and emphasized the importance of making birdie putts.
“You get three times the value for a birdie. So, like last year, I think I made seven or eight birdies the last round to get second. Couldn’t chase down Pavelski, but I’m like, ‘Where has it been? Where are those birdies in the first round?'” Smoltz said.
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Annika Sorenstam watches from the seventh green during the first round of the 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 29, 2026. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
LPGA legend Annika Sörenstam echoed Smoltz’s sentiment about having to be aggressive because of the scoring system.
“I would love to bring it home. I haven’t been able to. I keep trying every year. Keep knocking on the door. I want to get the guys one time. I mean, obviously I have to play well all three rounds. I think I have to be a little more aggressive because it’s Stableford, you know,” Sørenstam told Pakinomist Digital.
“Different format than I’m used to. I mean, as far as you know, my professional career, we played stroke play for four days. Consistency was really the key. Now it’s about getting points, and you get points by being more aggressive here. It rewards birdies and eagles. I think I’ve really got to try to be a little bit more aggressive when it comes to maybe my golf.”
Smoltz, Sorenstam, Owen, Pavelski, Curry, former NFL star Adam Thielen and Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves are among the favorites. While golf is certainly a big draw for some of the celebrities, many praised the atmosphere of the tournament.
“I think American Century does a great job of getting good people to come out there and be a part of the tournament, and it’s a lot of good golf, too,” Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
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Sportscaster Jay Bilas tees off during the first practice round of the 2025 ACC Celebrity Golf Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., on July 9, 2025. (David Calvert/Getty Images for American Century Investments)
“They make you feel like you’re on tour for a week.”
This will be America’s 37th century championship, and Super Bowl champion Joe Theismann has played in 36 of them. He said he used to be a 2 handicap but is now a nine as he doesn’t hit the ball as far.
He called the event a can’t-miss event, not just because of the golf, but because of all the people you meet.
“The American Century Championship has evolved into one of those things that if you love golf at all and you happen to be in that unquote celebrity world, it’s the thing you really want to be in. You get to measure your game. You get to pull back the curtain on so many wonderful people and you get to see them that you see on TV because I’m now a fan of them and get a chance for them personally. The chance to meet them and get to know them and it’s exciting,” said Theismann told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
The 76-year-old said he is going to visit people on the field. He mentioned Jerry Rice, Tony Romo and Miles Teller as people he has had conversations with and called himself a “fanboy” of Teller.
Theismann said “Top Gun: Maverick” is his favorite movie of all time.
ESPN broadcaster Jay Bilas said he was invited six or seven years ago and called it the equivalent of a PGA Tour player being invited to the Masters.
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Joe Mauer putst during the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., July 12, 2019. (Tom R. Smedes, Tom R. Smedes via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
“When I got invited six, seven years ago, I was thrilled. I just couldn’t believe I was going to get to do it. And they’ve been, they must have a very low bar, but they’ve been inviting me back ever since. And to me, getting that invitation has to be the equivalent of a PGA Tour player being invited to the Masters. So you get the invitation, ‘oh, you can believe they’re invited back’. again.” And it’s an automatic yes,” Bilas told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview.
“It’s just a thrill. And it’s just as exciting once you get there because it’s a beautiful setting in Lake Tahoe at Edgewood Resort. The weather is always spectacular. Seventy thousand people are there in shorts and sundresses just enjoying seeing some of their favorite celebrities.”
Bilas said he loves competing in the tournament, but said the atmosphere is what makes it special. He credited CEO Jonathan Thomas for being so welcoming and creating a family environment that everyone loves.
NFL great Patrick Peterson said the event has evolved over the years and said it’s something his whole family enjoys.
“My girls look forward to going to Lake Tahoe every single year to not only hike with dad, but to go out on the lake,” Peterson told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview. “Go on top of the mountain and do the zipline and stuff like that. So the memories that they’re able to create for the families that are involved are countless.”
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John Smoltz hits a shot during the ACC Golf Tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe. (Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
NFL legend Jerome Bettis said the American Century Championship gives him a locker room vibe he no longer gets.
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“I think the favorite part is really getting to chop it up with the athletes, because obviously when you’re retired, you don’t get the chance to do that anymore. And then when you get a chance to kind of rib guys and have fun with guys like that locker room experience again, it’s really fun and exciting,” Bettis said.
The tournament has raised more than $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at the tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year.
