RENO, Nev. — The annual celebrity golf fest is this week at South Lake Tahoe, and fans will be paying a little more to see those celebrities chase golf balls around the lakefront.
The 35th American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament started Wednesday with practice rounds at Edgewood, with the actual three-day tournament on Friday-Sunday.
Tickets are available online at americancenturychampionship.com and are $40 Wednesday and Thursday, and $50 each day for Friday and Sunday. Tournament officials reported that Saturday tickets were sold out as of Monday afternoon. A grounds pass for all five days is $150.
The buzz
Most of the golf course is fairly quiet as fans act like they do at PGA Tour events — reserved and respectful.
But the roar starts building near the green on No. 16 and reaches a crescendo on the tee box on No. 17, which runs right along the beach at Edgewood.
No. 17 is the party hole. There are usually hundreds of boats in the water and thousands of spectators on the sand. Music blasts nonstop from the boats and fans throw football and basketballs to the golfers, usually with pens taped to them so they can sign and throw them back.
Fans during the American Century Championship Tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, July 9, 2021.
A portable basketball hoop is set up so the celebs can attempt some long-distance shots before teeing off.
Edgewood has a lot of trees, but Lake Tahoe sits at 6,225 feet above sea level and the sun can be intense.
The celebrities
Most of the celebrities are friendly and are there to enjoy themselves. Only about 10-15 golfers of the field of more than 90 golfers have a real chance to win, and they might be a little more focused on their game. Check out the full odds here.
The first groups tee off at 7:45 a.m. local time (10:45 a.m. ET) Friday through Sunday. The winner is usually finishing his/her round at around 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry is the defending champion, but he is playing basketball for Team USA this month and is preparing for the Paris Summer Olympics and will not be in the tournament.
It’s going to be hot
Record-high temperatures are in the forecast this week.
Lake Tahoe is expected to have afternoon high temperatures in the low 90s. There is a slight chance for mountain showers and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday.
Average temperatures for July at Lake Tahoe range from the high 70s to mid-80s. On Sunday, temperatures might drop to the high 80s at the lake.
How the scoring works
The tournament will be scored using a Modified Stableford format, awarding points per hole as follows:
- Double-eagle: 10
- Hole-in-one: 8
- Eagle: 6
- Birdie: 3
- Par: 1
- Bogey: 0
- Double bogey: minus 2.
On TV
The 54-hole tournament will be televised by the Golf Channel and NBC Sports as well as streamed on Peacock.
Friday, July 12
First round, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Peacock
Saturday, July 13
Second round, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., NBC and Peacock
Sunday, July 14
Third round, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., NBC and Peacock
