The most decorated athlete in Olympic history is known for
mastering the underwater stroke. With a record 22 Olympic medals, 18 of
those being gold, Michael Phelps was born to swim. The question remains: Will
Phelps' poolside grace translate into magic at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course July
16-21 during the 24th Annual American Century Championship?
Phelps will be surrounded by dozens of all-star professional
athletic greats from football, baseball, basketball and hockey at the golf
tournament, dubbed the "Greatest Sports Party on the Planet" in a
recent Forbes article.
So why not have a world famous swimmer in the mix?
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| Phelps and famed golf instructor, Hank Haney. |
Phelps has a proven record of having what it takes to be the
best. Not only has he won the most gold medals, doubling the second highest
record holders, Phelps, 29, also holds the all-time records for individual
events (11), and Olympic medals in individual events for a male (13).
In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games,
Phelps took the record for the most first-place finishes at any single Olympic
Games. Five of those victories were in individual events, tying the single
Games record. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four golds and
two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete of the Games for the
third Olympics in a row.
Phelps is the long course world record holder in the
100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley as
well as the former long course world record holder in the 200-meter freestyle
and 200-meter individual medley.
He has won a total of 71 medals in major international
long-course competition, 57 gold, 11 silver, and three bronze spanning the
Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps's international
titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of
the Year Award seven times and American Swimmer of the Year Award nine times as
well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012.
His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps
Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award and he even appeared
on Saturday Night Live as
guest host that same year.
After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which
focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles.
While Phelps has since retired,
some believe he may return to the pool for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
In the meantime, Phelps will be working on his golf game. He
will join a powerhouse lineup of sports legends and entertainment celebrities
including Charles Barkley John Elway, Aaron Rodgers, Bode Miller, Chipper
Jones, Ray Romano, Larry the Cable Guy, Jerry Rice, Brian Urlacher and J.R.
Smith. Televised on NBC Sports, the
54-hole event includes a purse of $600,000.
Celebrity sightings, parties and superstar entertainment are
on tap for South Lake Tahoe during the week-long festivities. The tournament
has been played at Edgewood Tahoe’s
6,707-yard lakeside course since its launch in 1990.
Advance tickets are available online at www.TahoeSouth.com. Discount tickets are
also being sold at 127 Raley's, Nob Hill and Bel Air grocery store locations
throughout Northern California and Nevada. During the tournament, tickets are
available daily at the gate.
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