Mark Rypien Holds First-Round Lead by Two Points at the American Century Championship

Photo of Mark Rypien courtesy of Jeff Bayer/American Century Championship

South Shore, Lake Tahoe, Nev. – Former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien used an eagle and three birdies in his round Friday to hold the 18-hole lead by two points at the 2013 American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

Rypien finished with 27 points while actor Lucas Black scored 25 points and former NFL quarterback Chris Chandler totaled 24. The 54-hole event, now in its 24th year, uses a modified Stableford scoring system that awards graduated points for pars or better.

Rypien won the inaugural event in 1990 and finished second a year ago and he has eight top-10 finishes in 21 starts.

“I got it going on my first nine holes and scored 19 points on that side (holes 10-18), by far my best in all the years I have played here,” said Rypien. “The fountain of youth is not in my favor, but I think I am playing better golf now than when I first came out here.”

Rypien’s round was buoyed by an eagle 3 on the par-5 16th hole where he hit a hybrid club to 8 feet and made the putt.

Black had his best round in three years at the event, shooting a 1-under-par 71. Chandler led for a time on the second nine before making a double bogey on his second to last hole (the 8th)

Defending champion Dan Quinn, a five-time winner and former NHL star, struggled with only 13 points and last year’s runner-up Jack Wagner finished with only 10 points.

The event will be televised by NBC on Saturday and Sunday from 3-6 p.m. (EDT).


By Craig Smith, former director of media relations for the U.S. Golf Association.