Basketball greats return to 25th American Century Championship

NBA superstars, legends and some of the best college and pro basketball coaches in the game will take to the tee box instead of the free throw line at Edgewood Tahoe July 15-20, aiming for pins and cups instead of buckets and nets.

Don't miss the one handed swing of Sir Charles at the 25th Annual American Century Championship. 

In its 25th year, the American Century Championship has a proud tradition of hosting some of the finest basketball players ever to grace the game. Among them, Charles Barkley will again return this year to the event after being sidelined in the 2013 tournament for an injury. The NBA Hall of Famer and gallery favorite served as the non-official tournament ambassador. This year he returns to snag the dubious honors as worst player, which was awarded in 2013 to Larry the Cable Guy. 

Among active NBA players to return to the tournament is Golden State Warriors All Star sharp-shooter Stephen Curry who set the NBA record in the 2013 season for three-pointers made in a regular season with 272 made three pointers. This season, Curry made his first All-Star appearance after he was voted by the fans as a starter for the Western Conference.  He finished the season averaging 24.0 points and 8.5 assists; both career bests. Also a first for this season, Curry was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

Among the basketball lineup are NCAA and NBA coaches. New to the American Century Championship this year is Geno Auriemma, basketball coach for the University of Connecticut, who has led to the team to to nine NCAA Division I national championships, and has won six national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma was also the head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 to 2012, winning the 2010 World Championship, and the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Former NBA Head Coach Vinny Del Negro returns to the American Century Championship. He was the head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010, and the Los Angeles Clippers from 2010 to 2013. Del Negro is currently an analyst with NBA TV.

Finally, Digger Phelps, the straight-shooting former college basketball coach for Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team and since 1993 the analyst for ESPN and American Century Championship regular will return again this year. In spring 2014, Phelps announced that after 20 years with ESPN he is retiring. 

The 25th annual American Century Championship, July 15-20, 2014, is the premier celebrity golf tournament that airs on NBC Sports. American Century Investments is the title sponsor of the tournament.

What basketball greats are you looking forward to seeing?

Football legends and greats lineup for 25th American Century Championship

NFL greats know where to meet once a year for tee-to-green turf action without the helmets and pads. The 25th year, the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe July 15-20, 2014 will be represented by promising young athletes, Super Bowl team stars, Pro Bowl champions and NFL Hall of Fame legends who line up to take a swing and a piece of the $600,000 purse.  

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers quarterback signs autographs for the fans.

Two returning NFL players are in the American Century Championship winners' circle and will again compete in what promises to be one of the great showdowns. The question among the minds of many is can last year's runner-up, Mark Rypien, who was the very first American Century Championship winner at Edgewood Tahoe in 1990 repeat what he did 25 years ago? You can bet four-time American Century Championship winner and defending champion Billy Joe Tolliver will be in the hunt. 

Always the crowd pleasers, returning NFL Hall of Famers are Marcus Allen, John Elway, Marshall Faulk, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young.

Players and coaches, past and present who will return to the American Century Championship include: former NFL Pro Bowl running back Jerome Bettis; former NFL wide receiver Tim Brown; Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer; former NFL head coach Herm Edwards; Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox; Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould; former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green; former NFL Pro Bowl star and all-time sack leader Rodney Harrison; Green Bay Packers linebacker AJ Hawk; Oakland Raiders kicker Sebestian Janikowski; former NFL Pro Bowl star safety John Lynch; former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers; former NFL Pro Bowl great Sterling Sharpe; Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Alex Smith; former NFL Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor; former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Vinny Testaverde; former NFL MVP quarterback Joe Theismann; former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

The list of new NFL contenders to play in their first American Century Championship includes Denver Bronco punter Britton Colquitt; former Pro Bowl and NFL running great Terrell Davis; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee.

The 25th annual American Century Championship, July 15-20, 2014, is the premier celebrity golf tournament that airs on NBC Sports. American Century Investments is the title sponsor of the tournament.

What NFL great are you looking forward to seeing?

LPGA all-time Great Annika Sorenstam to tee it up at 25th American Century Championship

Move over guys. The competition at this year's 25th Anniversary American Century Championship will dramatically alter July 15-20 with the addition of LPGA great Annika Sorenstam.

LPGA great, Annika Sorenstam, will take on the men at the 25th Annual American Century Championship.

The legendary golf superstar, winner of 89 international tournaments and over $22 million, is one of the most successful players in history. A part-time resident of Lake Tahoe and mother of two, Sorenstam will play on even terms with pro athletes in the nationally televised, 54-hole, $600,000 competition at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

She is considered the greatest female golfer of her generation, and often regarded as the best of all time. During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered. 

Her record-breaking achievements include eight Rolex Player of the Year awards, six Vare Trophies (recognizing the year’s lowest scoring average, including one for the lowest ever recorded, 68,69, 69 in 2004), and is the only female to break 60 in an official event. This feat earned her the nickname, “Ms. 59.”

Sorenstam, 43, is 11 years removed from her memorable international foray onto the men’s PGA Tour at the 2003 Colonial Open in Fort Worth, Texas. Under the media spotlight, she went toe to toe with the best players in the world, missing the cut by three strokes and earning global respect for taking the unprecedented challenge. Sorenstam retired in 2008 and her last tournament came in that season’s year-end ADT Championship.

Sorenstam is listed at 2-1 atop the odds posted this week from the Harrah’s/HarveysLake Tahoe Race & Sports Book.

  

In her only foray at Edgewood Tahoe in 2004, Sorenstam joined Michael Jordan, Donald Trump and Ahmad Rashad on the back nine during a practice round. She shot a 3-under 33 from the Blue (Men’s) tees on a course she had never played.

“I have played the course before. The location is amazing. It’s kind of a narrow golf course and I don’t think the distance is going to be (a big factor),” she said. “My biggest thing nowadays is probably my accuracy on the smaller greens.  I’m going to try to stay focused on golf and not the beautiful view.”

Since retiring from the LPGA tour, Sorenstam has spent time with family and new business ventures. She created the ANNIKA brand, which includes a line of high-end female golf apparel and established the ANNIKA Academy, a state-of-the-art teaching facility near Orlando, Fla. She also created the Annika Foundation, which teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition and offers aspiring junior golfers the opportunities to pursue their dreams. 

NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network will televise all three rounds of the tournament live.

Olympic Gold Medal great Michael Phelps takes a swing at American Century Championship

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? 

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. 

Charles Barkley's golf swing lacks in grace and decency but the gallery loves him for it

His golf swing has been described as an assault on trees and spectators. And that was after widely publicized lessons.  

Yet you have to admit that even with his bizarre method, which fully lacks in any sort of technique control, Charles Barkley is the hands-down favorite to watch among the gallery at the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe.

Barkley's one handed swing always draws a crowd. 

“There are worse things to suck at in life than golf,” Barkley once quipped. 

Wise words for a man, with a resume that includes NBA Hall of Famer, TNT basketball analyst, weight loss pitchman, SNL host, Hank Haney poster child, humanitarian, wildly popular every man and political commentator.

But good golfer he is not. Not even close. And Sir Charles will likely prove it again at the 24th American Century Championship July 16-21 at Edgewood Tahoe. 

He'll join an all-star list of players including Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Michael Phelps, 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.

Though his swing may resemble a helicopter going down, Sir Charles, an elder statesman of the American Century Championship, annually attracts some of the largest fan galleries. 

The Pied Piper of personality is one of the most ingratiating celebrities every year. He talks with the gallery, offers philosophical insights and frank opinions, takes pictures with kids, signs autographs and talks to the media all while bemoaning errant shots.

Often the last place finisher at the tournament over the years, Barkley outperformed Javier Colon and Brandi Chastain at the 2012 tournament. He is listed at 500-1 in the Harrah’s Tahoe Sports Book.

Sir Charles has managed to turn shaky golf into a comedic art form and does it with a heart of gold. Behind the scenes, Barkley has become an ambassador for Tahoe South, helping aid victims of the 2007 Angora Fire with $190,000 in donations and treating 100 firefighters and their families to dinner.

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. 

Daily passes are $15 for the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Amateur on Tuesday, July 16; practice round on Wednesday, July 17; and the American Century Celebrity-Amateur on Thursday, July 18; and $25 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Patron Badge Season Pass, good for admission all six days, are $60. Kids 10 and under are free when accompanied with a paid adult. 

Jack Wagner returns to American Century Championship

Just like his iconic and reprising role as Frisco Jones on "General Hospital," you can never count actor/singer Jack Wagner out of the American Century Championship winner's circle.

The two-time ACC winner returns to Edgewood Tahoe July 16-21 looking for his third victory. Always considered contender to the finish, Wagner won the 2011 and 2006 tournaments, and is considered an American Century Championship original, being one of only four players to have played in all 23 tournaments dating back to 1990 (the others are John Elway, Mike Eruzione and Jim McMahon).

Jack takes a break from the 2012 tournament to sign an autograph for a fan.

On that note, Wagner returned again this year to "General Hospital" for several episodes as his most notable daytime character Frisco Jones, a role he has played on and off dating back to 1983. 

With his youthful looks and boyish grin, Wagner is arguably most recognized for his role as the caring, conniving Dr. Peter Burns on the 1990's Fox series “Melrose Place.”

From theater, to daytime television and appearances on such notable programs as "Monk," "Hot in Cleveland," and "Castle," Wagner was a favorite contestant on the ABC prime-time show “Dancing With the Stars” in 2012. In 2013 he also appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice" and on an episode of Nick at Nite's "See Dad Run." He doesn't stop there and has scored big on music singles chart with 1984's hit "All I Need."

An avid golfer, Wagner had once considered going pro before becoming an actor. He is considered one of the leading celebrity golfers with multiple victories including the 2002 Mellon Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational.

Hoping to make it a third, Wagner placed 8th at last year's American Century Championship after a promising start. But it was his 2011 victory that was perhaps most notable when he bested Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Wagner does have a tournament in his name, the Jack Wagner Celebrity Golf Classic that raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Wagner created the event to support the Society's mission to cure such cancers as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. 

A powerhouse lineup of sports legends and entertainment celebrities including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Ray Romano will join Wagner for the 24th annual tournament. 

                       

With an impressive field that highlights notable returning players and newcomers, the American Century Championship remains the longest-running and most prominent of celebrity golf tournaments. 

Early commitments have been received for the championship include Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller, NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, NHL Hall of Famer Brett Hull, NHL All-Star goalie Martin Brodeur, New York Knicks basketball point guard Jason Kidd and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

Final weekend coverage is aired live nationally on NBC Sports and NBC.