The American Century Championship is a celebrity golf tournament that takes place at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, on the shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada, United States. The tournament is held annually, during the weekend after the second full week of July. It has a number of traditions, including the Long Drive Challenge, Charity Chip Challenge, and the Korbel Hole-In-One Contest. American Century Investments is the current title sponsor of the tournament, which previously was known as the Celebrity Golf Tournament, the Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, and the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship.
Rick Rhoden has won the most American Century Championships, with eight between 1991 and 2009. Dan Quinn won five between 1992 and 2012. Billy Joe Tolliver won four between 1996 and 2013. Three have won three titles at Edgewood: Mark Mulder, Tony Romo, and Mardy Fish. Two have won two titles at Edgewood: Actor Jack Wagner and Mark Rypien. Wagner is the only non-professional athlete to have won the event, and Mulder is the only one to win three consecutive times. The profession with the most wins is football (12), followed by baseball (11), ice hockey (7), tennis (3), acting (2), and basketball (2). Only five times in the history of the tournament has an active professional athlete emerged as the winner; Mark Rypien (1990), Dan Quinn (1992), Billy Joe Tolliver (1996), Al Del Greco (2000), and Stephen Curry (2023).
History Edgewood Tahoe Resort
The tournament has been played every year at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, a golf resort in the western United States, on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, in Stateline, Nevada. The site where Edgewood now stands was previously part of a ranch adjacent to Friday's Station, the historic 19th-century Pony Express station and inn. The Park family bought the ranch in 1896 to raise cattle, and in the 1960s they decided to build a golf course on their property. The course was designed by George Fazio, and opened along with the resort in 1968. The course is at the southeast edge of the lake, at an average elevation exceeding above sea level. Fazio's nephew Tom Fazio has renovated the course, now , from time to time.
1990s: Early tournament years
On Friday, July 13, 1990, in Round One of the first annual Celebrity Golf Championship, Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway shot 70, with former quarterback Steve Bartkowski and former MLB player and manager Davey Johnson both trailing by one. On Saturday, July 14, in Round Two, Bartkowski lead after two rounds with 146 strokes, followed by actor Jack Wagner with 147, and former Miami Dolphins safety Dick Anderson and Johnson with 148 each. On Sunday, July 15, in Round Three, Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien came storming back and won the inaugural tournament with a total of 221 strokes. He is the first Canadian and quarterback to win the tournament. Rypien's 221 total strokes through three rounds is the highest ever by the winner under stroke play. Anderson finished in second place with 222 and Wagner finished in third place with 223.
On Friday, July 5, 1991, in Round One of the second annual tournament, Anderson shot 68, with Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer and Bartkowski both trailing by four. On Saturday, July 6, in Round Two, Bartkowski again lead after two rounds, again with 146 strokes, followed by former ice hockey player Clark Gillies with 147, and former MLB pitcher Rick Rhoden, Laimbeer, Philadelphia Flyers center Dan Quinn, Anderson, and Wagner with 148 each. On Sunday, July 7, in Round Three, Rhoden and Laimbeer both finished with 221 total strokes each, going to the first sudden-death playoff in tournament history. The leaders' 221 total strokes through three rounds tied the record set the previous year for the highest ever under stroke play. Gillies, Quinn, Johnson, and Anderson all tied for third place with 223 total strokes, setting the record for the most people tying for third place. On the first hole of the sudden-death playoff, Laimbeer hit five consecutive shots into the pond protecting the 18th hole to the left. Since then, the pond has been known as "Lake Laimbeer". Rhoden won, making him the second person to win in his tournament debut. He also became the first American, baseball player, and pitcher to win the event.
In Round One of the third annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship on Friday in 1992, former ice hockey player Pierre Larouche shot 70, with Anderson and former NFL placekicker Jan Stenerud both trailing by one. After Round Two on Saturday, Quinn, Rhoden, Anderson, and Larouche were all tied for the lead with 143 strokes each. In Round Three on Sunday, Quinn won the event in 213 total strokes, making him the first ice hockey player to win the event. He is the second Canadian to win the event, giving Canada the most victories in the history of the tournament. Rhoden and Anderson tied for second place one stroke behind Quinn.
On Friday, July 9, 1993, in Round One of the fourth annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, Rhoden shot 66, with Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench and Larouche trailing by four. On Saturday, July 10, in Round Two, Rhoden lead after two rounds with 137 strokes, followed by Bench with 140 and Tennessee Oilers placekicker Al Del Greco with 141. On Sunday, July 11, in Round Three, Rhoden won the tournament again with 207 total strokes and finishing nine under par, both setting tournament records. He became the first player to win the event multiple times. This gave the US a tie with Canada in total tournament victories with two each. Bench finished in second place with 211 total and Del Greco finished in third place with 214 total.
On Friday, July 8, 1994, in Round One of the fifth annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, Bartkowski, Laimbeer, and Chris Miller all shot 71, tying for the lead. Miller withdrew after Round One. On Saturday, July 9, in Round Two, former ice hockey player Darren Veitch lead after two rounds with 139 strokes, followed by Anderson and Bartkowski with 141 each. On Sunday, July 10, in Round Three, Anderson, Bartkowski, and Rhoden finished with 212 total strokes, going to the second sudden-death playoff in tournament history. Anderson won the event in the playoff, making him the first non-quarterback in football to win the event. This is the third time someone from America has win the event, giving the US the lead over Canada.
In Round One of the sixth annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship on Friday in 1995, Rhoden and Del Greco both shot 71, followed by former NBA player Jack Marin, newly elected Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt, former NFL quarterback Neil Lomax, and Hall of Fame relief pitcher Rollie Fingers each trailing by one. After Round Two on Saturday, Rhoden was running away with it with 138 strokes, leading Marin and Del Greco by eight strokes. In Round Three on Sunday, Rhoden won the event with 211 total strokes. Former NFL quarterback Peter Tom Willis finished in second place five strokes behind and Anderson finished in third place with 217 total.
On Friday, June 12, 1996, in Round One of the seventh annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, Quinn shot 67 with Bench trailing two strokes behind. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, Elway, Marin, and Stenerud all shot 70. On Saturday, July 13, in Round Two, Larouche and Dick Anderson tied for the lead with 141 strokes. Tolliver, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie, and Elway were in a three-way tie for third with 143 each. On Sunday, June 14, in an exciting Round Three, Tolliver claimed the Isuzu with a four-stroke victory over his nearest competitor, former running back Donny Anderson. Brodie finished in third place with 216 total.
On Friday, July 4, 1997, in Round One of the eighth annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, Brodie shot 67 with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer trailing by one and actor Rudy Gatlin trailing Dilfer by two. On Saturday, July 5, in Round Two, Rhoden lead after two rounds with 137 strokes, followed by Quinn and Brodie with 140 each. On Sunday, July 6, in Round Three, Rhoden won the Isuzu for the fourth time in the event's eight-year history, shooting a two-under 70 as he cruised to a three-shot win over his playing partners, Quinn and Brodie. Rhoden finished at nine-under 207, tying his three day tournament record and winning for his 16th time on the celebrity golf circuit.
On Friday, July 10, 1998, in Round One of the ninth annual Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship, Dilfer shot 71, with Tolliver, Elway, Quinn, Del Greco, Bartkowski, and Stenerud all trailing by one. On Saturday, July 11, in Round Two, Tolliver lead after two rounds with 140 strokes, followed by retired hockey great Super Mario Lemieux, Rhoden, and Quinn each trailing by three strokes. On Sunday, July 12, in Round Three, Lemieux won the Isuzu, shooting a three-under 69 to finish with a total of 212 strokes. Tolliver and Dick Anderson tied for second place, both finishing one stroke behind.
On Friday, July 2, 1999, in Round One of the tenth annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, Rypien shot 70 with Rhoden and Elway both trailing by one. On Saturday, July 3, in Round Two, Rhoden lead after two rounds with 145 strokes, followed by Larouche trailing by one stroke and Rypien with 149. On Sunday, July 4, in Round Three, Rhoden won the ACCGC for the fifth time in the event's ten-year history, finishing with 212 total strokes. Quinn and Tolliver tied for second place with 221 total strokes. Rhoden earned $100,000 of the total $500,000 total ACCGC purse. Hampered by 50 miles per hour gusts of wind during rounds one and two, Rhoden still managed to win with the largest margin of victory in tournament history with a nine stroke lead, and remains the top money winner in Celebrity Golf.
2000s
On Friday, July 7, 2000, in Round One of the 11th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, Wagner shot 69 with Dilfer trailing by one and Rhoden trailing behind Dilfer by one. On Saturday, July 8, in Round Two, Anderson lead after two rounds with 142 strokes, followed closely behind by Rhoden trailing by one stroke and Dilfer and Bartkowski both trailing Rhoden by one. On Sunday, July 9, in Round Three, Del Greco’s seven under par 65 gave him the 2000 ACCGC. He finished the tournament with 210 total strokes. The 65 shot by Del Greco was the lowest score ever posted in this Celebrity Championship. He became the second football player after Dick Anderson as the only two non-quarterbacks to win the event. Anderson finished three strokes behind in second place and Brodie finished three strokes behind Anderson placing third.
On Friday, July 6, 2001, in Round One of the 12th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, Rhoden shot 65, setting the record for the lowest score in round one and any other round in tournament history, with former Pittsburgh Penguins Center, the Mighty Dan Quinn, trailing by four strokes, and Wagner and Kinchen trailing the leader by five strokes. On Saturday, July 7, in Round Two, former Hockey Great Dan Quinn and Rhoden both lead after two rounds with 136 strokes, the fewest ever through the first two rounds in tournament history. They were followed closely behind by Wagner trailing by two strokes. On Sunday, July 8, in Round Three, Quinn won the ACCGC, ending the odd year streak of five-time tournament champion Rick Rhoden. Quinn finished with 207 total strokes, tying Rhoden's tournament record. Rhoden finished in second place with 210 total strokes and Wagner finished in third place with 214 total strokes.