Fan-favorite Justin Timberlake will return to Edgewood Tahoe and be joined by several newcomers this summer for the annual American Century Championship.
Colin Jost from Saturday Night Live, former NFL punter and sports media personality Pat McAfee, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin of the WWE and country music singer/songwriter Jake Owen were among those announced this week as newcomers to compete in the 33rd celebrity golf tournament, set for July 6-10 on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore.
In addition to Timberlake, longtime ACC competitors Charles Barkley and Larry the Cable Guy will return this summer to compete for $600,000 and charity fundraising in the 54-hole tournament.
The ACC will be televised nationally Friday-Sunday (July 8-10), with Golf Channel carrying the opening round Friday and NBC airing live coverage Saturday and Sunday.
Former NBA player and coach Vinny Del Negro will defend his 2021 title against celebrity contenders such as Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest professional golfers in history with 72 LPGA Tour wins and eight Player of the Year Awards; Mark Mulder, three time ACC champion and former Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals All-Star pitcher; Mardy Fish, 2020 tournament winner, former tennis star and current captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team; and John Smoltz, MLB Hall of Fame pitcher, 2018 U.S. Senior Open qualifier and Fox MLB analyst.
A contingent of 29 NFL stars are in the field this year, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Las Vegas Raiders’ QB Derek Carr. Active NFL players also include Robbie Gould of the San Francisco 49ers and Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith and Patrick Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL Hall of Famers in the field this summer include Michael Strahan, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis, Terrell Davis, Brian Urlacher and Charles Woodson, as well as former All-Pros Larry Fitzgerald, DeMarcus Ware, Kyle Williams and Jim McMahon.
Vinny Del Negro hits out of a bunker on the 16th hole during the ACC golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe on July 11, 2021.
NBA players include Hall of Famers Ray Allen and Barkley; defending champ Del Negro; current Miami Heat star Kyle Lowry and Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso; and former player Vince Carter, eight-time All-Star and current ESPN analyst.
Women currently in the field, in addition to Sorenstam, include Dylan Dreyer, meteorologist for NBC News and Today; Kathryn Tappen, NBC Sports anchor and on-air personality; and Kira K. Dixon, Golf Channel reporter and 2015 Miss America.
The lineup of entertainers, actors and comedians features several familiar names, including Anthony Anderson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Michael Pena, Ray Romano, Rob Riggle, Brian Baumgartner and John O’Hurley.
Others include Jay DeMarcus, formerly of Rascal Flatts; Jason Scheff, former singer and bassist for Chicago; and Jack Wagner, two-time champion and one of two originals, along with Jim McMahon, to have played in all 32 American Century Championships.
Former MLB players on tap this summer include Smoltz, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, CC Sabathia, Joe Mauer, Jimmy Rollins, Kevin Millar, Shane Victorino, Tim Wakefield and David Wells.
There are more than 80 players in the field this summer, some of whom compete as amateurs and donate prize money to ACC-backed charities. Over the years, the ACC has donated more than $5 million to nonprofits.
Additions to the field will be announced leading up to the championship in July. The current tournament field is available here.
Tickets are available at AmericanCenturyChampionship.com, with daily tickets for Wednesday’s practice round and Thursday’s Celebrity-Amateur at $30, and tournament rounds Friday, Saturday and Sunday at $40 per day. A grounds pass for all five days is $90.
Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com.
