Golf not the only sport being played at ACC

By Kathryn Reed

STATELINE – Multi-sport athletes used to be the norm in high school; not so any more. But the pros, well, they are showing that they aren’t single sport wonders. Baseball, tennis, hockey and football players are in the top six spots after the first day of the American Century Championship.

The three-day celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe saw some familiar names in the running, with some newbies as well on July 14.

Former Major League pitcher Derek Lowe took top honors on Day 1 with 25 points. (The ACC uses a Stableford format for scoring.)

Right behind him are Mardy Fish (24) and Joe Pavelski (23). Tied for fourth are Aaron Rodgers, Mark Mulder and John Smoltz, each with 22 points.

Pairings on the first day are usually based on some commonality the players share. It was a multi-generational quarterback trio with John Elway, Tony Romo and Alex Smith. Former Braves’ pitching stars Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine are a regular threesome. The Bay Area was represented by Steph Curry, Aaron Rodgers and Pavelski playing together.

Deborah Edwards of Scottsdale, Ariz., was cognizant of where Elway was – she got hit by a ball two years ago at this tournament by an errant drive of his on the 17th hole. To this day she can feel where it hit her on the right side of her head.

On Friday, it was Lake Tahoe News photographer Carolyn Wright who walked off the course with a shiner thanks to Curry. He went up for layup on the 17th hole and ran into her.

Curry, Rodgers and Pavelski were having fun shooting hoops before teeing off. Rodgers was much better at throwing passes to the throng of spectators in boats lining the course than he was with sinking that large round ball into the net.

After teeing off, Curry ran a pattern resembling a wide receiver, with Rodgers stepping back in the pocket to deliver a perfect spiral to a sliding Curry. It’s not every day you get grass stains playing golf.

Charles Barkley, who is well known for his anti-Warriors rhetoric, is well beyond his prime as a basketball star. Still, he was sauntering a bit after teeing off from the 10th hole. This is a huge change from a few years ago – pre-hip surgery – when he could barely get around.

On Friday he was playing to the crowd; “stealing” hats of young fans and posing for family pictures. Even though he is a perennial cellar dweller, the crowd loves him.

Barkley was recognized on the 10th hole by the firefighting community for his generosity to the Angora Fire relief efforts. In 2007, he gave $100,000 and toured the burn area; two years later he donated $90,000. Last month marked the 10-year anniversary of the fire that leveled 254 houses on the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe.

Today most of the pairings are based on how the players did Friday. One notable exception is that Curry (23rd place) and Romo (20th) will be playing with Justin Timberlake (53rd). Curry and Timberlake are two of the players who get special security provided by Douglas County sheriff’s deputies. Some of these superstars come with their own security and have an entourage of people.

Deputy Chris Wiggins was with Timberlake on July 14; standing guard making sure fans behaved themselves.

“He usually doesn’t need us. He has his own people,” Wiggins told Lake Tahoe News. “We walk every hole with them.”

Fans do the same thing – some following a particular player on all 18 holes, others are perched in one spot waiting for everyone to come through.

Hole 17 is the busiest, with the crowd several people deep on the sand and grass. This is party central. While golf is usually a quiet sport, not so on this hole. It was almost comical as the official put his hands up for the spectators to hush as the players tee off only to have the music blaring from the speakers.

The American Century Championship – it’s not your ordinary golf tournament.