What fans can expect attending the American Century Championship, the popular celebrity golf tournament on Lake Tahoe
By Jason Scott Deegan
STATELINE, Nev. – For the first time in years, I’m feeling like a kid again.
I’m hunting autographs of my favorite athletes and celebrities at the 2024 American Century Championship at Edgewood Golf Course like I’m 10.
There’s Charles Woodson, who won a Heisman, a national championship and a Super Bowl! I hit him up for a selfie with my 2023 Michigan national championship hat on as he walks off the ninth green.
There’s Miles Teller! Man, does that Top Gun Maverick movie really hit me in the feels. I’m a child of the 1980s when the first one went big at the box office.
There’s Bobby Flay! Not that I care about one of the world’s top chefs, but my wife sure does. He autographs her hat.
There’s Larry the Cable Guy … or, as my wife calls him, Mater! (From the Cars movies). I don’t much care for him, either, but when he starts throwing out “Git ‘er Done’ souvenir golf balls, I tackle a couple of rival fans like I’m Woodson to secure one.
Wait, holy cow, there’s Travis and Jason Kelce! The famous football-playing brothers always attract the biggest crowds. Rumors that Taylor Swift (Kelce’s girlfriend) might show up end up being a pipe dream, unfortunately.
I’ve been to the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale and Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am, but to me, the American Century Championship is golf’s best spectator party. By limiting ticket sales, it’s a much more intimate affair. Plus, the celebrity golfers are more willing to interact with the fans. Some of the good golfers are trying to win the Stableford competition, but many of the others are simply looking for a good time.