Larry the Cable Guy poses for photos on the edge of the putting green at Edgewood Golf Course on Wednesday during the first of two practice rounds prior to the American Century Championship golf tournament.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
Wednesday’s opening news conference at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament was teary-eyed, leading with the announcement that NBC will be creating an annual donation to the city of South Lake Tahoe.
The donation will be in honor of late MLB pitcher Tim Wakefield, who died after a cancer battle at the age of 57 last year.
Five months later, his wife also lost her life to cancer, leaving behind their children Trevor and Brianna.
Wakefield was a 10-time participant in the ACC, starting in 2013.
NBC announced an annual $10,000 gift to the South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center.
The tournament will be honoring Wakefield with hats embroidered with the number 49 — Wakefield’s jersey number. The number will also be featured 49 yards off the tee box on the 18th hole as well as on the pin flag on the 18th green.
“Tim Wakefield, Stacy Wakefield, two of the greatest people you'd ever meet. Cared about people. Tim gave up his time every single day,” said his friend and former teammate Kevin Millar. “But a great human being, a great man, more than a friend, family, and definitely a tough punch to the stomach.”
FANTASY GOLF CHALLENGE
The 2024 ACC will once again feature a fantasy golf challenge, giving entrants a chance at several daily prizes, each of which includes an all-expenses paid trip to the 2025 ACC.
Entrants pick from five celebrity golfers from five different groups and can follow along live as they rack up points during the tournament.
Participants can change their picks for each day of the tournament to try and create their winning roster.
“It's really been a big addition to our tournament and allows people at home to engage in ways they couldn't engage before,” said Erik Schneberger, chief marketing officer with American Century Investments. “The winner of each day gets an expense-paid trip to next year's American Century Championship, and the overall winner, the winner with the highest points across all three days, not only gets that expense-paid trip, but also gets $10,000 to direct towards their charity of choice.”
Entries for the ACC fantasy golf challenge can be found at www.accfantasygolf.com.
(Mardy Fish, the 2020 ACC champion, signs an autograph for a fan at the second hole of the Edgewood Golf Course. Fish is one of the favorites to win the tournament once again in 2023. Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)
BEAT THE ROBOT
On Thursday, a new feature appeared on the fifth hole at this year’s tournament.
Celebrity golfers had a chance to compete against a robot created by Golf Laboratories.
Should a golfer beat the bot, American Centuries said it would donate $500 to the Stowers Institute of Medical Research. Golfers can also “purchase” the bot’s ball with their own donation.
Joe Theismann, a former NFL quarterback who has competed at the ACC nearly every year since 1990, asked if he could use the robot for a few additional holes.
“Are we allowed to take the bot with us for the sixth and seventh and eighth and ninth hole going forward? Because probably I'll need it,” Theismann joked Wednesday.
(A look at the robot that celebrities will compete against for charity Thursday. Carter Eckl / Nevada Appeal)
