LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Round One of the 37th annual American Century Championship on Friday did not disappoint and kept the sold-out gallery entertained from start to finish. The quality of golf was impressive on many levels.
Defending champion Joe Pavelski totaled 29 points to take the lead, followed closely by a few others who have tasted victory here. Two-time champ Mardy Fish, a former ATP tennis player, was alone in second with 27 points, just ahead of 2023 winner Stephen Curry (25), and three-time champion Tony Romo (23). Alone in fifth place is LPGA great Annika Sorenstam (22), who owns a home on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. She led for most of the day and left the course after 18 holes in first.
Pavelski, who in 2025 retired after an 18-year career in the NHL, broke through with his first win last year after three straight top-three finishes. On Friday, he had a four-birdie run from holes 4 through 8 and then capped the round with an eagle on the par-5 18th, the same hole he eagled in the final round last year to capture the win.
“Thrilled with that number,” Pavelski said. “Didn’t know it was exactly going to come today. The round, early on there, was just a couple of questions early. Had to kind of grind, try to make a par, stay in it.”
The 29 points is the second-best opening-round total in the tournament’s Stableford history, going back to 2003 (Rick Rhoden, 30, in 2005) and four points behind the tournament record shared by Billy Joe Tolliver in 2010 and Josh Scobee in 2015. His final round last year at Tahoe was also a 29.
Fish, the former U.S. Davis Cup captain who was paired with Pavelski, had a steady round with just one bogey and five birdies. His 4-under-par 68 was one shot better than Pavelski’s 69, but the 6-point eagle boosted Pavelski to the top.
“Certainly played well today,” Fish said. “We’re happy with the score. There’s a lot of rounds out there you have where you hit it really good and don’t score well. I hit it great and scored well, which is fun. “Joe played awesome too. We had a great group. It was a perfect sort of easy round of just golf.”
Like Pavelski, Curry, the four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, had four birdies from holes 4 through 8, ut he had a double bogey and two bogeys on the four par-3s.
Fan favorite Charles Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer, has minus-6 points and is tied for 62nd place. Caesars Sportsbook set a proposition bet on where he will finish, and bettors can wager if he will finish inside or outside the top 63.5.
“I played well,” Barkley said. “I’m having a blast.”
The 54-hole tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring system that rewards points for eagles (6), birdies (3) and pars (1). Bogeys are worth zero points and double bogeys or worse are minus-2 points.
Longtime title sponsor American Century Investments has introduced the Stowers White Lab Coat, using the Masters Green Jacket as inspiration, which will go to the winner Sunday. American Century Investments contributes more than 40 percent of its proceeds to the Stowers Institute for cancer research, started by ACI founder Jim Stowers. During practice rounds, some of the players got to try on the coat, perhaps as inspiration?
The first tee time on Saturday is at 7:25 a.m., the last at 9:36 a.m.
Saturday tee times:
As part of the tournament’s celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday, two USAF T-38 aircraft will zoom over the 17th and 18th holes following the playing of the national anthem with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office honor guard in place at the 17th tee. The pilots will be on the ground to visit the tournament on Sunday as guests of American Century Investments.
Round One Results can be seen HERE.
