Defending Champion Joe Pavelski Takes Early Lead at Celebrity Golf Tournament

Published: Jul 10, 2026, 07:07 PM ET | From: South Lake Tahoe, Nev.

What Is Going On?

Imagine a golf game where famous people from other sports come together to play. This event is called the American Century Championship. It is being played at a pretty place called Edgewood Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

On Friday, they played the first round (that means the first day of playing). The person who won this tournament last year is Joe Pavelski. He is a former hockey player (he used to play in the NHL, which is a big ice hockey league). Joe did so well that he is now ahead of everyone else by two points!

How Do They Count Points? (Modified Stableford)

In regular golf, you try to hit the ball into the hole using as few hits as possible. But this tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring system. That is a fancy way of saying:

1. Instead of counting hits, they give you points for playing well on each hole.
2. The more good things you do, the more points you collect.
3. At the end, the person with the most points is the winner.

So Joe Pavelski collected 29 points in his first round. That’s like getting 29 gold stars!

Who Else Is Playing? (The Leaderboard)

Here are the other famous players and how they did:

• Mardy Fish (he used to be a professional tennis player) is in second place. He got fewer points than Joe. Mardy actually won this same celebrity golf event in 2020 and 2024 – so he is really good at it!
• Stephen Curry (a super famous basketball player from the NBA) is close behind with 26 points. He won the whole thing in 2023.
• Tomy Romo (he used to be a quarterback, which is the main thrower in American football) has 23 points. Tomy won the championship in 2018, 2019, and 2022 – three times!
• Charles Barkley (another famous basketball star) is not doing so great this time. Out of 90 players total, he is in 62nd place with minus-six points (that means he lost points because he had a rough day).

Important Points to Remember

Joe Pavelski is the defending champion and leads after the first round with 29 points (a 2-point lead).

Mardy Fish, Stephen Curry, and Tomy Romo are all past winners and are currently in the top spots.

Charles Barkley is near the bottom of the 90-player group with -6 points.

Summary

The American Century Championship started its first round on Friday at Edgewood Tahoe. Defending champ and former NHL player Joe Pavelski is winning with 29 points under the fun point-based scoring system. Right behind him are past champions Mardy Fish (2nd), Stephen Curry (26 points), and Tomy Romo (23 points). Meanwhile, Charles Barkley sits at 62nd out of 90 players with a score of -6. The tournament is far from over, but Joe has a nice head start!

FAQ

Q1: What is the American Century Championship?
A: It’s a celebrity golf tournament where famous folks from sports like hockey, basketball, tennis, and football play golf together. It happens at Edgewood Tahoe in Nevada.

Q2: What does "defending champion" mean?
A: It means the person won the tournament the last time it was held. Joe Pavelski won last year, so he is the defending champion this year.

Q3: Why is Charles Barkley’s score minus-six?
A: In this special point system, if you play poorly on a hole, you can lose points. Charles had a tough round, so his total points are six below zero, putting him at minus-six.

Q4: What is modified Stableford scoring in simple terms?
A: Normally golf counts how many swings you take. Here, they give you points for good swings and take away points for bad ones. You want the biggest pile of points to win.

Q5: Who has won this event before among the top players?
A: Mardy Fish won in 2020 and 2024, Stephen Curry won in 2023, and Tomy Romo won in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Joe Pavelski is the defending (last year’s) champion.