Colin Jost’s Almost Magic Shot at the American Century Golf Championship

What is the American Century Championship?

The American Century Championship is a fun golf contest held in Lake Tahoe. It’s not just for professional golfers—many famous people like actors, comedians, and sports stars play in it. Think of it as a big celebrity golf party where everyone tries to get the lowest score.

Colin Jost: A Famous Face in the Field

Colin Jost is a 44-year-old actor and comedian. He is married to the famous actress Scarlett Johansson, and they have a 5-year-old son named Cosmo. This year, Colin convinced his wife and son to come watch him play.

Important: Colin said his wife told him, “Well, Scarlett was like, ‘Baby, if you’re going to win this thing, I gotta be there. Like, I gotta see the champ in action.’ Because she kind of knew this was my year.” She joked that she knew this was his year!

Colin’s Near-Amazing Shot on Saturday

On Saturday, Colin had a moment that almost became the best shot of the whole tournament. Here’s what happened, step by step:

1. Colin started playing his round on the 10th hole (golf courses have 18 holes, and players can start at different ones).
2. He reached the 17th hole, which is a par-3. That means a good player is expected to take 3 shots to finish that hole.
3. He hit his ball from the tee (the starting spot) toward the hole.
4. His ball rolled super close—within an inch of dropping into the cup (the hole)! That would have been an ace (also called a hole-in-one, where you sink the ball in just one shot).
5. Colin got super excited: he pumped his arms in the air, ripped off his sunglasses, and embraced the crowds’ roars.

Callout: A “hole-in-one” is very rare and super cool! Colin missed it by just a tiny inch, but it was still the talk of the day and nearly the shot of the tournament.

How Did Colin Do Overall?

Even though that shot was awesome, it was pretty much his only highlight. Let’s break it down simply:

• The tournament has players play two rounds so far (a round is playing many holes; he played 36 holes total).
• Colin only made two birdies (a birdie means finishing a hole one shot better than the expected par) and both happened on Saturday.
• His scorecard was full of bogeys (one shot worse than par) and double bogeys (two shots worse than par).
• Because of that, he is far down the leaderboard (the board that shows who’s winning) and out of contention (not able to win) in this stacked (very talented) field.

Who Is Winning the Tournament?

At the top of the leaderboard, we have some familiar names from past years:

• Mardy Fish (a two-time champion, winning in 2020 and 2024) sits atop the leaderboard.
• Past winners Joe Pavelski, Steph Curry, and Tony Romo are within striking distance (meaning they are close enough to catch up).
• Past runners-up (people who came second before) Annika Sorenstam and John Smoltz are also in the mix.

So the top spots are held by other celebrities and athletes, while Colin is lower down.

Summary

To sum up: The American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe is a celebrity golf event. Colin Jost, husband of Scarlett Johansson and father of Cosmo, almost scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole on Saturday after starting on the 10th, delighting the crowd. However, his overall play had only two birdies through 36 holes with many bogeys and double bogeys, so he’s not in the running to win. Meanwhile, Mardy Fish leads, with other famous past champions close behind. Colin’s family is there to support him, and even though he didn’t win, he had a moment to remember!

FAQ

Q1: What is a hole-in-one (ace)?
A: It’s when a golfer hits the ball from the start of a hole and it goes directly into the hole in just one shot. Colin got his ball within an inch of doing this!

Q2: Why is the tournament called the American Century Championship?
A: It’s just the name of this annual celebrity golf event held in Lake Tahoe. It attracts stars from sports, acting, and more.

Q3: What do birdie, bogey, and double bogey mean?
A: These are simple score terms:

• Birdie: You finished the hole one shot under the expected number (par).
• Bogey: You finished one shot over par.
• Double bogey: You finished two shots over par.
  Colin had mostly bogeys and double bogeys, which means he took extra shots.

Q4: Who is Mardy Fish and why is he important here?
A: Mardy Fish is a past champion of this tournament (he won in 2020 and 2024). Right now, he is leading the game again.

Q5: Did Colin Jost’s wife really think he would win?
A: She joked that she knew “this was his year” and wanted to see the “champ in action,” but Colin’s scores show he’s not at the top. It was a funny, loving comment made just three minutes before his near-hole-in-one!