Rick Rhoden will defend the title he won last year as the American Century Championship is played Friday through Sunday. Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nev., is again the site of the event.
The tournament, with play Friday to be telecast on The Golf Channel from 4:30 ' 7 p.m. ET, will feature celebrities from sports and television. NBC will televise the event on Saturday and Sunday.
The 54-hole spectacle will award $500,000 in prize money ' and $100,000 for the winner with a modified Stableford scoring system. Former major league pitcher Rhoden will be trying to win the tournament for the seventh time.
Rhoden has played in several PGA Champions Tour events. Other top celebs considered favorites in the event include former hockey stars Dan Quinn and Mario Lemieux and television actor Jack Wagner. Other past champions include Dick Anderson, Billy Joe Tolliver, Al Del Greco and Mark Rypien.
Such celebrities as Donald Trump, Peyton Manning, Carson Daly, Jimmy Fallon and Luke Wilson are included in the field of 78. They join sports favorites Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Elway, Mario Lemieux, Mark McGwire, Marshall Faulk, Jerry Rice, Pete Sampras.
The NFL contingent will also include Brian Urlacher, Marcus Allen, Kyle Boller, Derrick Brooks, Tommy Maddox, Carson Palmer, Keenan McCardell, Ahmad Rashad, Ben Roethlisberger, Tim Brown, Sean Salisbury, Sterling Sharp, Emmitt Smith, Jim McMahon, Steve Spurrier, Joe Theismann, Gene Upshaw and Jesse Palmer.
Television personalities and comedians who will play include Maury Povich, Billy Bush, Don Cheadle, Rich Eisen, John OHurley, Kevin Nealon, Jimmy Fallon and Bill Rancic. Basketball will be represented by legends Jordan and Barkley as well as Ray Allen, Steve Kerr, Digger Phelps, Vinny Del Negro, Dan Majerle.
Also included are former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, tennis stars Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl, Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham, hockeys Brett Hull, Olympic stars Bode Miller, Dan Jansen, as well as 1980 U.S. hockey team captain Mike Eruzione.
Women participants include Olympians Cammi Granato, the U.S. Womens Hockey team captain and Amy Van Dyken, gold medal swimmer.
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