Sports stars tee it up at Lake Tahoe with American Century Championship golf tournament

A powerhouse lineup of sports legends including Charles Barkley, Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Michael Phelps, John Elway, Shane Battier of the 2013 NBA Championship Winners Miami Heat, boxer Oscar de la Hoya and Olympic skier Bodie Miller will join celebrities like Ray Romano Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Kevin Nealon for the 24th annual American Century Championship at Tahoe South July 16-21, 2013.

Defending champion Dan Quinn, who has five victories under his belt, looks to repeat a 2013 victory, but at his heels will be eight-time winner Rick Rhoden, and two-time winner Jack Wagner.

More than 80 of the biggest sports and entertainment stars and celebrities will tee it up at the famed Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course for this year's celebrity golf tournament, vying for the $125,000 winner’s share of the $600,000 purse.

With an impressive field that highlights notable returning players and newcomers, the American Century Championship remains the longest-running and most prominent of celebrity golf tournaments.

First-timers this year include former NFL Pro-Bowl wide receiver Andre Reed; former NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf and Former MLB All-Star Tim Wakefield and Hall of Fame Contender Larry "Chipper" Jones and Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez Torres.

Dan Quinn, Ernie Els’ part-time caddie and five-time winner of the American Century Championship, is the top choice of Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe Race & Sportsbook to win celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and broadcast on NBC Sports. Harrah's Lake Tahoe is the host hotel for the tournament.

Among the other big-name players available for public wagering at Harrah’s/Harveys: John Smoltz (5-1), John Elway (10-1), Jerry Rice (30-1), Ray Allen (40-1), Steph Curry, Chipper Jones and Aaron Rodgers (50-1), Alex Smith, Dan Quail and Michael Phelps (100-1), Steve Spurrier (200-1), and Shane Battier, Ray Romano and Urban Meyer (300-1). Celebrated perennial longshot Charles Barkley is listed at 500-1.

NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network will televise the tournament live as follows:

Friday, July 19: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. PT (live) on NBC Sports Network
Saturday, July 20: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. PT (live) on NBC
Sunday, July 21: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. PT (live) on NBC

Tournament scoring is based on a modified Stableford format with 10 points for a double eagle, 8 for a hole-in-one, 6 for eagle, 3 for birdie, 1 for par, 0 for bogey, and minus 2 for double-bogey or higher. The 54-hole tournament has been played at Edgewood Tahoe’s 6,707-yard lakeside course since its inception in 1990.

The NFL participants include Mark Rypien, (http://tahoecelebritygolf.blogspot.com/2013/03/nfl-great-mark-rypien-is-still-one.html) who won the very first American Century Championship in 1990, Hall of Famers’ Elway, Jerry Rice and Marcus Allen; Denver Broncos coach John Fox; former All-Pro quarterback Joe Theismann; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer; Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski; former Pro Bowl wide receiver Tim Brown and former NFL coach and ESPN football analyst Herm Edwards.

NBA basketball's stars will be represented by Shane Battier, forward with the world champion Miami Heat, and Detlef Schrempf, who played in Dallas, Indiana, Seattle and Portland in his pro career.

Hockey checks in with aforementioned NHL All-Star Martin Brodeur, NHL All-Star Center Jeremy Roenick, and former All-Star Mike Modano; 1980 Olympic Gold Medal winner and team captain Mike Eruzione; and Joe Sakic, the former NHL All-Star and $1 million 2011 tournament hole-in-one winner.

Major league baseball greats scheduled to appear include Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith; All-Star pitchers Bret Saberhagen and Greg Maddux; outfielders Joe Carter and Kenny Lofton; and power-hitter Fred McGriff.

Tournament title sponsor American Century Investments is a leading, privately-controlled investment management firm serving professionals, institutions, corporations and individuals. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of company profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia.

Advance tickets are available online at www.TahoeSouth.com, and daily during the tournament at the gate. Tickets are also being sold at 127 Raley's, Nob Hill and Bel Air locations throughout Northern California and Nevada.

Daily tickets are $25 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Patron Badge Season Pass, good for admission all six days, will be on sale for $60. Kids 10 and under are free when accompanied with a paid adult.

For the latest details, celebrity tweets, fan contests go to the twitter feed here (https://twitter.com/ACChampionship) @ACChampionship and Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/LTCelebrityGolf). For tournament information: www.TahoeCelebrityGolf.com.