American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament gets underway drawing plenty of fans
The American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament returned to South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday as thousands of families came out searching for a chance to interact with their favorite celebrity. The 2024 tournament features athletes Travis and Jason Kelce, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, Davante Adams, actor Miles Teller and many more. Defending champion Steph Curry will not be playing this year due to his commitment to the USA Olympic Basketball team.
Many Folsom residents are regular attendees at this amazing week of charity golf with the close proximity of the tournament. San Wright, who attends St. John Notre Dame School is one of the lucky kids that was chasing autographs and pictures at the Celebrity-Am on Wednesday. “It’s been really fun, all the celebrities have been, like, really nice. This is my third year coming with my friends”, Wright commented.
Attendees for the Celebrity-Am and practice rounds get a rare opportunity to walk with and talk to their favorite cerebritis while they play prestigious Edgewood Tahoe. For most, it’s a one in a lifetime opportunity, or at least until they come back next year. Every year, new celebrities and athletes are added to the tournament. This year, one of those is retired baseball player and current Fox Sports commentator Alex Rodriguez.
“It’s great to be with friends for a good cause. It’s my first time here and I’m a longtime fan of the tournament. It’s great on TV but it’s so much more fun when you’re here”, Rodriguez stated between hole 17 and 18 Wednesday.
9-year-old Mason Facino of Folsom was attending the tournament with his family and walked between the famous 17th and 18th holes for a few hours Wednesday, getting pictures and autographs. “My favorite part of celebrity golf is getting signatures from players. The best one today was Aaron Rodgers,” said Facino. Like most fans that attend, Facino looks forward to coming back every year.
Tickets are still available for Thursday’s Celebrity-Am round which usually runs until roughly 5pm. The actual tournament, which was won by Warriors legend Steph Curry last year, runs Friday through Sunday. Currently, tickets are only available for Sunday, as Friday and Saturday sold out early this week, and run $40 for adults. Kids get in free with a paid adult. For complete ticket information visit www.americancenturychampionship.com.
Folsom’s Mason and Ledger Danz get autographs from Andrew Withorth (above) who were among several Folsom residents that made their way to the green in South Lake Tahoe Wednesday as the Celebrity Golf Tournament kicked off. Photos by Bryan Greenwalt.
