FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014
ANNIKA SORENSTAM, CHARLES BARKLEY, STEPH CURRY AND AARON RODGERS HEADLINE NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF THE AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP
NBC and NBCSN Combine for Nine Hours of Live Coverage of the Premier Celebrity Golf Tournament, Friday, July 18 – Sunday, July 20
NFL, MLB, NHL and Basketball Hall of Famers Join Entertainment Personalities Competing for a $600,000 Purse
“This is the biggest event in celebrity golf. Everyone wants to get invited to it, and everyone wants to win it.” – Golf Channel on NBC analyst Mark Rolfing
NBC Sports Group will celebrate 25 years of coverage this week of the American Century Championship – the nation’s premier celebrity golf tournament – from Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. NBCSN will air the opening round on Friday from 4-7 p.m. ET with weekend coverage on NBC, airing 3-6 p.m. ET both days. Golf Channel will re-air the three rounds of action Saturday-Monday.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM HEADLINES FIELD: World Golf Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam, winner of 89 professional victories worldwide – including 10 major championships –will return to competition this week when she makes her debut at the American Century Championship. She headlines a field of 84 players representing a who’s-who from sports and entertainment, including marquee names Steph Curry and Aaron Rodgers; NFL Hall-of-Famers Steve Young, Jerry Rice and John Elway; MLB Hall-of-Famers Greg Maddux and Ozzie Smith; Basketball Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley and actors/comedians Larry the Cable Guy, Kevin Nealon and Ray Romano. The tournament also will feature defending champion and four-time winner Billy Joe Tolliver, Hollywood actor and two-time winner Jack Wagner and eight-time winner Rick Rhoden. Morning Drive co-host Gary Williams also will compete in the tournament for a second consecutive year.
TOURNAMENT BROADCAST TEAM: Host Bob Papa and analyst Roger Maltbie will anchor coverage from the 18th tower at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. They will be joined by tower reporter Gary Koch and course reporters Mark Rolfing and Notah Begay. Steve Sands will conduct interviews on the 17th tee.
American Century Championship Live Tournament Airtimes
Friday, July 18 NBCSN 4-7 p.m. ET / 1-4 p.m. PT (Live)
Saturday, July 19 NBC 3-6 p.m. ET / Noon-3 p.m. PT (Live)
Sunday, July 20 NBC 3-6 p.m. ET / Noon-3 p.m. PT (Live)
Golf Channel will re-air the broadcasts Saturday-Monday.
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 celebrities will play 54-holes over the 6,846-yard lakeside course at Edgewood.
