Popular Superstar’s Hole-in-One, Eagle on Final Hole, and Wire-to-Wire Win Establish All-Time Precedents
July 20, 2023 (SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif/Nev.) – Thank you, Steph Curry.
The four-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and 9-time All-Star guard transferred the same sense of drama, style, energy and clutch play exhibited on the basketball court to the golf course this past weekend, winning the American Century Championship. Curry dropped a do-or-die 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole to capture the 34th annual event, a victory that registered 10 on the celebrity tournament’s Richter scale of excitement and interest. www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com
The unprecedented performance of the Golden State Warriors superstar garnered national attention Friday when he took the first-round lead, punctuated it Saturday with a hole-in-one and his joyous celebration and spontaneous 150-yard sprint to the green, then topped it off Sunday when it was all on the line, dropping that electric eagle putt on the final hole to claim victory.
Curry, a gallery favorite, became the first active athlete since 2000 – and only one of six since the event began in 1990 — to win the tournament. He earned 75 points in the modified Stableford scoring system which awards points per hole based on score. His four eagles, including the ace — believed to be a new tournament record, earned 26 of his total points. His weekend exploits exploded over NBC’s network television coverage, social media, and news outlets around the country. Having an iconic superstar athlete in his prime at the top of the leaderboard for three days – Curry became just the third player in the tournament’s history to lead wire-to-wire — captured interest and attention from all quarters.
Television ratings for the tournament on NBC Sports delivered the largest Sunday audience for the event since 2004 across NBC, GOLF Channel and Peacock, peaking at 2.6 million views in the last 15 minutes of the broadcast. Furthermore, Curry’s hole-in-one coverage via social media yielded more than 30 million impressions. The gallery of 76,810 also established a new high for attendance at Edgewood Tahoe, while publicity value for coverage was a mind-boggling $180 million with an audience reach of 10 billion-plus.
National media exposure included the Associated Press, Today show, ESPN, SI.com, Golf.com, The Athletic, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Post, and network and major market television and radio affiliates throughout the country, plus dozens of national sports radio, podcasts and social media platforms. The celebrity field even captured Hollywood’s interest with Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and People Magazine on-site.
“The story as it unfolded throughout the week and the climatic ending for this year’s American Century Championship couldn’t have been scripted,” said Carol Chaplin, President and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “The energy from the celebrities, fans, volunteers, and staff paired with Tahoe’s breathtaking scenery translated incredibly well on television. The national broadcast, media coverage and social media exposure reinforced Tahoe as a leading year-round destination.” The financial impact from lodging stays, restaurant covers, recreational activities, gaming, shopping, related purchases, and tax collections combined with the exposure value is estimated at $30 million in long range impacts. www.visitlaketahoe.com.
With just over one-third of the $600,000 purse claimed by celebrities who chose to maintain amateur status over accepting money, including Curry’s winning share of $125,000, that amount will instead be donated to tournament and local non-profits, adding to the more than $7 million previously generated.
Golf’s preeminent celebrity tournament included a field of 92 stars featuring Tony Romo, Charles Barkley, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, John Elway, Annika Sorenstam, Miles Teller, Mardy Fish, Joe Pavelski, 17 sports Hall of Famers and dozens of All-Stars, as well as Grammy and Emmy award-winning entertainers, comedians and actors.
American Century Investments celebrated its 25th anniversary as the tournament’s title sponsor, one of the longest associations in golf, and just prior to the event signed a six-year extension with NBC taking it through 2029 to the tournament’s 40th anniversary.
The 2024 American Century Championship is July 10-14 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. With Steph Curry as its defending champion…
Additional images here; Photo Credit: American Century Championship.
About American Century Investments – Tournament Title Sponsor
American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments’ 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; Sydney; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, nonprofit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40% of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.8 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.
About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe was recently designated No. 24 in the World Top 100 Golf Destinations for the best combination of experiences: spectacular golf, dining, attractions, resorts, culture by GolfPass. Visit Lake Tahoe combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: unparalleled natural beauty and an array of world-class outdoor recreation, entertainment, nightlife and gaming. As a responsible tourism destination, it offers a balanced approach regarding social and environmental impacts to preserve its appeal for generations. For information about lodging, recreation, events, and mindful travelat Visit Lake Tahoe, call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto www.VisitLakeTahoe.com.
# # # # #
For further information, contact:
Phil Weidinger
Weidinger Public Relations
775-588-2412 (West Coast)
dinger@weidingerpr.com
Steve Griffith
Vizion Group
484-433-7757 (East Coast)
sgriffith@VizionGroup.net
