STATELINE, Nev. – Former ATP Tour tennis player Mardy Fish posted 20 points with a consistent performance in the final round of the American Century Championship on Sunday and it was enough to capture his third title in the annual celebrity competition.
Fish, also a former U.S. Davis Cup team captain, had three birdies and four bogeys, finishing with a total of 72 points to edge defending champion and former NHL player Joe Pavelski (66 points) in the 37th tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
“It was kind of a weird round today,” said Fish, who also won in 2020 and 2024.
He four-putted the par-5 third hole and made bogey. On the sixth, after three straight bogeys, he said he did a mental reset and then played the final 13 holes at 2-under par.
“I did enough to win,” he said. “I didn’t play my best today, but I did enough.”
Pavelski, the first-round leader, had just one birdie through the first 14 holes. “It was tough. I had a few opportunities to make it a real race,” he offered after posting his fifth straight top-three finish.
Fish became the sixth celebrity to reach three titles, joining Rick Rhoden, Dan Quinn, Billy Joe Tolliver, Mark Mulder and Tony Romo. Rhoden, a former major league pitcher, holds the record with eight victories.
Fish, 44, won $150,000 from the $750,000 purse and took home the White Lab Coat, introduced this year by American Century Investments in honor of ACI founder Jim Stowers and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.
NBA superstar Stephen Curry was the only player near the lead to make any sort of run, putting up five birdies on the day. But the Golden State Warriors guard and 2023 winner here also had four bogeys and two double bogeys. He finished alone in third with 59 points, one point ahead of Annika Sorenstam.
“Obviously you’d love to have played a little bit better and be in contention,” said Curry, a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors. “Golf game is in shape, but just too many mistakes in the middle of the round.”
Sorenstam, who won 72 times on the LPGA Tour, including 10 majors, birdied two of her first four holes to take the early lead, but had a pair of double bogeys and no more birdies the rest of the way.
“Obviously extremely disappointed,” Sorenstam said. “The first five holes was very steady and fine. But no, I played a little too aggressively and I didn’t make the putts I needed to.”
The 54-hole tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring system that rewards points for eagles (6), birdies (3) and pars (1). Bogeys are worth zero points and double bogeys or worse are minus-2 points.
Fan favorite Charles Barkley had one of his best-ever rounds Sunday with minus-4 points, but it wasn’t enough to move into the top 63. Caesars Sportsbook offered a proposition bet where bettors could wager on him finishing better or worse than the top 63.5 in the field of 90.
“I always appreciate the support,” Barkley said after his final round. “I’m going to keep battling and keep going.”
Former pitcher John Smoltz finished alone in fifth place (55), and former NFL quarterback Romo finished sixth (52).
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