The Kansas City Chiefs won’t have any players represented at this year’s American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe as the popular golf tournament returns in July.
This year marks the 35th edition of the golf tournament known as the “Super Bowl of Celebrity Golf.” The 54-hole tournament, which raises funds for local and national charities, will take place from Wednesday, July 10th, through Sunday, July 14th. It airs on NBC, with special coverage on Peacock and Golf Channel. At stake is a purse of $750,000, with a $150,000 first prize award.
Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to veteran Carolina Panthers wide receiver and tournament participant Adam Thielen to discuss this year’s crop of talent from the NFL and his thoughts on Patrick Mahomes’ golf game.
“He and many guys in the NFL love to play the game,” Thielen said of Mahomes. “Our offseasons are a great time to be down south somewhere and play a lot of golf. So, a lot of guys love to play. I mean, Pat is a guy who has a ton of ability. I think once he gets more rounds under his belt, and I know he’s super into it, I think he’s got a little golf hole in his backyard in Kansas City, so I know he’s super into it. He’s got a ton of ability. So the more reps he gets, the more golf is just a game where you need reps, the practice, and the rounds played to be competitive.”
While Mahomes and Travis Kelce aren’t competing this year for the first time after four consecutive appearances, the tournament boasts plenty of football headliners along with Thielen. The NFL stars included in this year’s event are Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Josh Allen, Doug Pederson, Steve Young, John Elway, Jerry Rice, and newcomer Trevor Lawrence.
“I think when he gets that down, he’s going to be tough,” Thielen explained. “He’s a tough player. But yeah, there’s a lot of guys that play. We had an NFLPA Player Association event this year and got to see a lot of guys that, you know, maybe never played with or seen play golf, and many guys got a lot of potential.
“A lot of guys that love to play the game, even in our locker room. There are a lot of guys who want to play golf and get better but just haven’t had a lot of access to it until they get into the NFL and are around it. So it’s cool to see those guys getting into the game.”
2023 winner Stephen Curry will also be unavailable due to his commitment to this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.