Baseball greats Chipper Jones and Ivan Rodriguez sign on to Tahoe celebrity golf tourney
Two future Major League Baseball Hall of Famers — Chipper Jones and Iván Rodríguez — are the latest to join the field of 80 sports legends and entertainment celebrities at the 24th annual American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe South, July 16-21.
The superstar baseball lineup brightens the celebrity wattage with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers, Stephen Curry, John Elway, Bode Miller, Ray Romano, Larry the Cable Guy, Jerry Rice, Brian Urlacher and J.R. Smith. The sport’s longest-running and most prominent celebrity golf tournament will be contested at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and aired on NBC Sports with players vying for the $125,000 winner’s share of the $600,000 purse.
Jones played his entire 19-season career with the Atlanta Braves as its star third baseman and left fielder. He has the most career RBIs for a third baseman and trailed only Eddie Murray on the all-time switch hitters career RBI list. The first round ballot Baseball Hall of Fame is considered one of the best switch hitters ever, the only one to have a .300-plus career batting average and 400 or more home runs. Jones ended his career in 2012 as a .303 hitter with 468 home runs, 1,512 walks, and 1,623 RBI in 2,500 games with 8,989 at bats.
Rodríguez is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of all time. He set a MLB record by catching 2,227 games, passing Carlton Fisk. During his career, he had the best caught stealing percentage of any catcher, at 45.68 percent. Rodríguez played with six teams during his career, the majority with the Texas Rangers. Rodríguez won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003, and also played in the 2006 Fall Classic with the Detroit Tigers.
Other first-timers at this year's tournament include former MLB All-Star Tim Wakefield, NFL Hall of Famer John Randle; former NFL Pro-Bowl wide receiver Andre Reed, former NBA All-Star Detlef Schrempf; and blue collar comedians Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall.
Tournament title sponsor American Century Investments is a leading, privately-controlled investment management firm serving professionals, institutions, corporations and individuals. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of company profits support research to help find cures for genetically-based diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia.
Advance tickets are available online at www.TahoeSouth.com. Discount tickets are also being sold at 127 Raley's, Nob Hill and Bel Air grocery store locations throughout Northern California and Nevada. During the tournament, tickets are available daily at the gate.
Daily passes are $15 for the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Amateur on Tuesday, July 16; practice round on Wednesday, July 17; and the American Century Celebrity-Amateur on Thursday, July 18; and $25 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A Patron Badge Season Pass, good for admission all six days, are $60. Kids 10 and under are free when accompanied with a paid adult.
For the latest details, celebrity tweets, fan contests go to @ACChampionship on Twitter and Instagram and facebook.com/LTCelebrityGolf. For tournament information: www.TahoeCelebrityGolf.com.
For real time updates on events, promotions, packages, conditions and events in Tahoe South, The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TahoeSouth, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TahoeSouth, YouTube: www.youtube.com/LTVA. For Tahoe South information: 1-800-288-2463 or www.tahoesouth.com.
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