By Jeremy Evans
Nevada Appeal News Service
Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, July 4, Memorial Day and Labor Day. Those are the South Shore's busiest times of year.
After 18 years, it's probably safe to go ahead and include the American Century Championship on that list. The 19th edition of the nationally televised celebrity golf event begins this week at Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, but it's become more than a weekend golf tournament.
"The event itself has grown into six days, which shows the pull it has to bring people into the area," said Carol Chaplin, president of the Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority. "The immediate impact of the event is great because people who arrive sleep, eat and play in our town. And the exposure on television keeps Tahoe in the travel destination consciousness for the summer."
The festivities kick off on Tuesday with the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Am tournament. Those expected to participate in the event are former National Football League stars Jerry Rice, Billy Joe Tolliver, Lynn Swann, former National Hockey League star Brett Hull and Olympic women's soccer gold medal winner Brandi Chastain.
Two other celeb-am events are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday before first-round action of the 54-hole tournament begins on Friday with more than 80 celebrities in the sports and entertainment industries.
Among the biggest stars scheduled to arrive this week are Michael Jordan, Emmitt Smith, Charles Barkley and Donald Trump.
Former NFL quarterback Chris Chandler surprised the usual suspects by winning his first ACC title last year. This year, he will try and become the tournament's first repeat winner since Dan Quinn (2001-2002) and only the second since the tournament's inception in 1990.
Chandler's stiffest challenge will likely come from former Major League Baseball pitcher Rick Rhoden, a six-time ACC champion, former NHL center Quinn, a four-time ACC winner and former NFL quarterback Billie Joe Tolliver, a two-time winner.
Soap opera star Jack Wagner, one of six celebrities to participate in all 19 tournaments, has long been one of the field's best golfers and finally broke through and claimed the $125,000 winner's check of the $600,000 prize purse in 2006.
The tournament set a week-long attendance record last year, attracting nearly 27,000 spectators to Edgewood. ESPN2 will provide live coverage of the event on Friday, then NBC takes over TV duties on Saturday and Sunday.
"The event has such a huge economic impact for the community," said tournament media director Phil Weidinger, whose public relations firm has helped promote the event since 1992. "The casinos are sold out, the restaurants are full, and that trickles down to the rest of the businesses.
"Gaming is big, cocktails, food and beverage are big. And all of that spreads through town. It's just become a major event."
Tahoe Daily Tribune reporter Sara Thompson contributed to this report.