Charles Barkley watches his ball flight after a shot during the second round of the 2023 American Century Championships at Edgewood Golf Course. The bookmakers are stacked against Barkley finishing inside of the top 75 this year.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
The American Century Championships at Edgewood Golf Course are scheduled for next weekend and several entrants are excited about how the field is shaping up.
Last year’s champion, Steph Curry, will not compete as he opted to play for Team USA basketball in the Olympic Games.
Mardy Fish is the odds makers favorite to win after winning the event in 2020.
The former tennis professional has consistently been one of the best in the field.
Former baseball great John Smoltz said it’ll be Fish and former tournament winner Tony Romo at the top of the leaderboard.
“Mardy Fish is very familiar with winning on our tour, and he's the guy that we have to beat. Obviously Tony Romo,” said Smoltz. “So very competitive field. But Mardy Fish, always a tournament favorite.”
Smoltz had a scary moment on a course a couple weeks ago when he was hit in the head by a ball, but he says he’s doing fine.
“I got hit in the head right above the eye, about 100 mph. Hardest I've ever been hit,” said Smoltz. “So the only thing I really have is some hearing problems, but other than that I'm glad that's all I'm dealing with.”
Smoltz went on to touch on the losses of two Bay Area sports icons in Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda.
“I mean, it's almost a passing of, like, so much greatness that one organization has had, and obviously what they meant to the game on and off the field,” Smoltz said.
THE STAKES
One of the classic wagers for the ACC is where Charles Barkley will finish.
In past year’s his new swing has been a story, but Chuck is yet to crack the top 70.
This year, the standard has shifted a little bit as he is +125 to finish 75th or better while the bookmakers still see it as more likely he will miss that threshold (-155).
Barkley was 81st in 2023.
“I don't think he's going to be in that top 75. I think he's going to just miss it by a few shots,” said Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.
NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (or soon to be as he will be inducted in August) will be competing against a group of other Hall of Famers that are all roughly 300-1 to win the event.
Included in that group alongside Freeney are Charles Woodson, Marcus Allen and potential future NHL Hall of Famer Matthew Tkachuk.
“Let's see, Charles Woodson, I have a good chance,” said Freeney. “I'm going to beat those guys. I'm going to beat them.”