ACC golf tournament adds first-timers Rodriguez, Pujols and Lawrence

Sports figures Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Trevor Lawrence will all join the field and make their initial appearance at the 35th annual American Century Championship, according to a Tuesday news release.

The event is July 10-14 at Edgewood Tahoe.

Rodriguez was one of the sport’s biggest stars over a 22-year Major League Baseball career (1994-2016) with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. His career marks include 696 home runs, 3,115 hits, 2,086 RBI and a lifetime batting average of .295. He won three MVP awards and was a 14-time All-Star.

Pujols is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer based on a 22-year career (2001-2022) with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He amassed similar numbers to A-Rod: 3,384 hits, 703 home runs, 2,218 RBI, and a career batting average of .296. He earned three MVP awards.

Lawrence will be entering his third season as quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was the NFL’s No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft.

Lawrence will be among the 17 currently active players in the tournament field.

Also joining the field for the first time are actor Rob McElhenney of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”; Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers; Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts; Blake Griffin, former NBA star; Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers; John Carlson, Washington Capitals; and Chris Harrison, former host of “The Bachelor.”

The three-day, 54-hole competition awards a $750,000 purse, with $150,000 to the winner, plus a charity component for local and national non-profits.

NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock will combine to televise all three days of competition.