SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nev. (AP) — Former tennis player Mardy Fish won the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament for the second time Sunday, holding off NHL player Joe Pavelski by four points.
The 42-year-old Fish had a 26-point round at Edgewood Tahoe under the modified Stableford scoring system to finish at 83, one short of the record set by Billy Joe Tolliver in 2010. Players receive a point for par, three for birdie and six for eagle and two points are deducted for double bogey or worse.
“I’ve won a few of the celebrity golf tournaments, and so I felt comfortable kind of coming into here having won in Dallas and in Maine,” said Fish, also the 2020 winner. “And this is the one you really want to win. American Century is really the Super Bowl, culminating the rest of the year.”
Pavelski, the Dallas Stars forward who has said he’s likely retiring after 18 NHL seasons, scored 29 points Sunday.
“When you’re chasing Fish down, you know you’ll have to go and get it and win it. So, we were going to have to make a few putts,” Pavelski said. “I felt I chipped into his lead a little bit. Then all of a sudden it was gone.”
Former LPGA Tour star Annika Sorenstam was third at 68 after a 27-point round.
Charles Barkley had his best showing in the event, tying for 58th with minus-four points. He previous best was 60th in 1995.
“It feels really good,” Barkley said. “I put a lot of time and effort in. I’ve been working hard for he last few years. The last couple of years actually haven’t been bad. I played really, really well the first two days and I’m proud about today’s round because I started out struggling and found a way to get it together.”
Fish earned $150,000 from the $750,000 purse.
