Top Field Features Newcomers Colin Jost, The Miz, Jake Owen

& Fan Favorites Justin Timberlake, Charles Barkley, Larry the Cable Guy

at Celebrity Golf’s Pre-eminent Championship on NBC

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., May 16, 2022 – Sports and entertainment superstars will take center stage at Edgewood Tahoe, July 6-10, for the 33rd rendition of the American Century Championship, celebrity golf’s most prominent tournament.

Gallery favorites Justin Timberlake, Charles Barkley, and Larry the Cable Guy will be joined by first time players Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live, The Miz of World Wrestling Entertainment fame, and Jake Owen, country music singer/songwriter to compete for $600,000 and charity fundraising during the 54-hole tournament.

The American Century Championship will be televised nationally Friday-Sunday (July 8-10), with GOLF Channel carrying the opening round on Friday and NBC airing live coverage Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are now available online only in advance at: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com  with daily tickets for Wednesday’s practice round and Thursday’s Celebrity-Amateur at $30, and tournament rounds Friday, Saturday and Sunday at $40 per day. A Grounds Pass for all five days is just $90, a 50% savings.

Vinny Del Negro will defend his title against top celebrity contenders including Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest professional players in history with 72 LPGA Tour wins and eight Player of the Year Awards; Mark Mulder, three-time ACC champion and former Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Pitcher; Mardy Fish, 2020 tournament winner, former tennis star and current captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team; and John Smoltz, MLB Hall of Fame pitcher, 2018 U.S. Senior Open qualifier and Fox MLB analyst.

A contingent of 29 NFL stars are in the field including current quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, 2021 MVP; and Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders. Active players also feature Robbie Gould, 49ers; Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith and Patrick Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

Hall of Famers feature Michael Strahan, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis, Terrell Davis, Brian Urlacher, Charles Woodson; as well as former All-Pros Larry Fitzgerald, DeMarcus Ware, Kyle Williams, and Jim McMahon. Current coaches include Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans, and Herm Edwards, Arizona State.

NBA representation includes Hall of Famers Ray Allen, and local favorite Charles Barkley; defending champ Del Negro; current Miami Heat star Kyle Lowery and Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, making his tournament debut; and Vince Carter, eight-time All-Star and current ESPN analyst.

Women currently in the field include the aforementioned Annika, who’ll be joined by Dylan Dreyer, meteorologist for NBC News and Today; Kathryn Tappen, NBC Sports anchor and on-air personality; and Kira K. Dixon, GOLF Channel reporter and 2015 Miss America.

The lineup of entertainers, actors and comedians features Jost, Miles Teller, Anthony Anderson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Michael Pena, Ray Romano, Rob Riggle, Brian Baumgartner, John O’Hurley, Larry the Cable Guy, Jay DeMarcus, formerly of Rascal Flatts, Jason Scheff, former singer and bassist for Chicago, and Jack Wagner, two-time champion and one of two originals along with Jim McMahon, to have played in all 32 American Century Championships.

Major League Baseball includes Smoltz, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, CC Sabathia, Joe Maurer, Jimmy Rollins, Kevin Millar, Shane Victorino, Tim Wakefield, and David Wells.

Additions to the field will be announced leading up to the championship in July. The current tournament field is available Here.

The 54-hole competition will test the golf skills of more than 80 players, some of whom compete as amateurs and donate their prize money to tournament charities. The American Century Championship has donated over $5 million to non-profits. 

The 2022 American Century Championship will utilize the Modified Stableford format whereby points are awarded by score per hole. Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, a George Fazio design, is rated by Golf Digest Magazine as one of “America’s Top 100 Golf Courses.”

American Century Investments, the title sponsor of the championship since 1998, continues its role in partnership with NBC Sports, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and the South Tahoe community.

For the latest details, photos, celebrity tweets and fan contests using #ACCgolf go to @ACChampionship on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook. For tournament information: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com.

About American Century Investments – Tournament Title Sponsor

American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments’ 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; Sydney; Los Angeles; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.8 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.

About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe was recently designated No. 24 in the World Top 100 Golf Destinations for the best combination of experiences: spectacular golf, dining, attractions, resorts, culture by GolfPass. Tahoe South combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: spectacular natural beauty and a modern tourism destination with an array of outdoor recreation, entertainment, nightlife and gaming. Tahoe’s timeless splendor and diversity toward health and wellness, green business practices and sustainability continue to define its inimitable personality. For information about lodging, recreation, packages, and healthy travel at Tahoe South, call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto www.TahoeSouth.com

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nev., July 11, 2021 – Former NBA player and coach Vinny Del Negro kept his cool on a hot Sunday at Lake Tahoe while others faltered to take home his first American Century Championship title at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, edging John Smoltz in a playoff.

Del Negro, who was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls (2008-10) and the Los Angeles Clippers (2010-2013), choked back tears during interviews following the one-hole playoff win. His father died Wednesday in hospice, two days before the first round of the 54-hole celebrity golf tournament.

“I lost my father this Wednesday, and I wanted to play well for him,” said Del Negro, who played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons. “I thought of him the whole time — every fairway, every shot. What he would tell me: Toughen up. Hit the shot. You’re either good enough or not. Just hit it. And I stuck to my game plan.”

Del Negro birdied the par-5 18th hole to get to 69 points and force the playoff with Smoltz, the MLB Hall of Fame pitcher who had the lead entering the final round.

The duo went back to 18 for the playoff, and Smoltz hit his third shot into the pond fronting the green. Del Negro was on the edge of the green in two and two-putted for another birdie.

It was the fourth playoff in the tournament’s 32 years, and the first since former NFL quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver won in 2013. Del Negro became the first basketball player to win the tournament, which has invited current and former players from all sports over three decades.

Jonathan Thomas, the president and CEO of title sponsor American Century Investments, presented Smoltz with the trophy and a check for $125,000 from the $600,000 purse.

None of the players who had a legitimate chance to win made a run Sunday. Del Negro had 20 points — the tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring system — and had two birdies and two bogeys for an even-par 72.  Smoltz had three birdies in the first eight holes and looked as if he might run away from the field. But he had four bogeys and just one birdie the rest of the way.

“I put myself in really bad spots,” said Smoltz, a commentator for Fox Sports’ MLB coverage. “The only thing I could say is I grinded out the ability to get to the last hole because I had some very plugged lies, and I didn’t play the type of golf you’ve got to play with a two-point lead.”

Tony Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who has won twice here, had 24 points, the best round of the contenders, but he ran out of holes. He finished alone in third with 66 points. LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam had 18 points Sunday and finished fourth with 64 points, followed by actor Jack Wagner (61, 14 on Sunday). Defending champion Mardy Fish finished seventh (58).

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, a fan favorite here, fell just short of covering the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill proposition bet by finishing in the Top 70 of the 88-player field. He wagered $100,000 at 5-to-1 odds that he would accomplish the feat. He finished tied for 76th with minus-28 points, 9 points behind 70th.

The overall winner of the first-ever American Century Championship Fantasy Golf Contest put together a team of Tony Romo, Mike Modano, Alex Smith, Joe Mauer and Sean Payton from the different groups and will receive tickets/airfare/hotel to next year’s tournament plus $10,000 for their charity of choice.

ACC Playoff History

Today’s playoff was the fourth in tournament history:

2013      Billy Joe Tolliver over Mark Rypien, 3 holes

1994      Dick Anderson over Steve Bartkowski and Rick Rhoden, 1 hole

1991      Rick Rhoden over Bill Laimbeer, 1 hole

Images of Vinny’s win: https://www.dropbox.com (Photo credit mentioned in title of image.)

Here’s the list of the amateurs donating to charity (listed in order of finish):

• Romo, Tony
• Pavelski, Joe
• Curry, Stephen
• Williams, Kyle
• Wakefield, Tim
• Curry, Dell
• Slater, Kelly
• Smith, Alex
• Peterson, Patrick
• Whitworth, Andrew
• Allen, Ray
• Baier, Bret
• Canelo
• Gould, Robbie
• Fitzgerald, Larry
• Bilas, Jay
• Mauer, Joe
• Buck, Joe
• Curry, Seth
• Quayle, Dan
• Young, Steve
• Strahan, Michael
• Dixon, Kira K.
• Woodson, Charles
• Cable Guy, Larry the
• Payton, Sean
• Lowry, Kyle
• Carter, Vince
• Smith, Emmitt
• Vrabel, Mike
• Tuck, Justin
• McDermott, Sean
• Dreyer, Dylan
• Romano, Ray
• Michaels, Al
• Sabathia, CC

Audio, video, transcripts and quotes of press conferences available:

• John Smoltz
• Vinny Del Negro (contains an incredible amount of emotion and available at Digital Pigeon link https://ttsgolf.digitalpigeon.com/)

Quick Quotes:

• Annika Sorenstam
• Vinny Del Negro

https://ttsgolf.digitalpigeon.com/

American Century Championship (asaptext.com)

American Century Championship Archives – NBC Sports PressboxNBC Sports Pressbox (nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com).

Getty Images available: American Century Championship Pictures and Photos – Getty Images

Final scores and payouts are available: www.americancenturychampionship.com.

The 54-hole competition tested the golf skills of 87 players, 36 of whom competed as amateurs. Their winnings will be donated to charities.

The 2021 American Century Championship utilized the Modified Stableford format whereby points are awarded as follows: 10 for a double eagle, 8 for a hole in one, 3 for a birdie, 1 for par, 0 for bogey, and minus 2 for double bogey.

American Century Investments, the title sponsor of the championship since 1998, continues its role in partnership with NBC Sports, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course and the South Tahoe community.

For the latest details, photos, celebrity tweets and fan contests using #ACCgolf go to @ACChampionship on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook. For tournament information: www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com.

# # #

About the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe was recently designated No. 24 in the World Top 100 Golf Destinations for the best combination of experiences: spectacular golf, dining, attractions, resorts, culture by GolfPass. Tahoe South combines the distinctive appeal of two worlds: spectacular natural beauty and a modern tourism destination with an array of outdoor recreation, entertainment, nightlife and gaming. Tahoe’s timeless splendor and diversity toward health and wellness, green business practices and sustainability continue to define its inimitable personality. For information about lodging, recreation, packages, and healthy travel at Tahoe South, call 1-800-288-2463 or log onto www.TahoeSouth.com

About American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments’ 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Frankfurt; Sydney; Los Angeles; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40 percent of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, non-profit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40 percent of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.7 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com.

American Century Championship

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

 

John Smoltz

Press Conference

 

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by John Smoltz.

Q: Though it was a very disappointing finish for you after the great week you’ve had and all the things you’ve said, give us your reactions.

JOHN SMOLTZ: Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy for Vinny to win. I love playing with Vinny. He played way better than I did today. Hit his driver really outstanding.

I put myself in really bad spots. The only thing I could say is I grinded out the ability to get to the last hole because I had some very plugged lies, and I didn’t play the type of golf you’ve got to play with a two-point lead. I made just enough shots coming in, big birdie on 16, but a horrible swing on 17. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever hit that tree.

But all in all, I had a chance. I just couldn’t find my swing on 18. Like I said, it’s not a good visual hole for me. I hit two horrible drives.

I had to try that shot in the playoffs. I knew he was a 9-iron in. So live and learn. This one will sting for a little bit, but I’ll learn from it because there’s some things down the stretch I can do different.

Q: I don’t know that you heard, but when Vinny was being interviewed after the round, his dad passed away on Wednesday. And he was very, very emotional afterwards. And I didn’t know if you guys knew that or —

JOHN SMOLTZ: No, he didn’t say anything. Like I said, Vinny is one of the top-class guys I’ve ever met. For anyone to win this — has to be a bittersweet win for him, obviously.

I can’t imagine going through the last three or four days knowing that and trying to play in a golf tournament. So he definitely he earned it. And like I said, I’m happy for him.

Q: As far as the last couple of holes, you said you lost your swing.

JOHN SMOLTZ: I get that way a little bit. I’m grinding out some things physically, but I just didn’t get enough good swings that I needed off the tee. I played almost perfect the first two days off the tee. Today I was either a step in the rough or just didn’t judge some shots very well.

I was in position, but I left too many balls in the bunker. Had a couple of plugged lies in the bunker. So I didn’t make a double bogey all three days. That was my goal. It was to give myself a chance, and a little disappointed on 18 because I had an opportunity with any one good shot to make a birdie.

Now, granted, he had that eagle putt which wouldn’t have mattered. But like I said, he just played better and his driver was fantastic.

Q: What do you take from it? We know it stings and hurts a little bit. As far as saying, okay, tough one, how do I move on? Like you said, I’m going to learn from it.

JOHN SMOLTZ: I guess you could say this has been part of the process of me trying not to — well, I get too angry with myself. And today I just didn’t. I’m frustrated, but I’m a type of person that, through these kind of experiences, I’ll be a better golfer for it than had I not been in this situation.

So it’s not the nerves. It’s just the trust of a swing that disappeared. So it’s easy to say the nerves got me on 18, but they really didn’t. It was just I don’t know what swing I was going to hit on 18. That’s a tough place to be when you feel like you lost the center of your club head, and that’s what happened.

Q: From a follow on of Vinny announcing his father passing, you’re professionals at the top of your sport. You can compartmentalize, for lack of a better term. So Vinny did not mention anything to you about it. Do you think he channeled from his NBA playing days to compartmentalize, to focus on the golf course today?

JOHN SMOLTZ: I think so. I think when you’re heartbroken but trying to focus, you can pull from some things that happened to you in your career. I know — I heard him say a lot, “Lock in, Vinny; lock in, Vinny,” on a lot of different shots. So whatever mental cues he was using and whatever heartfelt feelings he was having, he did not let any of us know what was going on.

I’ve known him for a long time. And you just can’t find a better guy. And my prayers go out to him and his family for losing his dad.

Again, that’s just not something — golf’s hard enough. To play in those circumstances, I tip my hat to him.

American Century Championship

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

 

Vinny Del Negro

Press Conference

 

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by the 2021 American Century Championship winner, Mr. Vinny Del Negro.

Q: How does it feel?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: A little numb. It feels great. Smoltzy and me were going back and forth, and Jack and stuff. We played a lot of golf together over the years. It could have went either way. I just hit my driver well on 18. I was able to make up a couple of birdies in the regulation and then in the playoff.

And just trying to keep my emotions in check, and just hit each shot, focus in on each shot. But it was a grind all day. Didn’t make a lot of putts, left a few short.

We were going back and forth, battling. But I was just fortunate to get it done in the playoff.

Q: Our sympathies with you for the loss of your father on Wednesday.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Everyone is saying, “Why are you walking so fast in the fairway?” And I like to walk fast anyway. But I wanted to walk fast because I was just talking to my dad.

I just wanted to make him proud.

Q: When John Smoltz was up here, the classy guy that he is, came in to talk about it and he said, “Vinny’s one of the best guys out here. We love him. He was talking to himself during the day, ‘stay focused, stay focused.’” He didn’t know the personal situation.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I didn’t really want anybody to know. I spent the last week with my dad before I got here. It was a special time. He’s been struggling. And then I found out Wednesday morning. I just wanted to represent him well, my family, and my wife. And just kept walking and talking and kind of focused in on each shot. Even if I hit a bad shot or bad putt, I never really let it bother me like before. I just stayed in the moment. My caddie, Derk, kept me composed. And we’re in it. We’re in it. Just keep grinding this thing out.

And I was fortunate in the playoff. But at the end of the day you’ve got to hit shots. And I was able to hit them down the stretch for my dad, really. That’s all I was thinking about. However it turned out, it was going to turn out.

I just wanted to go for it on both drives. I hit them good. Had a 9-iron and a pitching wedge in. Didn’t really hit the pitching wedge, a little heavy. I just figured with Smoltzy chipping for five, I just wanted to make sure it was right at the pin and play smart.

But at the end of the day it was all the mindset. It was all the focus. It was all just kind of doing it with my dad.

Q: When you came down to 18 and regulation with that eagle putt, that did not miss by much. When you hit it, did you hit that pretty solid, or was it just get it close, 2-putt?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I pushed it a little bit. I don’t think we read it quite as much, it was going to go left a little more than I thought.

And Smoltzy had like a five-footer for par. I was, like, I want to be aggressive but I don’t want to run it by five, six feet. So I wanted to make sure, make sure it’s a 2-putt. If I can slide it on the right-hand side, great. But if not, we can go into a playoff and play another hole.

I was trying to play smart at that point. Of course I would have loved to roll it in. I think I underread it. I think I came out of it a little bit, but focused on my speed.

Q: Smoltzy made a clutch putt for the playoff.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: He did. We’ve been teammates in events before and we’ve played. And he’s such a great guy and a Hall of Fame pitcher. But besides that, all that stuff, he’s just a great golfer and a great guy. It was fun to play with him today. We were going back and forth.

The same thing with Jack. I played a lot of golf with Jack over the years. It was just — we love to compete. And I was just fortunate to come out on top today.

Q: You’ve been out here, like we’ve mentioned, for 20 years. Jack’s been here for 32 years. Sounds like you’re all buddies. That’s got to help when you’re coming down —

VINNY DEL NEGRO: It does, when you get paired with these guys. But at the end of the day you still have to hit shots. And you can’t worry about where they’re at or what they’re hitting. It’s kind of like I just stayed focused on my game plan with my caddie, Derk, and what we wanted to do, the spots we wanted to hit.

It didn’t always work out that way. I thought I kept it in some good spots, made some good 2-putts when I didn’t hit some great irons into the holes, kind of trying to stay steady and keep putting pressure on John. And, fortunately, I was able to hit some good drives on 18.

Q: You came into this event at 75-to-1 odds in the box. We’re really hoping you put some money on yourself.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I’m not a gambler. I’m not really a drinker. But at the end of the day people can have fun with that. I love the competition. I’m a junkie for that. I love to test myself, compete under pressure, with all the guys. All these guys have been Hall of Fame players in whatever sport, actors, entertainers, whatever it is.

American Century is an incredible first-class — Jonathan Thomas, Cindy, the whole staff makes it special. NBC with Gary Quinn and Jon Miller, the Super Bowl of celebrity golf.

To win it, to be the first basketball guy is very special. But it’s really about the people and the memories and hitting some shots under pressure, which I enjoy.

Q: That was the next question. The first hoopster to win. How good does that feel?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: It feels good. I’m expecting Steph Curry to be up here soon. Ray Allen will be up here soon. They can really play. They’re great buddies. I played with Dell for years and Ray for years. And Steph, not only an incredible basketball player, but an incredible golfer. I expect those guys up here in the near future.

Q: I asked John this when he was up here a little bit ago. So your round today, with your father passing and just saying “stay focused, stay focused,” you guys in the NBA, as athletes, you’re able to compartmentalize and stay get focused at the task at hand. Did you take some of that stuff from your playing days to this weekend to today?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Totally. Every time I walked down the fairway, like I said, it was all listening to stories about my dad when I was playing and coaching, toughen up, make the next shot, don’t worry about what happened in the past. Get it done. Are you good enough or not? Can you handle the pressure or can’t you? Can you hit the shot under pressure or can’t you?

That’s what I thought about. And it really just kind of relaxed me. I never got too upset when I made a bogey or too upset when I hit a bad putt or a bad shot. I focused on the next shot. And I figured if I did that, eventually I could put some pressure on them, Smoltzy or Jack or Annika, or whoever.

And, by the way, I played with Annika Wednesday. I mean, that was such an honor. She’s such a first-class person. And she’s to me the greatest of all time. And just an unbelievable ambassador for golf.

And her husband, Mike, was fantastic. And just to play in a practice round was an honor for me and to play in the tournament against her. She’s such a fantastic person and not only a great player.

Q: Going into today, so we talk a lot in golf about people either sleeping on the lead or getting ready, was there anything different that you prepared yourself for or that you mentally prepared yourself for last night and this morning?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: No, it’s funny. I haven’t slept since Wednesday. I’ve literally slept two hours a night, three hours a night. Up and down. Tossing and turning.

Talking to my sisters, Theresa and Nina, and my mom, getting plans ready for my father’s service next week. And it’s a three-hour time change back in Boston. So it was constant. But I actually enjoyed that. I didn’t really care if I slept. I figure I can sleep this week or whatever. It wasn’t a lot of hours to sleep. That wasn’t important to me.

What was important to me is making sure my mom, my wife, my sisters, everyone is doing okay with everything. And it was a blessing my father passed. He’s been sick for a while. And it was a blessing I got to spend a week with him, talk about a lot of stuff that — he’s been my biggest supporter over the years and just kind of pushed me.

For my dad it was always tough. Push. Believe in yourself. Don’t give up. I’m not sure I would have been an NBA player or been standing here, or been an NBA coach. So he was a tough guy. And I miss him, but I have the memories. And he was a great dad.

Q: I heard you were yelling out “lock it in.”

VINNY DEL NEGRO: That’s what my dad used to tell me. When I would miss a shot or a game, I’d have a good game, he would come to me, why did you miss a free throw. Or I’d have 25 or 30 points in a game, should’ve had 35, whatever it was. You can do better. Lock in. Lock in. Tough it out. Hit the shot. Don’t worry about the last shot. Focus in on this shot.

And that’s what I tried to do. And I just thought about him walking down 18. I kept talking, like, in my head. It kind of calmed me down a little bit because you still have to hit the shot.

I blocked out the fans. Blocked out kind of what I wanted to do, the area I wanted to hit the ball. And I just had him in my head, like — my father wasn’t happy with second place. He wasn’t a second-place type of old school guy. And I wanted to come in first for him.

Q: You did. You had a very long, emotional hug with Jonathan Thomas. Can you tell us about that?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: American Century is first class. What they do for this tournament, what NBC and Jon Miller and Gary Quinn, my buddy do, is second to none. It’s the Super Bowl of celebrity golf.

But Jonathan and Cindy have not only been incredible ambassadors for American Century and what they do for this tournament, they’re also very good friends.

We spend time with them in Arizona where we live and they spend time there. So I was just happy to be the first basketball guy, kind of share this moment with Jonathan. Jimmy Roberts is a buddy. One of my good high school buddies is Steve Ball in New York and me and Jimmy and Steve are good friends. Jimmy and Steve are good friends.

It was nice to share the moment with special people. My caddie, Derk. I talked to my wife. I talked to my mother-in-law. I’m sure I’ve got a bunch of messages and I’ll get to everybody. But this was really about my dad, and I couldn’t let him down.

Q: When John Smoltz was in here, he said he didn’t feel comfortable all day. And about 16, 17 he lost his swing. Did you notice any difference in his play?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: He had a really tough chip — we both didn’t hit great shots on 16. Mine was in the rough, was a little heavy. I kind of pulled it. I was trying to kind of bounce it in there.

I pulled it in the bunker. I left my putt short, which was a mistake. He had a tough lie. And it kind of ran on him. He made the putt. So in my mind it was like, okay, let’s birdie 17 and see what happens and let’s birdie 18, try to get in a playoff. That’s what happens.

John is a competitor. He’s a tremendous golfer. He’s a competitor. He’s a friend. I was just fortunate in the playoff to hit a good tee shot and have a good iron shot into the green.

Q: John mentioned that he did not chip out because he figured, he goes where Vinny was, he was going to knock it on the green and birdie. He said I had to play that. That was his feeling.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I would have done the same thing. I think he had a little bit of a window. It was tight. But I had a pitching wedge or 9-iron or something. He’s got to think in his head I’m probably going to get it on the green somewhere and have a putt at eagle or birdie. So I would have done the same thing if I was him. If I had a window and he was in the fairway I would have went for it as well. I don’t have any problem with that. I was just able to pull it off, and he kind of had a tiny window. So I was fortunate in that aspect.

Q: Given your father’s health, did you consider not coming out here at all? And did you consider going home on Wednesday?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I did. I did, actually, on Wednesday morning, when I heard the news. I was kind of in shock. But I had spent the previous week with him. And he was in hospice. And they weren’t sure if it was going to be a day or a week. I had flown back there because hospice kind of had taken over. And I spent a week with him. We had a beautiful Father’s Day. And we said a bunch of prayers.

My parents renewed their vows, and a good friend of ours, Father Savage, and Katherine, Norman came up. We had a family get-together for Father’s Day, which was beautiful. It was kind of touch and go.

It was like he was having some bad times and then all of a sudden he would kind of rejuvenate. And I talked to him Tuesday. And we had a good conversation. And when I left there, we talked about things and how much this tournament meant to me. And he was kind of like, go there and play well. Go there and play the way you can.

He would come out to Whisper Rock in Arizona, watch me hit balls or play, whatever, years ago. He was like go play, have fun, don’t put so much pressure on yourself and get it done. Man up and get it done. Tough it out. That’s what he was telling me. That’s all I was thinking about.

Then on Wednesday I thought about pulling out, and then I said what would my father want me to do? And he could have — he passed in his sleep, which was a blessing, because he’s had some major health issues the last few years. The last year for sure.

And I just pictured in my head him just talking to me, like, man up, tough it out. Get it done. Don’t worry about me. Get it done. That’s what he would have said. He was an old Italian tough guy. He’s had a triple bypass and strokes and pacemakers. He’s legally blind. He made it to 85. I’ve had my father for 85 years. How lucky am I, a guy that pushed me and was never good enough, and he made me the player and the coach and the person I am.

I just didn’t want to let him down. That’s really what it was. When I was thinking, focusing, I’m, like, man, just hit the shot. Don’t worry about anything else. Don’t worry about anything, just hit the shot. And that’s what I did.

Q: And finally, something fun, you get 125 grand. Do you have any plans for it?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I don’t even care about that. I just care about my dad. I care about celebrating with my wife, my buddies and representing American Century, NBC and the tournament the right way. I’ve been doing it a long time here. It’s been incredible.

To be the first basketball guy to me is special. But of course that’s great. But at the end of the day it’s about the memories. We’re all going to pass sometime, but you’ve got the memories, you know what I’m saying? I’ll think about the shots I hit today, the shots I made, the shots I missed.

But at the end of the day, being able to birdie 18, get in the playoff, birdie 18 again to win it and being under the gun like that, that’s what I live for. That’s what all of us — we’re competitive junkies. I want that moment. Whether I pull it off or not, I was happy to be in that situation.

Q: What did Steph and Seth say to you when they congratulated you?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I played with Dell for a couple of years in Milwaukee. Played against other for years. Dell is such a first-class guy. What he’s done with his family, and how Steph acts — Stephen and their whole family — the way they represent the NBA. But just their class — the way Dell has kind of dealt with that. Steph being such a superstar.

I have so much respect for him and the way he plays the game, represents the game. That’s what it’s all about to me. It’s not about the stats or anything else, it’s about the work on your craft; are you a great teammate? Do you do the right things? And Steph is about all that stuff.

And Dell, I think, instilled all that into him, with his wife and his family. They’ve been friends for years. It was nice that they hung around Derek Lowe and some other guys.

But we’ve played in so many of these events, other events, charity events, whatever, we’re always trying to beat each other and push each other and support each other. Today, when John made some shots or I made some shots it was like “good shot.” It was like camaraderie.

I wanted to win just like they did, but I wanted them to play well. I just wanted to play a little bit better. That’s how it works. It’s a good group of guys that they bring in here over the years.

Q: Did they say something about basketball?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Yes, just being the first guy. I told Steph, I can’t remember, I think I told him, Let’s go, it’s your turn. Because Steph is a heck of a player. But Steph has got to focus on his career right now. I’m a lot older, like his dad. And Steph is a tremendous basketball player. He needs to focus on that.

But what a great swing. What a great guy. And I think in years to come, as his career comes to an end, he’ll be playing a little bit more. And I expect him to be up here as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

American Century Championship

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

Vinny Del Negro

Quick Quotes

 

Q: An emotional Vinny Del Negro. You came here first when you were 35 years old. You’re 54 now. Is this something that you perhaps thought maybe this may or may not ever happen?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Of course. But if you put it in into words — I lost my father this Wednesday. And I wanted to play well for him. I thought of him the whole time, every fairway, every shot, what he would tell me: Toughen up; hit the shot; you’re either good enough or not. Just hit it. And I stuck to my game plan. My caddie, Dirk, who has been with me for years, was fantastic. This is for my dad. I thought of him every shot. He was such — I wouldn’t be here without him. So winning this tournament means so much to me and performing well for him. I can’t tell you what it means. It means the world to me.

Q: I was going to ask where it ranks for you, but I think I have an idea. If you could say something to your father right now, maybe it’s not a fair question, but tell me, what would you say to him?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I did it for you. You’re my rock. I love you. I miss you. And I won this for you.

And man, it’s tough. There’s just so much stuff going through my head. But every shot was, like, for him. Like, every walk was for him. Every putt was for him because I wouldn’t be playing in this thing with him pushing me all those years to play and tough it out and whatever I was doing, playing, coaching, didn’t matter. So this is for my dad. My wife Lynn, everybody, I love you, and I can’t wait to celebrate with them.

American Century Championship

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

 

Annika Sorenstam

Quick Quotes

 

Q: Tell me about your final round today.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was not as sharp as I would like it to be. I made quite a few mistakes out there. And disappointing, but just had a lot of fun. I wish I could have put a little more pressure on the guys earlier, which I didn’t.

Q: Yesterday you were the last person out here on the range yesterday, the putting green. Did it get the juices going from your playing days?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it was fun. I loved it. I told Mike, it’s great to be here. You can really feel it. I haven’t really felt what it’s like to be under the gun like this. And it’s fun. I liked it. I wish I would have executed a little better. But awesome week. Fun guys to play with and I a lot of good out of this. It was fun having the family here. I’ll say just here and there, but I’ve got to sharpen up my game. But nice to be in contention.

Q: What are you going to take from here heading into the U.S.A. Senior Open in a couple of weeks?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously being in the hunt, feeling the pressure of hitting a particular shot at the right time. I was playing more aggressive than I really would, like in stroke play, I probably wouldn’t play this aggressively. But here it’s all about making birdies. I know what I’ve got to shoot and what points. That’s why I was a little nervous again in the end, but that’s the Tahoe format and that’s what I like. Sometimes I get a little too cautious, and I think that hurts me more than helps me.

Q: Tell me about Tony and Steph Curry, just about their games.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Today, Tony’s such a grinding. You can see. He just maybe he didn’t have his A game, but he fought and he made birdies when he needed to.

And Steph, today, wasn’t his best, but he knows how to deliver. He delivered on the last hole. That was fun to see.

John Smoltz is in the lead after a 26-point second round for a total of 51 points. He’s looking for his first win in 11 tries at the American Century Championship.

Vinny Del Negro is in second after a 26-point second round for a total of 49 points. He is also looking for his first win in his 20^th American Century Championship appearance

EXPERIENCE + TRADITION:

Jack Wagner in the hunt with a two round total of 47. Wagner’s last win was 10 years ago in 2011; he also won in 2006. He was the oldest player to win at age 51 in 2011.

Annika Sorenstam is also near the top with a 23-point second round performance for a total of 46. One of the greatest women golfers in history, she has more than 90 world-wide wins. Her last win was in 2008. She would be the first woman to win the tournament.

Images of leaders: https://www.dropbox.com/ (Credit: Norm Duve – American Century Championship).

Will Charles Barkley finish in the top 70? (His quote available as indicated below)

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was rumored to have an improved golf game in the weeks leading up to the American Century Championship celebrity tournament.

It wasn’t all that apparent after Friday’s first round of the 32nd annual tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, but he improved on Saturday and now has a shot at winning $500,000.

Barkley, the fan favorite here who has finished among the bottom three out of roughly 80-90 celebrities in 17 straight ACCs, bet on himself to finish among the top 70 in the field of 88. He said he wagered $100,000 and got 5-to-1 odds, down significantly from when it opened at 17-to-1 at the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.

He opened with minus-16 points on Friday and was tied for 81st place. The tournament uses a modified Stableford scoring system, and players are encouraged to pick up their ball once they have a double bogey (minus-2 points). He had 10 double bogeys.

On Saturday, he had minus-5 points and moved up to 77th place, 7 points behind the pace. He had five pars (1 point) and five double bogeys.

“I played well today,” Barkley said after Saturday’s round, while sweat dripped off his nose. “I made a couple mistakes but I had a really good time playing with these guys (Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott and NBC meteorologist Dylan Dreyer).

“I wasn’t even thinking about the bet — just worried about getting tired walking four days in a row.” Barkley is famous for partying it up at Harrah’s on Saturday night of tournament week. “I’m just going to have fun and watch the (Conor) McGregor fight,” he said.

Ticket Sales: Friday and Saturday’s supply of 5,000 tickets sold-out – the tournament is limiting attendance due to COVID precautions. There is limited availability for Sunday, online only at www.AmericanCenturyChampionship.com for $30 each.

Audio, video, transcripts and quotes of press conferences available:

• Annika Sorenstam
• John Smoltz
• Jack Wagner
• Vinny Del Negro

Quick Quotes:

• Tony Romo
• Stephen Curry

https://ttsgolf.digitalpigeon.com/

American Century Championship (asaptext.com)

American Century Championship Archives – NBC Sports PressboxNBC Sports Pressbox (nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com).

Scores and Saturday pairings/tee times are available: www.americancenturychampionship.com.

Getty Images available: American Century Championship Pictures and Photos – Getty Images

Interview with the winner will be following the broadcast and the trophy presentation approximately 3:00/4:00 p.m. PT. Telecast is scheduled to conclude at 3:00 p.m. PT. Zoom link will be open: https://zoom.us/j/6596390467 and press conferences are streamed on Facebook and Twitter @ACChampionship.

Broadcast air times on NBC on Sunday, July 11 are from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PT.

Korbel Long Drive Competition: A new version of an old favorite event this year, Korbel hosted a Long Drive Competition at the American Century Championship Celebrity Pro-Am Thursday, July 8th. Taking place on Hole 16 with a lively atmosphere filled with music and Korbel bubbles, 46 players competed. Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes’ mighty swing produced a drive of 347 yards for the winning drive and $5,000 to his charity of choice – 15 and The Mahomies Foundation.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen took home second place with a drive of 340 yards, and TJ Oshie, Washington Capitals hockey right winger, placed third with 336 yards. Other players on the top ten leaderboard were Travis Kelce (333 yards), Mardy Fish (326 yards), AJ Hawk (326 yards), Mark Mulder (322 yards), Stephen Curry (321 yards), Justin Tuck (319 yards) and Ray Allen (316 yards yards).

Korbel Hole-In-One Contest: Twelve of the most popular names in sports and entertainment joined together on Friday, July 9^th, during the American Century Championship to compete in Korbel’s annual Hole-In-One Contest. A signature event and fan favorite at the golf tournament, the Hole-In-One Contest took place on Hole 17 of the Edgewood Golf Course. Actor Michael Pena slammed it home with a powerful swing, landing just 16 feet 4 inches from the hole, taking home first place. In honor of his win $5,000 was donated to the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.

The Korbel Hole-In-One contest will air on NBC during the American Century Championship live broadcast Sunday, July 11^th between 3 – 4 PM EST.

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The 32^nd annual, 54-hole tournament is set for Friday – Sunday, July 9-11, taking place at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The 54-hole tournament will be televised nationally by NBC and NBCSN with special coverage on GOLF Channel. The celebrity field of 80-plus sports and entertainment stars includes   Justin Timberlake, Stephen Curry, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Charles Barkley, CC Sabathia, Ray Romano and John Smoltz. The tournament has raised over $5.5 million for national and local charities and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

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American Century Championship

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

 

Vinny Del Negro

Press Conference

 

THE MODERATOR: Vinny, great round today. You played solid.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I played really well on the front. My caddie did a great job, and we just kind of had the lines right, made some putts and got it going early. And made a good birdie on 2. Birdied 3 and 4. Made it happen.

Just making putts. On the backside, got tentative, didn’t hit some good iron shots. Got out of place a little bit off the tee. Grinded my way around the backside a bit. Birdied 18, which was helpful. But I hit some solid shots. Backside not so good. It was a good learning experience and looking forward to tomorrow.

Q: 26 points today. I think you and John Smoltz tied for the most in today’s round. So pretty solid. Looked like there were a couple of short putts on the back that got away from you.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Yes, I 3-putted a couple off the back. Came out of it. Was a little aggressive on 1 and 14. That one got way from me. Didn’t hit a good putt on the second putt. But that’s just golf. You’ve just got to keep the mindset down, just trying to hit my lines, trying to hit my spots.

And it’s going to be fun tomorrow. Played a lot of golf with Jack, a lot of golf with Smoltzy. So it should be fun.

Q: Your game’s improved quite a bit. This is your 19th American Century Championship. So you’ve been one of the guys out here for a long time, having a lot of fun. You’ve always been kind of in the hunt, just in that just a little bit below the top tier. What’s it feel like to be in that rarefied air?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Like John said, staying in the moment. When you make a bogey, not getting too down, just grinding through the round and hitting some solid shots. Trying to put the ball in places where you can be aggressive on the greens and have some uphill putts, because when you get a ball above the hole here, you can be pretty quick.

Then on the backside it can get a little windy, too. Managing that I thought we did a good job today with that.

So just trying to stay in the mindset of just one shot at a time, staying focused on each shot. Trying to hit my mark and rolling in some good putts. In order to roll them, you have to be in the right spots on the greens. I did a good job on the front side, not so well on the backside.

Q: You’ve been in pressure situations throughout your career. This is a different sport for you. How does it feel?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: There’s always pressure, but that’s what it’s all about. We love the competition. We’re competition junkies. That’s what we love. We want to be under the heat. We’ve been under it our whole life in some capacity, whether baseball, football, basketball, whatever. But golf is a difficult sport. We know that. Every round is a little bit different: weather, greens, pin placements, things like that, your swing, mental approach. I’ll just stay in the moment, hit my shots, play my game, and hopefully put the ball in good spots where I can be aggressive on the greens.

Q: Nerves at all?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Yes. Of course there’s nerves. That’s what makes it fun, though. I’m still alive. I’ve got nerves. If anybody says they’re not nervous, then they’re not telling you the truth. That’s what it’s all about, though. You want to be put in those situations. That’s what it’s all about. So I love it. That’s what I enjoy the competition of it.

So is there pressure? Of course. But there’s pressure because you want to play well. But we’re going to go out there and have fun and hopefully — in the Stableford, there’s so many people that can make an eagle, get on a roll or whatever. I got on a roll on the front side. There’s a lot of good players not only in the last group but obviously right behind us.

Q: Was today your best round out here stroke-wise, do you think, over the years?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: No, I’ve had a few other ones in the 28s, 29s, I did. But I think over the years, for whatever reason, the course has gotten a little tougher, you don’t see the scores being quite as good. But I don’t know if it’s the greens, I don’t know if we’re just getting older and it becomes harder, I don’t know.

But golf is difficult, we know that. But we love the competition. I look forward to tomorrow.

Q: Prep tonight? Is it karaoke night or quiet night?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I’ll have some dinner, relax, make some phone calls, talk to my wife and relax with my caddie and some friends that are out here from Paradise Valley, Arizona, Phoenix, Scottsdale area. Same thing, just get some rest and prepare the right way like I have the last couple of days and go out there and try to hit good shots.

Q: Basketball, NBA Finals going on right now. Obviously 2-0 lead. What are your thoughts?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I live in Phoenix. Worked for the Suns for years. Obviously Monty Williams was a teammate of mine in San Antonio. And I coached Chris Paul with the Clippers. They’ve been playing fantastic.

I played for Milwaukee for a couple of years at the end of my career. So Milwaukee has got to go home and take care of business. But Phoenix is playing fantastic. They’re moving their ball. They have home court advantage. But as the series goes on, we’ll see who makes the adjustments and see who steps up and makes the plays.

Q: And Milwaukee came back from a 2-0 deficit earlier. Do you think that’s another possibility?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: For sure, because with Giannis and Middleton and Holiday and their team, they’ve been in this situation before. Nothing’s going to be given to you. They’ll have to earn everything. And hopefully they’ll play well at home.

But I expect Phoenix has played well on the road all year. They have a great back court. Their chemistry, their ball movement has been fantastic. Ayton’s played well for them. They’re going to go on the road with confidence, they’re going to try to steal a game, and take full control of the series.

Q: Your best finishes were 8th in 2015 and tied for 7th last year. Now you’re so far ahead of those scores. What’s the difference this year?

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I’m not sure. Just probably my mindset, just kind of just feeling good over the golf ball and my caddie’s lining me up well. And kind of preparing for the tournament the last week or so but I really wasn’t playing a lot, hitting a bunch of balls, not playing a lot of rounds.

I play a little bit at Whisper Rock where I’m a member in Scottsdale, Arizona. Just feel good. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. It’s golf, so anything can happen.

Q: And it’s Tahoe, the wind could pick up.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: Yes, a little lower ball. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully hit them in good spots and roll some putts.

Q: Are you surprised by how well you’re doing right now? Like he said, 7th and 8th, and working on your game.

VINNY DEL NEGRO: I think the guys said it well earlier. You tend to put so much pressure on yourself because it’s such a fun event. We’ve played in it for so many years. We all play in different tournaments together. We’ve competed against each other at our home courses or theirs in tournaments or whatever.

I think it’s just we’re all just so competitive, we just want to win. And I think it puts a little bit of extra pressure on you. I think I’ve done a good job of just relaxing, enjoying the moment, hitting good shots. When I didn’t hit good shots, okay, focus in on the next one. I’ve been able to do that the last couple of days. So hopefully that will continue.

American Century Championship

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

Edgewood Tahoe

 

John Smoltz

Jack Wagner

Press Conference

 

THE MODERATOR: We have John Smoltz and Jack Wagner right in the hunt. Nice round. Way to play.

John, let’s start with you, start with the finish, eagle on 18; 51 total points; 26 today; 25 yesterday. Nice consistent round. Tell us about 18. 18’s been fun the last couple of days.

JOHN SMOLTZ: 18 is my worst hole. I’ve been in the fairway maybe a couple times. It just didn’t fit my eye. I decided for the first time to hit a 3-wood, and I got it in the fairway, could hit a nice 8-iron pin high, and I don’t get many eagles out here. I feel like I should. But that’s a great feeling to know when you can see the scoreboard, knowing that the putt puts you in the lead. That was a good feeling to make that putt.

Q: Driver, 8-iron to about 10 feet?

JOHN SMOLTZ: 3-wood.

Q: Muldy on TV said he’s hitting a 3-wood, smart move.

JOHN SMOLTZ: I’m a slow learner, but I’m learning.

Q: Jack, back-to-back great rounds. 24 points yesterday. 23 today. Way to be solid. You’re right there. How was it out there?

JACK WAGNER: It was a good group today. I enjoy playing with John. Mike Modano struggled a bit. I made one bad swing today on 10. It cost me it. I hit it in the water. Just made a double.

I finished, I think, 2- or 3-under from there. So I didn’t lose it. And that’s been my tendency as I’ve gotten a little older, not to be able to keep my grind. I made a big putt, long putt on 18. John looked at me said, you know, you only make them from 40 feet. So I made a couple bombs today. We had fun out there and had some good golf.

Q: I guess the theme here is experience, not age. Because, John, you mentioned I want to win this and be the oldest of all time.

JOHN SMOLTZ: And if he wins it he’s the oldest.

Q: You’ve got Annika right there, too.

JOHN SMOLTZ: There’s so much firepower behind us. It’s not — this format, as Mike Modano showed yesterday, so much can change down the stretch. So it’s going to be fun for me. I only have two other experiences going in with the lead and that’s the two Diamond Resorts tournaments. I’m just going to kind of pull off of that and see if I can continue to stay aggressive when you’re supposed to and stay away from the big number.

Q: You’ve won this twice, Jack. You’ve got to have some confidence going into it. You’ve got to know what the expectation is. So what it’s been 10 years but you still have a memory, right?

JACK WAGNER: I’m so excited to be in the hunt and be in the final group or second to last group, whatever, it’s been a while. But John hit the ball beautifully today. And that’s what it takes out here. He had maybe one bad iron or two bad irons.

Otherwise, he knows you’ve got to keep yourself in play. You’ve got to hit some greens and just hope you can make a few putts. Because not everybody’s going to make eagles. They’ve separated — I think there’s about four of us in the high 40s. John’s at 50 something. It’s going to be tough for somebody around 40 or 41 to win this golf tournament. It’s going to come from the last group or two.

That’s what it takes. Keep your nerve out there and to really — I really think for me is to really stay in the shorter putts. That’s where I struggle on the greens is just keeping my head down and knocking those things in the hole. Because it builds confidence. I think John will attest, when you make a four- or five-footer hits as good as hitting a good iron.

JOHN SMOLTZ: I missed short putts on 8 and 9, messes with you. The two bogeys coming into the back nine. You’ve got to do what Jack said, you’ve got to be confident in your stroke; you feel the read and make the putts. But these greens, they’ll get in your head. I’m living proof of that for the last 11 years.

Q: Going into tomorrow, John, you’ve mentioned, hey, you really want to win this one; it’s really important to you. What’s going to be the thought process tonight?

JOHN SMOLTZ: I’m not going to lie. I’m going to look at the leaderboard as many times as I can. I’m one of those guys I will look at it because I want the information. So I think it helps.

I know a lot of people don’t do it. They just play their game and try to make as many putts. To me, the biggest key I found, like even from the last couple of experiences, if you get a couple birdies early, it helps relax you. And really that’s the key, because you know the point value and you know how to do the math.

Coming into 16, no lead is safe. You’ve got to have a significant lead going into 16. So I’ll be paying attention to everything that’s going on. But more importantly for me, I’ve learned a lot of patience through some of the other tournaments that I played in. And that’s what it takes. Because today was — I think today was a pretty long round. And in the past I don’t know that I could have stayed in the moment like this time.

Q: Jack, going into tomorrow, what are your thoughts? How are you going to calm yourself, get yourself ready and give it your shot?

JACK WAGNER: Not to sound corny, but I really work on my breathing to stay in the present moment. And if I can just, for me, like I said earlier, just try to make a few good swings and give myself some chances. John’s not won. Annika’s not won here. Vinny’s not won here. So if I’m not going to win, I hope they have a great round because it’s such a special event to win. And I would really love to win it again, but I’ve got to shoot in the 60s for sure tomorrow, probably, to have a chance being behind four or five points.

Q: Are you thinking, you’ve got an Annika Sorenstam out here, who is probably the greatest woman golfer in history.

JACK WAGNER: Ever.

Q: How many times she’s won eight-time player of the year; does that get in your head this was her game, we’re playing her game?

JOHN SMOLTZ: Fortunately I’ve played a few times with her. So I’ve had a blast playing when she was ranked No. 1 in the world and Tiger was No. 1 in the world, we were in the same group. Believe me, she’s not going to hit many balls in the rough. We are. She’s not. The par-5s might be a little of a challenge from reaching it, but she’s not going to put herself in any position but birdie putts.

And that’s what Jack said is you’ve got to do. There’s holes to be aggressive and there’s holes to lay back. It’s a beautifully designed course with some trees that I know a lot of people are cursing at when you hit them.

But it really comes down to keeping the ball below the hole. The first time she played in it, her husband, of course, is caddying, and the pro came out and said, Hey, this greens are the best they’ve ever been. But watch out for the rough because it’s the highest and most thick it’s ever been.

He goes, We’re never going to be in the rough. We don’t care about the rough.

And that’s her game. She just carves up a golf course.

JACK WAGNER: I’m not going blow the hole, just playing for 40 feet. Need to be 40 feet.

JOHN SMOLTZ: If you watch the tapes, that’s what you do.

JACK WAGNER: We have a game plan.

Q: How many did you make from 40 feet today?

JOHN SMOLTZ: He made three really long putts. Two bombs.

JACK WAGNER: Two from 40 and maybe one from 30 or something, which is, I don’t know, those very rarely happen to have two or three in a day is very unusual. But I’ll take it.

Q: The crowd seemed to be in it big time today. They were loud on the meter. What did it feel like out there?

JOHN SMOLTZ: It’s been awesome. I know it’s not, I guess, total full capacity, but it sure feels like it. There’s nothing — I’ve got a couple people who have come here for the first time. When you turn to the right on 17, you just can’t, there’s nothing like it.

And this course, with the fans, is everything, because last year was just weird. And we know why. So there’s no doubt you have to play in it a few times to come down the stretch to catch your breath, as Jack said, to breathe right, because there’s so much energy on 17 and 18, you’ve got to be able to hit a calm shot.

Q: Jack, is the breathing part, is that from the Tiger Woods school or is that from the Jack Wagner school?

JACK WAGNER: You know, I taught Tiger a lot of things. (Laughter). No, no, that’s from the Jack Wagner school of keep your mind calm and don’t try to make a fool of yourself.

Q: Jack, you’re the only non-athlete to win. But you did say in past years you work out on the elliptical. Are you still on the elliptical?

JACK WAGNER: Yes, hard. Crazy. I’m a madman. Push-ups, elliptical. And they don’t call me a non-athlete.

(To Smoltz) What are you laughing at?

JOHN SMOLTZ: Nothing. I know he works out more than I do. That puts me to shame.

Q: John, after you left here, when you were here in the interview room the other day, Phil walked by and I said, did it seem to you like John was the most relaxed as he’s ever been here in a pre-event, in a pre-competition press conference? And I thought if there’s somebody that’s turned a switch, it was you, just from your attitude and your responses the first day or first press conference. So has there been any changes? What flipped the switch for you?

JOHN SMOLTZ: I had to make a change, because I make no bones about it. I want to win this tournament probably more than anybody. That’s probably why I haven’t won it. But I had to learn to just accept whatever happens. I’m pretty hard on myself when it comes to playing games, playing golf and hitting shots. And I’ve done a really good job of not getting overheated with your brain.

So that is a lot to do with my caddie, Greg Olson, because back in the day when he would catch me, I’d shake him off and tell him I want to throw this pitch. But he knows how to keep me moving in the right direction. But, yes, that’s a fair assessment, because I had to change something, because golf’s not a game of aggression. You can’t hit it farther by swinging harder. So that’s what I’ve done.