Joe Pavelski captured the American Century Championship on Sunday at Edgewood Tahoe, securing a wire-to-wire victory in the celebrity tournament. The former NHL player closed with an eagle to beat former MLB pitcher John Smoltz by nine points.
Pavelski, who just turned 41 on Friday, racked up 29 points in his final round under the modified Stableford scoring system to finish with 73 total points. It’s a significant breakthrough after finishing second to former tennis player Mardy Fish last year.
“I don’t know what to say, actually,” Pavelski said. “But just an amazing week. This place is incredible. It means the world to me.”
The victory earned Pavelski $150,000 from the $750,000 purse.
Smoltz made a strong push with 28 points in his final round but couldn’t catch the leader.
“I was trying to put heat on anybody, the top three,” Smoltz said. “I was just trying to climb as many people as I could.”
Country music star Jake Owen rounded out the top three with 62 points after posting 21 in the final round.
Taylor Twellman, who shared the second-round lead with Pavelski, couldn’t maintain his momentum. The former soccer player managed just 17 points on Sunday to finish fourth at 61 points.
NBA superstar Stephen Curry, who won the event in 2023, finished fifth with 58 points after a 23-point final round.
Charles Barkley, a fan favorite despite his notorious golf swing, finished 69th in the 90-player field with minus-17 points.
