Justin Timberlake 500-1; John Smoltz 8-1; Patrick Mahomes 500-1;
Aaron Rodgers 150-1; Annika Sorenstam 8-1; Charles Barkley 7500-1
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. — Two-time champion Tony Romo is the 2021 favorite to win the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament with Charles Barkley among scores of big-name celebrities highlighting the lineup of odds and props for the championship, taking place July 9-11. Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill has posted odds on the event and is accepting wagers, where legal.
Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned CBS Sports NFL Analyst, is listed at 3-2 in the William Hill sportsbooks ahead of a host of annual contenders, including three-time champion and former MLB standout pitcher Mark Mulder (4-1), and Fox Sports MLB analyst, Hall of Famer and PGA TOUR Champions exemption competitor John Smoltz (8-1). The second choice is the defending champion, former top-ranked American professional tennis player and now USTA Davis Cup Captain Mardy Fish at 2-1.
LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam (8-1) played in the American Century Championship in 2014 and went off as the 2-1 favorite, eventually finishing second. She has played in multiple tournaments in 2021, and the American Century Championship will be her final competitive venture before teeing-it-up at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in late July.
Barkley, the Hall of Fame former NBA star and now TNT Basketball Analyst, has the longest odds at 7500-1 but he has recently asserted in media that his game has improved measurably. So, William Hill has posted an unusual proposition bet that enables fans to wager on Barkley finishing in the top 70 of the 85-plus player field.
A $100 BET ON BARKLEY TO FINISH IN THE TOP 70 ON SUNDAY WOULD, IF SUCCESSFUL, YIELD A PAYOUT OF $1,500.
The 2021 field stands out as the strongest ever, yielding a sportsbook big board with some of the brightest names in sports and entertainment. Justin Timberlake is listed at 500-1 as is Kansas City Chiefs standout quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 150-1 odds. The tournament includes 16 Hall of Famers, 13 Most Valuable Player Awards and 15 Cy Young Awards. A total of 18 golfers are active pro athletes, including 15 NFL players.
Both Romo and Smoltz have competed in PGA TOUR competitions against the best players in the world in addition to their annual battle to win the American Century Championship. This year alone, Smoltz has started four PGA TOUR Champions events (age 50 and above). While finishing on the lower end of the scoreboard, he continuously holds his own with PGA TOUR tournament winners from years past in keeping his game sharp. In 2018, Smoltz qualified for and competed in the U.S. Senior Open, an accomplishment that stunned professional golf media experts.
Romo, who withdrew from the Tahoe competition last year with a wrist injury, played three PGA TOUR events in 2019, including the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas. During his playing career as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Romo finished second three times in the American Century Championship but then took the tournament by storm after retiring. He won in 2018, ending a three-year championship run by Mulder, and then repeated as champion in 2019.
Smoltz has twice won the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions celebrity tournament (2019-20) in Florida. Fish is a three-time winner of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions (2016, 2018, 2021).
The tournament will be played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, the centerpiece of the world-renowned destination resort. Nearly 90 celebrities will be in attendance for the 32nd annual event that has raised over $5.5 million for charity. The tournament will be televised live on NBC and NBCSN with GOLF Channel providing interviews and insights throughout the week.
Because of COVID-19, the 2020 tournament was conducted without spectators. The tournament has officially announced that fans will be in attendance this year on a limited basis in accordance with health and safety regulations.
The Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill odds for the 2021 American Century Championship follow.
TO WIN 2021 AMER CENTURY CHAMP
TONY ROMO 3 / 2 LARRY FITZGERALD 300 / 1 ROB RIGGLE 2000 / 1
MARDY FISH 2 / 1 ROGER CLEMENS 500 / 1 SEAN PAYTON 2000 / 1
MARK MULDER 4 / 1 CHASE UTLEY 500 / 1 DOUG PEDERSON 500 / 1
JOHN SMOLTZ 8 / 1 KYLE FULLER 500 / 1 JIMMY ROLLINS 2000 / 1
KYLE WILLIAMS 8 / 1 PATRICK MAHOMES 500 / 1 KIRA K. DIXON 2000 / 1
ANNIKA SORENSTAM 8 / 1 JOE BUCK 500 / 1 CHARLES WOODSON 2000 / 1
DEREK LOWE 18 / 1 JOE DON ROONEY 500 / 1 REGGIE BUSH 2000 / 1
JOE PAVELSKI 25 / 1 DAVID WELLS 500 / 1 TERRELL DAVIS 2000 / 1
JACK WAGNER 30 / 1 ALEX SMITH 500 / 1 EMMITT SMITH 2000 / 1
ADAM THIELEN 50 / 1 RYAN FITZPATRICK 500 / 1 RAY ROMANO 3000 / 1
STERLING SHARPE 100 / 1 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE 500 / 1 DOUG FLUTIE 3000 / 1
RAY ALLEN 50 / 1 GOLDEN TATE 500 / 1 MATT NAGY 3000 / 1
VINNY DEL NEGRO 75 / 1 MARCUS ALLEN 500 / 1 ANDREW WHITWORTH 3000 / 1
ROBBIE GOULD 150 / 1 JIM MCMAHON 500 / 1 JUSTIN TUCK 3000 / 1
AARON RODGERS 150 / 1 JOE THEISMANN 500 / 1 SEAN MCDERMOTT 3000 / 1
BRIAN URLACHER 200 / 1 BRIAN BAUMGARTNER 500 / 1 CC SABATHIA 3000 / 1
JERRY RICE 200 / 1 VINCE CARTER 500 / 1 KEVIN NEALON 3000 / 1
KEVIN MILLAR 200 / 1 CHAUNCY BILLUPS 500 / 1 DAN QUAYLE 3000 / 1
PATRICK PETERSON 200 / 1 MIKE VRABEL 500 / 1 DYLAN DREYER 3000 / 1
BRET SABERHAGEN 200 / 1 DEREK CARR 500 / 1 KATHRYN TAPPEN 5000 / 1
MICHAEL PENA 200 / 1 JAY BILAS 1000 / 1 AL MICHAELS 5000 / 1
ALFONSO RIBEIRO 250 / 1 JOE MAUER 1000 / 1 MICHAEL STRAHAN 5000/1
JEROME BETTIS 200 / 1 KYLE LOWRY 1000 / 1 JOHN O’HURLEY 5000 / 1
BRIAN MCCANN 250 / 1 JAY DEMARCUS 1000 / 1 DEMARCUS WARE 5000 / 1
GREG MADDUX 250 / 1 LARRY THE CABLE GUY 2000 / 1 CHARLES BARKLEY 7500 / 1
TOM GLAVINE 250 / 1 CANELO ALVAREZ 2000 / 1 BRIAN KELLY 1000 / 1
BRET BAIER 250 / 1 AJ HAWK 2000 / 1 KYLE RUDOLPH 5000 / 1
TJ OSHIE 250 / 1 TRAVIS KELCE 2000 / 1
TIM WAKEFIELD 200 / 1 STEVE YOUNG 2000 / 1
Golfer must tee off for action. Tournaments must be completed within 7 days of the start of the tournament to be considered official. If tournament is postponed before starting bets on this tournament are considered action as long as tournament is completed during the particular season no matter when the event is held.
