How did league MVPs hold up at a few rounds of golf?
STATELINE, Nev. – Stars met again at the tee while participating in the annual celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe’s golf course this last week, July 10 – 14. Former and current professional athletes tend to make up a healthy portion of the competition.
This year the tournament hosted seven athletes who had earned MVP titles at some point in their respective sports careers.
How did these best in sports stars hold up to over 90 other celebrities at a few rounds of golf?
Aaron Rodgers
Well, four time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was the top placing MVP, coming in 15th overall with a 46 point score under the modified Stableford Format the tournament has used since 2003.
The longtime Green Bay Packer and now New York Jet quarterback achieved MVP status with the NFL in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021. He defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in 2011.
Rodgers has played the tournament every year since 2005. He found himself in the top ten the last two years. However this year, Jack Wagner, Derek Carr, Harrison Smith, Ray Allen and Austin Reaves kept him from a three year streak. Rodgers had his best finish last year, placing fifth.
John Elway
Former Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway scored second highest among the MVPs, coming in 24th in the tournament with a score of 37.
He achieved NFL league MVP honors in 1987 and over 10 years later, in 1998, led Denver to their first Super Bowl victory. The win was against the Green Bay Packers 31-24.
This was Elway’s 29th celebrity golf tournament. He won the Closet-to-the-Pin Contest in 2012 when his golf ball landed 6 feet and 7.5 inches away.
Roger Clemens
In the middle of the field at 47th, Roger Clemens was the third top scorer of the MVPs, with 10 points beside his name.
The two-time World Series winner achieved American league MVP in 1986. He won two World Series in a row with the Yankees at the turn of the millennia in 1999 and 2000. He spent close to half his career with the Boston Red Sox, played for the Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, in addition to the New York Yankees.
He holds the record as the oldest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award at the age of 42. He showed the crowds on Saturday, July 13, that he’s still go it when he brought his glove to hole 17. He pitched to Larry the Cable Guy, who of course swung with his golf club.
Clemens has played almost every ACC tournament since 2015, typically coming near the middle of the competition. His top finish was 28th in 2020.
Marcus Allen
Former Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs running back Marcus Allen came in 56th in the field with a -2 finish.
The 1985 league MVP accompanied is former Raider teammate, Tim Brown, when Brown sunk a hole-in-one and won a boat. Allen won Super Bowl XVIII in January 1984 against another tournament competitor, Joe Theismann, who was playing for the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) at the time.
He’s made it to the annual tournament every year since 1997.
Charles Barkley
Just behind Marcus Allen, the former power forward for the Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley, finished 58th with a -4 score. Although it may be no where near the top, this was a personal tournament best.
The two-time Olympic gold medal winner actually has a reputation for not being the best at golf. So much so, he had the worst odds in Ceasars Sportsbook at 7500/1. The sportsbook also offered opportunity to wager he’d place in the top 75. That’s something he had only done 10 of the prior 28 times playing the tournament. His previously best was 60th in 1995.
The basketball star said he’s been working hard at his golf game the last few years. He had a strong first couple of tournament days, but was struggling at the start of the final day. “A little tired, a little hungover,” he attributes his third day downturn to, “but I kept battling.” He battled enough to outrank two other sport MVPs.
Steve Young
The 1992 and 1994 NFL MVP, Steve Young, came in 68th with a score of -18.
The left handed quarterback played his first celebrity golf tournament in 1993, but didn’t return until 2014. Young, who actually plays golf right handed, has played every year since his return.
The former 49er, who won Super Bowl XXIX over San Diego, had his best tournament finish in 2020 as 54th in the field.
Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann came in 73rd. That’s last in the company of other MVPs, with a -22 score, but the Washington former quarterback has a long list of career accomplishments piled along with his MVP title earned in 1983.
Super Bowl XII champion, NFL offensive player of the year, and Pro bowl MVP are just a few more from that list.
In his 34 years at the tournament, this was his worst finish in a long time. His prior worst finish was 63rd in 1992. He had his best finish in 2012, coming in 6th. Despite walking off hole 15, with a two plus bogey on Saturday, he was still happy to sign autographs for fans.
Other sport MVPs who’ve appeared in past celebrity golf tournaments are Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Ivan Rodriguez, Michael Jordan, Joe Sakic, and Wayne Gretzsky.
Mardy Fish proved himself the MVP of this tournament after catching the day one leader, Adam Thielen, on the second day and maintaining the lead to win his second American Century Championship.
Joe Pavelski trailed behind Fish by 4 points for second, and Annika Sorenstam came in third.
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