Stateline, NV -- Charles Barkley promised fans he would do everything in his power to win those betting on his annual prop (higher or lower than 63.5th place this year) in the 2026 American Century Championship, which concludes today on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, and Peacock.
Per Barkley on Friday, following a -6 finish, one of his best in his career at the annual celebrity golf tournament at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort, “I played well. I’m having a blast. I want people to win that money. I think I’m a better player this year. I’m getting better at golf.” Barkley was on the right side of the bet after round one. Things have changed since.
Unfortunately, Saturday was not a good day for Barkley on the greens. Sir Charles finished the second round with -14 points and dropped to 71st place in the 90-player field. 10 double bogeys and four bogeys will do that. Still, it wasn't all bad, as Barkley birdied on the par- 4 15th.
*The American Century Chamionship uses a modified Stableford scoring system that rewards points for eagles (6), birdies (3) and pars (1). Bogeys are worth 0 points and double bogeys or worse are minus-2 points. Players pick their ball up once they reach double bogey.*
Barkley is always the story at the ACC, even with his highest finish being 58th place in 2024. He'll give the betting public plenty to be attentive to during the final round of the tournament today.
How long has Charles Barkley played golf?
Barkley has been playing in the American Century Championship since 1993. To say he's a staple in the ACC is an understatement.
As NBC Sports President of Acquisitions & Partnerships Jon Miller told me before the tournament, Barkley is one of the main attractions of the weekend's fun portion.
"We have probably a dozen players who are capable of winning this at the highest level," Miller said. "Whether it's a John Smoltz, a Mardy Fish, Annika Sorenstam, Steph Curry, someone like that. And then we have the mid-level players who are really very good competitive players. Like a Larry Fitzgerald or a Dell Curry, Carson Daly, Jay Bilas, etc., who are excellent golfers, but may not necessarily be at the very top.
"And then you have players like Charles Barkley, who come out for the fun of it, but really enjoy the competition, and really enjoy seeing everybody and being part of what we're doing here."
There's nothing more whimsical than Barkley's presence on Lake Tahoe every year. As one of the physically biggest participants, you can't miss Chuck on the golf course. Every year, though, Chuck is bringing a larger-than-life presence as well.
When he's smoking a cigar with a backwards cap on and taking in the adulation of the fans, Barkley is at his peak on the greens during his post-NBA athletic career.
The American Century Championship is synonymous with guys like Steph Curry and Aaron Rodgers in years past, but Barkley will always be the most persistent presence. Certainly, that'll be true as long as Caesars Sportsbook is putting a specific prop bet on where he lands on the final leaderboard.
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