Stateline, NV -- Charles Barkley finished 69th in the 2026 American Century Championship out of the entire 90-player field. Coming in with the longest odds to win, that was a successful outing by most accounts. Still, Caesars Sportsbook had a prop bet that set his finish at 63.5. In that regard, he had a disappointing finish.
At 63, Barkley is no spring chicken. If you thought you saw the last of him playing at the American Century Championship on the Edgewood Tahoe Resort greens, though, think again. Sir Charles addressed his future at NBC's annual celebrity golf tournament on Sunday to the media.
“I always appreciate the support,” he said after his final round. “I’m going to keep battling and
keep going. This is the best week, and you just do the best you can. I played pretty good, but I’ve
got to get better, plain and simple.”
Barkley was adamant throughout the tournament that he was playing to win for the fans, saying on Friday, "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.”
Saturday was when everything unraveled for Barkley, unfortunately. Barkley finished the second round with -14 points and dropped to 71st place in the 90-player field, amassing 10 double bogeys and four bogeys. He had a good Sunday, but it wasn't good enough to win the people their money on Caesars' prop bet.
Charles Barkley will always be part of the American Century Championship
If Barkley ever gets to a point where he can't golf anymore, you best believe he will be a fixture on Lake Tahoe during the second weekend of July every year moving forward.
As 2026 ACC winner Mardy Fish explained when I asked him at the post-tournament presser what his biggest win of the week was besides bringing home the crystal cup trophy and Masters green jacket-like lab coat to honor the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, it's about the relationships made on the greens.
“American Century does such an awesome job of creating such a fun family-friendly atmosphere. And over the years, I've become such good friends with those guys, Jonathan Thomas and Jon Miller and Gary Quinn and these guys," Fish said. “I don't just see them here. We text all the time and chat all the time throughout the year. They're just awesome people, and they're good friends. You just see a lot of people that you sort of never see. And that goes inside the ropes, too."
If Charles isn't golfing, he'll make guest appearances on-air and maybe even lend a hand at commentating, as he does with basketball, his preferred sport. If Charles isn't golfing, he'll be part of the American Century Championship in some form.
Barkley is an indelible part of the ACC. It'd be an unrecognizable tournament without him. When I spoke to NBC Sports' Jon Miller, he mentioned Barkley by name as someone who helps define this tournament as one of the non-contenders.
It has never mattered that Barkley won. It's only mattered that he's a part of the American Century Championship.
That isn't changing anytime soon.
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