Joe Pavelski spent almost 20 years making a reputation for himself on the ice. This weekend, he added a brand new chapter to his story on the fairways of Lake Tahoe. The previous NHL star captured the American Century Championship in fashion, capping a dominant efficiency with a clutch eagle on the ultimate gap that left him almost speechless.
The event unfolded at Edgewood Tahoe, the place a mixture of professional athletes and celebrities teed it up beneath the intense Nevada solar. Pavelski, who turned 41 simply two days earlier, wasted no time taking command. He opened the occasion with regular scoring that saved him close to the highest of the leaderboard. By the point Sunday rolled round, he was locked in and decided to lastly recover from the hump after just a few close to misses in previous years.
From the beginning, the 41-year-old seemed comfy with the modified Stableford format, which rewards aggressive play. As a substitute of taking part in secure, he hunted for birdies and eagles to rack up factors. The ultimate spherical was his finest but. Pavelski tallied 29 factors on Sunday alone, bringing his whole to 73. That mark proved an excessive amount of for the remainder of the sector to catch.
When his remaining putt dropped, sealing the victory by 9 factors over former Main League Baseball pitcher John Smoltz, Pavelski was virtually confused.
“I don’t know what to say, truly,” Pavelski, who retired from the NHL in 2024, admitted as followers cheered across the 18th inexperienced. “However simply a tremendous week. This place is unbelievable. It means the world to me.”
The four-time NHL All-Star’s efficiency was a masterclass in consistency and poise. Smoltz, who posted 28 factors on Sunday to complete second, did every little thing he may to use stress.
“I used to be making an attempt to place warmth on anyone, the highest three,” Smoltz stated afterward. “I used to be simply making an attempt to climb as many individuals as I may.”
Regardless of the push, Pavelski by no means wavered. He stayed affected person, caught to his sport plan, and trusted the swing that had carried him all weekend.
Nation music star Jake Owen put collectively a stable closing spherical to assert third place with 62 factors. Former soccer participant Taylor Twellman, who shared the lead with Pavelski after Saturday, ended up in fourth with 61. NBA star Stephen Curry, final 12 months’s champion, rallied to complete fifth with 58 factors after scoring 23 within the remaining spherical.
Whereas lots of the largest names in sports activities and leisure competed for the title, Pavelski’s calm method and sharp shot-making set him aside. His eagle on the 18th gap was the exclamation level on per week that showcased his aggressive spirit in an entire new area.
He additionally left Tahoe with greater than a trophy. The win earned Pavelski $150,000 from the occasion’s $750,000 purse. Not a foul birthday present for a participant who spent years grinding on the NHL ice and has discovered a second act in golf.
For followers, Pavelski’s victory was a reminder that athletes can hold discovering methods to shock lengthy after their taking part in careers wind down. After ending second final 12 months behind former tennis participant Mardy Fish, he got here again extra decided than ever.
Even Charles Barkley, who typically attracts headlines for his golf adventures, couldn’t steal the highlight this time. Barkley completed 69th out of 90 gamers, whereas Pavelski loved a champagne bathe on the clubhouse.
The American Century Championship has at all times been a spot the place sports activities legends come to check themselves in a unique area. This 12 months, Joe Pavelski stood tallest, proving he’s simply as harmful with a golf membership as he ever was with a hockey stick.