July 17, 2023, LAKE TAHOE, NV – Once again Korbel California Champagne® sponsored the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe for the 19th consecutive year. Bringing back fan favorite events, Korbel held a Long Drive Competition and always popular Hole-In-One Contest with a chance to win $250,000 for charity.
Korbel Long Drive Competition: For the third year Korbel hosted a Long Drive Competition during the Celebrity Pro-Am Thursday, July 13th. Held on Hole 16 with a scenic 546-yard par 5, Korbel enlisted Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost from Golf’s Subpar podcast on Golf.com as MCs. Both former professional golfers, the lively banter was in full swing keeping players and fans wildly entertained while the music beat on and the bubbles flowed with 54 players competing. With an explosive smack heard around the golf course, Super Bowl Champion Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs had the longest drive with a stellar 362-yard drive winning $5,000 to his charity of choice – 87 & Running, which provides resources and opportunities to underserved children and teens in Kansas City and Cleveland.
Carolina Panthers Adam Thielen came in second place with a long drive of 328 yards and Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry placed third with 318 yards. Trailing not far behind, Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Champ Patrick Mahomes II scored a 317-yard drive. This year’s competition was fierce as the top ten players continued to raise the bar all with drives over 300 yards.
Korbel Hole-In-One Contest: This year’s competition brought together 11 popular players from sports and entertainment all vying for the winning title to benefit charity on Friday, July 14th. With $250,000 on the line, no one got a hole in one, however reclaiming his Korbel title from last year, actor Alfonso Ribeiro took home the winning title again with a knockout swing landing him 5 feet 8 inches from the hole. With Ribeiro breaking out with a celebration dance, The American Century Celebrity Tournament Charity received a check for $5,000 in honor of his win. The contest will air on the NBC live telecast on Sunday, July 16th during the final round of play.
Finishing in second was actor Rob Riggle with a distance of 19 feet 10 inches and pulling up third, comedian Nate Bargatze landing 23 feet 11 inches from the hole. Joining in with lively banter, other participants included Larry The Cable Guy, Jake Owen, Canelo, Kevin Millar, The Miz, Hally Leadbetter, Chace Crawford and Korbel’s RNDC Distributor Brad Amidei (who won earlier in the day over Korbel’s other distributors to earn his seat with the celebrities).
About the American Century Championship
The 34th annual American Century Championship, a made-for-TV event, owned and broadcasted by NBC Sports, and televised on NBC and the GOLF Channel, is the sport’s premier celebrity golf tournament. It has raised more than $6 million for local and national charities. The competition features a purse of $600,000, with $125,000 to the winner. The 54-hole tournament utilizes the modified Stableford scoring format awarding points per hole based on score. The field includes more than 80 sports and entertainment superstars including Stephen Curry, Canelo, Patrick Mahomes, Jake Owen, Aaron Rodgers, and Josh Allen.
About Korbel California Champagne®
Established in 1882 in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, Korbel Champagne Cellars produces the United States’ most popular méthode champenoise champagne. The true measure of Korbel’s success during its 141 years can be seen in the impact it has had on American consumers and its presence at various celebrations throughout the years. Owned and managed by the Heck family since 1954, Korbel currently makes eleven California champagnes and a limited amount of still wine. In a separate facility, Korbel also produces one of the country’s most respected brandies.
