ESPN News Services
Jul 15, 2023, 03: 36 PM ET
NBA superstar Stephen Curry continues to show that just about any shot from long distance is makeable — no matter the sport.
Curry, who has made more than his share of highlight-reel shots during his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, added to his legacy on the golf course Saturday with a hole-in-one at the American Century Championship celebrity tournament in Stateline, Nevada.
Curry, who leads the event entering Sunday’s final round, sank his tee shot on the par-3, 152-yard seventh hole at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course for only the fifth ace — and first on that hole — in tournament history
HOLE-IN-ONE FOR @StephenCurry30!!! pic.twitter.com/aMEMeVretq
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 15, 2023
After his tee shot landed about 2 feet from the pin, took one bounce and disappeared into the hole, Curry took off running down the fairway all the way to the green, where he jumped in jubilation and then slapped the flagstick in celebration.
“That was wild,” Curry said of his second career ace. “It was good contact, right at the stick, but even if you’re painting the flag and it looks good, you never really expect it to go in. I just saw a bunch of hands go up, and then you just kind of black out.”
After taking a victory lap around the green, he reached down to retrieve the ball from the cup.
Normally awarded three points for his long shots on the basketball court, Curry walked away from the hole with eight points added to his tally for the hole-in-one. The event uses the modified Stableford scoring system that also awards a point for par, three for birdie and six for eagle, and deducts two points for double bogey or worse.
The 54-hole event is packed with a star-studded field, including the NHL’s Joe Pavelski and Alex Killorn, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (the defending champion) and former NBA star and sports commentator Charles Barkley.
Curry heads into the final round Sunday with 50 points, trailed by Pavelski and former pro tennis player Mardy Fish, who are tied at 47. Former MLB pitcher Mark Mulder, a three-time winner of the event, is at 38 points along with actor Jack Wagner, a two-time winner.
Pavelski was playing with Curry on Saturday and witnessed the hole-in-one.
“You see it land, and it just disappears,” Pavelski said. “It was pretty cool. We were trying to get to Steph. He just kind of spins out of it and takes off. He’s got some good speed on him.”
Former LPGA Tour great Annika Sorenstam was tied for eighth with 34 points.
Romo is tied for 12th (32 points) with New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and former MLB player and sports analyst Kevin Millar.
Barkley was minus-23 after the second round and is in 81st place.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.