Steph Curry has been a superstar on the basketball court for nearly a decade, but he is taking his elite skills and excelling at a new sport. He has been competing in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament for many years now, but he has taken his game to a new level in 2023. And he apparently has LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to thank.
Steph Curry Steals The Show At Celebrity Golf Tournament
Reporter: “Describe what’s gone into your game in the last couple of months and why you’re playing so well.”
Stephen Curry: “Losing to the Lakers.”
(via @NBCSports)pic.twitter.com/goC7GlCrje
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 16, 2023
The 2022-23 NBA season ultimately ended in disappointment for the Golden State Warriors, as they came up short in their quest to defend their title from a year before. They advanced through a tough first round series, only to lose to the Lakers in the conference semi-finals.
It was uncharted territory for the Warriors, who find themselves playing in the NBA Finals more often than not when they qualify for the postseason. But being sent home early had some perks, according to Steph Curry himself.
In an interview on Sunday, Curry was asked what is motivating him to play so well in this year’s golf tournament. He laughed, smiled, and said the following:
“Losing to the Lakers. I had an early start on Tahoe prep. That’s it.”
It has paid off. Curry led the field after 36 holes, and was in a tie for the lead on the back-9 of Sunday’s final round at the time of writing.
Hole In Hole Riles Up Tahoe Crowd
Steph Curry has been an avid golf fan for years.
He plays constantly during the NBA offseason, invests in Tiger Woods’ new venture, and has his own league for underrepresented youth golfers.
He just hit a hole-in-one at the American Century Championship:pic.twitter.com/U9rTP9zucw
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 15, 2023
Whether he wins the tournament or not, the biggest news of the weekend will surround Steph Curry. He sent the crowd into a frenzy on Saturday afternoon when he hit a hole-in-one on the 152-yard par three 7th hole at Edgewood Tahoe. He celebrated as boisterously as he does on the basketball court, throwing off his hat and sprinting down the grass on the way to the green. He slapped the flag as he zoomed by the hole.
“That was wild. 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.”
It would be Curry’s first win in his time at the event. Tony Romo has won 3 of the previous 5 events, with Mardy Fish and Vinny Del Negro nabbing recent victories as well.