Steph Curry Makes Celebrity Golf Championship Star Showing

STATELINE, NV — When the amateur golfers wrapped up their final day at the American Century Championship against a blustery but beautiful Lake Tahoe Sunday, it was celebrity with a capital "C" as throngs of fans crowded around their favorite sports stars.

Retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback and television analyst Tony Romo won back-to-back tournaments with a 2- over 74 scoring 20 points to finish at 71, the fourth participant to do so in the championship history, amid a record crowd of 60,530 for the weeklong event. Former pitcher Mark Mulder, who won the tournament from 2015-17, pulled off back-to-back wins in front of Romo.

One of the golf tournament favorites was Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who delighted fans with better-than-amateur shots at times, and better yet, a little frolic on the 18th hole where a basketball hoop was set up between the shoreline and the green.

Curry placed seventh in the tournament while paired with his father, basketball great Dell Curry.

The two men played some hoops, much to the thrill of the fans — a few who set up their chairs at about 7 a.m. to get a good spot.

"Dad's still got it," one woman called out.

Her companion was more into the golf.

"The wind doesn't seem to bother him," he said.

But as the fans go, it was all about the children adorned with jerseys, caps and programs for the celebs to autograph who were joined by the big kids.

"His year was made," Kristina Cornejo of Modesto said of her 7-year-old son Rudy, wearing Steph's jersey on the 18th hole.

The family just came off an outing while seeing Steph and company in the NBA Finals at Game 2 for Rudy's birthday. Now he leaves with a fist bump from his sports hero.

Another Steph fan, Rae Moreno of Sacramento, staked out his place along the ropes holding his program awaiting Curry and entourage.

Although Moreno is more of a Sacramento Kings fan and even more of a football follower, he likes Curry as a person.

"He's one of the top five players in the NBA, but it's his personality," Moreno said, referring to how accessible Curry is to fans.

"It's the fans who were spending the money. If there were no fans, there would be no sports," he said.

The golf tournament provides prize money and opportunities for donations, which is what many sports stars such as the Romo as the winner elects to do. It's also about endorsements and a little getaway fun trying their hand at another sport outside their realm.

"It's great," Curry told Patch upon the opportunity to play golf with his father.

When it comes to basketball, Curry is quite diligent with prospects of another NBA Final championship title — even coming off a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of first-timers Toronto Raptors. Despite the loss, the fans were out in full force to show a little love to who they believe is the real No. 1 in their hearts — and Curry reciprocated.

When asked during his press conference if there's anything he's not good at, Curry said resoundingly: "I can't sing. I can hold a beat, but I can't really dance like that. But when it comes to showing personality and anything with hand-eye coordination, I got that pretty much down pat for sure.

Many of the sports stars are aware of the dance with fans and give-and-take of their industry. That's why after the trophy presentation, Romo made a long turn coming off the green to sign autograph programs, balls or whatever fans thrust his way.

During the press conference, Romo said he noticed many fans showed up early in the week unlike other years.

"They were pretty loud this year," he said of the fans.

Although he admitted to "not being good enough" to turn pro golfer, he was humbled and happy to have played and taken home the trophy in such good company of amateur golfers.

When asked by Patch if there would be a party to greet him like some of his Cowboys' big wins, he said: "We plan on having fun on the plane ride home."

American Century Championship by the numbers in the celebrities respective sports:

• 355 championships
• 8 Heisman Trophy winners
• 20 Cy Young awards
• 1,132 all stars
• 61 MVPs
• 26 grand slam wins
• 134 gold gloves
• 989,858 points scored
• 12,626 home runs
• 18,972 wins
• 48,178 RBIs
• 7,573 stolen bases
• 8,865 goals
• 1.9 million yards passing
• 291,883 rushing yards
• 80 gold medals
• 16 silver medals
• 8 bronze medals
• 31 Wheaties covers