STATELINE, Nev. – Steph Curry is back in title contention, almost as if he never left it.
Curry is one point off the lead after Friday’s opening round of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe, where he won two years ago in his last appearance.
“It was nice to get back in that environment really quickly,” Curry said.
Former San Jose Sharks star Joe Pavelski shared the first-round lead with Vinny Del Negro, each totaling 22 points in the Stableford scoring format.
Curry birdied three of his final five holes — but bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17 — in his encore at Edgewood. He detoured from last summer’s tournament to win Olympic gold with the U.S. team in Paris.
“There’s definitely confidence for sure,” Curry said. “You just want a little clarity of what you’re tyring to do and not worrying about the results. Staying in the presence is what’s important.”
Curry was introduced as co-defending champion with Mardy Fish, the 2024 winner, at Thursday’s pre-tournament press conference.
A hamstring injury two months ago spelled the end of Curry’s 16th season with the Warriors, who then fell in the Western Conference semifinals to Minnesota.
Curry certainly looked healthy Friday playing alongside his father, Dell, and brother, Seth.
“It was obviously fun playing with my dad and my brother, matching outfits and getting the vibe going,” Steph Curry said.
He opened with a bogey, but he climbed the leaderboard with birdies at Nos. 14 and 15. He overcame an errant drive on No. 18 to make a birdie putt that circled the hole before dropping, prompting Curry to celebrate by twisting his hips in hula fashion.
Leading the 49ers’ three-man contingent was Jerry Rice (plus-2), ahead of Kyle Juszczyk (0 points) and George Kittle (minus-9).
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Mardy Fish, last year’s winner, is in the top 10 after finishing with 17 points.
