July 12, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is proud of his improved golf skills, however, even with his better swing, Barkley’s game was not good enough to win him a pot of cash. The basketball legend finished in 76th place in the American Century Championship. The celebrity golf tournament took place at Edgewood Tahoe on Sunday, July 11 and cost Barkley $100,000, plus, he just missed out on the chance to win $500,000.
Vinny Del Negro beat John Smoltz on the first hole of the fourth playoff in ACC history.
Full of self-confidence, and some say of himself, too, Barkley is a fan favorite at the Lake Tahoe tournament. The 57-year-old, 11-time NBA All-Star who has finished among the bottom three out of roughly 80-90 celebrities in 17 straight ACCs, bet on himself this time to finish among the top 70 in the field of 88.
He said he wagered $100,000 and got 5-to-1 odds, down significantly from when it opened at 17-to-1 at the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.
Barkley said to the press that he has been working with a new swing coach, Stan Utley, and the instruction helped him eliminate numerous voices that were haunting his thoughts in previous golf rounds.
Utley has claimed that Barkley’s trouble on the golf course in the past were purely physical.
“I’m not too worried about his ability to compete under pressure in front of a gallery. I think he’s got that figured out,” Utley said. “I’m humored by people that think he has mental issues with golf. Charles’ issues were purely skill issues. They have nothing to do with confidence, mental. He had some bad golf skills working that he’s improved.”
Barkley didn’t disappoint many who predicted the final outcome of his round at the tournament. He finished with minus-28 points. Keep working on your game, Sir Barkley, and we hope to see you back again, next year.
