Warriors' Curry wins celebrity tournament after sinking hole-in-one

[July 17, 2023]  (Reuters) - Steph Curry had a disappointing season with the NBA's Golden State Warriors but he still managed to add another piece of silverware to his trophy cabinet this year after a hole-in-one helped him win a celebrity golf tournament.
 
The 35-year-old aced a 152-yard par three at the American Century Championship on Saturday, just the fifth in the history of the event held on the shores of Lake Tahoe in Nevada.  

Mar 31, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after a foul is called against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

Curry celebrated the hole-in-one by tossing away his cap and sprinting the length of the fairway, arms raised in celebration and soaking up the applause.

On Sunday, he drained a long eagle putt on the 18th to beat former tennis world number seven Mardy Fish, prompting chants of "MVP!"

"Knowing what the stakes were and accepting it, I've always dreamt of a situation like this on the 18th green in front of a crowd like that, to make the putt," he told NBC Sports.

"You stick to the routine and have so much confidence in yourself ... Thankfully it went in, which is insane. I've been playing for almost a decade, to finally get a win is pretty special."

Curry is only the second basketball player to win the tournament since the 54-hole event began in 1990. Former Sacramento Kings guard Vinny Del Negro won in 2021 at the age of 54.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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