A new three-year deal to keep the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe through 2006 was recently announced by NBC Sports, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

The 15th annual tournament, golf's pre-eminent professional celebrity event with 78 sports and entertainment stars, is scheduled July 13-18 at Edgewood Tahoe.

"We are thrilled to be back in Tahoe," said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports' director of business development. "We feel from NBC's perspective - and the celebrities feel - there is no better place on earth than Lake Tahoe in July."

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Elway, Dennis Miller, Dennis Quaid, Craig T. Nelson, Mario Lemieux, Mark McGwire, Troy Aikman, Marshall Faulk, Jerry Rice, Jason Kidd, Pete Sampras and Brian Urlacher were in the field last year. Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and David Carr are among those expected to compete for the first time this summer.

The 54-hole tournament features a Modified Stableford format and a $500,000 purse with $100,000 for the winner. The event has been sponsored since 1999 by American Century Investments, a premier investment manager serving financial intermediaries, institutions, and nearly two million individual investors. American Century has a contract with NBC, the event owner, through 2005 with options for 2006 and 2007.

Bill Chernock, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said the economic impact on the local community is "easily into eight figures for the week."

"The marketing value for this event for Lake Tahoe is almost beyond measure," he said.

Actor John O'Hurley, best known for his role in the "Seinfield" television series, said he's looking forward to his 13th appearance in the tournament.

"It is the greatest week in golf for a celebrity golfer," O'Hurley said. "My entire year begins by registering this on the map and everything else has to be shuffled around, including my wedding."

O'Hurley proposed in October to his fiancee - Lisa Mesloh, an executive with The Golf Channel -on the 7th green of Pebble Beach Golf Course and they plan to marry this summer.

"We did have an offer from the place we are getting married at for the week of (the tournament at) Tahoe and I said to my bride-to-be, 'Don't even think about it,'" O'Hurley said.

Defending champion and occasional Senior PGA Tour competitor Rick Rhoden, a six-time winner of the event, faces the challenge of former champions including Mario Lemieux, perennial contenders including John Elway and newcomers including Mark McGwire, who finished 13th in his debut last year.

Advance tickets and lodging packages are available at www.tahoecelebritygolf.com. Prices are $10 each day for the Lake Tahoe Celebrity-Amateur on Tuesday, July 13, the practice round on Wednesday, July 14, and the American Century Celebrity-Am on Thursday, July 15; and $20 for each tournament round, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For ticket or lodging information call 1-800-AT-TAHOE or 530-544-5050.

NBC Sports provides live coverage of tournament action throughout the weekend.

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For further information, contact: Steve Griffith Griffith Associates 610/363-0966 (East Coast) strgf@aol.com

Phil Weidinger Weidinger Public Relations 775/588-2412 (West Coast) dinger@weidingerpr.com