How Steph Curry, Joe Pavelski fared Friday at American Century Championship

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nev. — Former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski eagled the par-5 18th hole at Edgewood Tahoe South to take a two-point lead after the first round of the American Century Championship on Friday.

Along with the eagle on the closing hole, Pavelski, the tournament’s defending champion, also had five birdies and four bogeys as he shot 3-under 69 and finished with a score of 29 under the modified Stableford scoring format.

“Thrilled with that number,” Pavelski said. “Didn’t know it was exactly going to come today. The round early on, there were just a couple of questions. Had to kind of grind, try to make a par, stay in it.”

Pavelski leads former tennis pro Mardy Fish by two points and Warriors guard Steph Curry by four. Curry, who won the event in 2023, has six birdies and two bogeys, but carded a double bogey on the par-3 12th hole.

“Myself, Pavelski and Mardy, we were all sitting up here (Thursday), hoping that we would be at the top,” Curry said. “The last three champs kind of grinding it out. And everybody is a little more comfortable, a little bit more patient, probably, if things aren’t going your way early. And then I know Joe made an eagle on 18. He did it in his last round here when he won.

“So it’s kind of fun to watch good golfers keep getting better and keep finding ways to improve, and hopefully we can keep doing that this weekend.”

NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who took the title in 2018, 2019 and 2022, has 23 points, and LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam is fifth with 22.

Under the tournament’s modified Stableford scoring format, as an albatross is worth 10 points, a hole-in-one is worth eight points, an eagle is worth six points, a birdie is worth three points, a par is worth one point, a bogey is worth nothing and anything two over par or worse is worth minus-two points.

Charles Barkley was 62nd in the 90-player field with minus-six points.