Clemson Legend Makes First Appearance at American Century Championship

Trevor Lawrence capped off his summer with a few rounds in the top celebrity golf championship in the country.

Trevor Lawrence hits a tee shot on the 4 hole during the first round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., Friday, July 12, 2024. / Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY

The Jacksonville Jaguars start training camp in Duval, Fla., on July 24. Before that, Clemson Tigers legend Trevor Lawrence got a few rounds of golf in.

The Jaguars starting quarterback participated in the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev., last weekend, which is the premier celebrity golf tournament in the country. Athletes, actors, singers and other celebrities annually participate in the 54-hole event.

Lawrence’s appearance was particularly noteworthy for Clemson. Per Clemson athletics he is the first Clemson athlete to participate in the event since pitcher Jimmy Key in 2001. Key made his appearance three years after he retired in 1998 with Baltimore.

The former Tigers signal-caller didn’t win. He finished in a tie for 44th place The tournament uses a modified Stableford system for scoring and Lawrence finished with 15 points.

Tennis player Mardy Fish won the event, followed by hockey player Joe Pavelski, retired LPGA Tour legend Annika Sorenstam and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz. Former Major League pitchers Derek Lowe and Mark Mulder rounded out the Top 5.

Wide receiver Adam Thielen was the top finishing NFL player in seventh place.

Lawrence should get a few days at home before he heads to training camp and that gives him time to help his wife, Marissa, prepare for the birth of their first child. They made the announcement in June with a post on Instagram.

Before that, Lawrence secured himself financially by signing one of the largest extensions in NFL history with Jacksonville.

He signed a five-year, $275 million extension that guarantees Lawrence $200 million, including $142 million when he signed the deal. The value of the deal, per year, tied him with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow for the NFL’s most valuable contract.

The Jaguars are one of four current NFL teams that have never played in a Super Bowl, along with the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. The Jags last played in an AFC title game in the 2017 season — when Lawrence was still in high school.

Taken No. 1 overall by Jacksonville in 2021, he’s earned a Pro Bowl nod, taken the Jaguars to playoffs and won a postseason game. In just three seasons with the Jags he’s thrown for 11,770 yards, completed 63.8 percent of his passes and hurled 58 touchdowns against 39 interceptions.

The Cartersville, Ga., product joined Clemson for the 2018 season and led the Tigers to their second national championship his freshman season. He became the first true freshman quarterback since Oklahoma’s Jamelle Holieway in 1985 to lead his team to a national title.

In three seasons with the Tigers he went 34-2 as a starter, threw for 10,098 yards, along with 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He took the Tigers to the national title game his sophomore season, where he and the Tigers lost to Burrow’s LSU Tigers, and to the College Football Playoff semifinals his junior year.