Aaron Rodgers Ahead of Two NFL MVP Candidates after Day 1 in Lake Tahoe

The Jets' future Hall-of-Fame QB shot a respectable round Friday at celebrity golf tournament

He has yet to reach Tony Romo's level of excellence, but Aaron Rodgers is a pretty good golfer.

The New York Jets' new starting quarterback carded a first-round 78 on Friday at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. 

Finishing the first 18 holes at six strokes over par (72), Rodgers totaled 13 points in the tournament's scoring system to tie for 23rd on the overall player leaderboard heading into Saturday. The four-time NFL MVP is amongst a contingent of high-profile athletes who are contesting the annual celebrity golf event, which features a $600K prize purse and also raises money for charitable causes.

Romo, a three-time winner in Lake Tahoe, tallied 16 points to sit in a tie for 13th place.

NBA star Steph Curry led the field after totaling 27 points on Day 1 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, NV.

In terms of current NFL quarterbacks, Kansas City Chiefs' superstar Patrick Mahomes was outside of the Top 50 following the first day of the three-day, 54-hole competition. The reigning NFL MVP shot 17 over par to register -3 points. 

Buffalo Bills' starting signal caller Josh Allen scored 7 points during his round, placing 40th overall.

Legends John Elway and Joe Theismann are also competing amongst the field. Elway carded a 76 en-route to netting 16 points on Friday. Theismann, who scored 6 points, finished 10 over par.

Rodgers birdied the first hole on Friday, posting a 38 on the front nine. He suffered seven bogeys on the day, but finished by shooting par on Holes 17 and 18.

During Wednesday's practice round, Rodgers stopped to chat with a Bay Area television reporter on the 14th green. The 39-year-old field general commented on the Jets' upcoming involvement in HBO's "Hard Knocks" docuseries.

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"I understand the appeal with us. There’s a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes on our team, a lot of expectations for our squad," said Rodgers. "They forced it down our throats and we gotta deal with it.”

Rodgers also had an interaction with diehard Jets' fan Ray Romano. The TV sitcom star ("Everybody Loves Raymond") introduced himself and his sons to the 19th-year NFL veteran earlier in the week.

Aaron Rodgers (far left) with former NFL players Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk at 2023 American Century Championship on Friday :: Norm Duve / Visit Lake Tahoe

The 54-hole championship tournament employs a modified Stableford format with points being awarded for each hole result. The player that accumulates the most points over three days wins the title.

Scoring Format:

• 10 points: Double eagle
• 8 points: Hole-in-one
• 6 points: Eagle
• 3 points: Birdie
• 1 point: Par
• 0 points: Bogey
• -2 points: Double bogey or worse

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