Exclusive look at the American Century Championship's celebrity field

This week's golf tournaments will feature an unusual lineup.

Instead, dozens of A-list celebrities will be in the scenic Edgewood Tahoe The American Century Championship is coming to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The tournament, which runs from July 12-14, is a celebrity-filled event with a host of potential winners, from the Kelsey Brothers to Larry the Cable Guy. If you're a golfing celebrity, this is the event you want to attend.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet some of this year's players at the first celebrity event of the year, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, a unique format that gives celebrities the opportunity to play alongside the most recent LPGA Tour winners.

When talking to famous golfers, it's clear that golf has a big impact on all of them. No matter what they play, being on the tournament course is what they love, but they definitely want to perform well in front of the TV cameras and the crowds. Stay tuned to find out who wins.

Sorenstam is beloved as one of the greatest players in the history of the LPGA Tour, having won 10 major championships and more than 70 tour victories during her career. Since announcing her retirement in 2008, she has continued to make an impact on the golf world while showing her skills in celebrity events such as the ACC. I asked Sorenstam about her accomplishments and more.

You've done a lot to encourage young women to get involved in the sport, what do those efforts mean to you?

“I feel very blessed to be where I am today. Without golf, I wouldn't be here, so my foundation is all about saying thank you and giving back to young girls. I was with the foundation for a few years when I was that age, and it's important for us to have playing opportunities that inspire the next generation and provide opportunities for tournaments and exposure.”

“It's encouraging and motivating for the next generation to say, 'If you practice and you do well, this is where it can take you.' They're having a great experience and learning lessons.”

When you're out on the golf course with celebrities, do you ever feel the same competitive spirit that you do when you're on tour?

“You know I try to relax, but it's hard because I'm very competitive. I know what it's like to compete and be at the top, but I don't have the tools that I used to have. I wish I could enjoy it from the perspective of not caring, but I do. Caring creates emotions and sometimes it gets in the way.”

What does it mean to watch with your family?

“I love being with my family and friends. It means a lot. He (Mike McGehee) is a golf fanatic, he's very attentive and passionate about it. And my daughter is the same. When I see her cheering me on, it warms my heart, of course. When I see them, it makes me realize that it's just a game. But when you've been doing this for so long, it's hard to switch that on and off. But when I see them, I realize that a bogey is no big deal, and I try to move on, but then when I stand on the next tee, I'm like, 'OK, let's do it again.'”

You may know Brian Baumgartner from his role as Kevin Malone on the hit TV show “The Office.” But what you may not know is that he's also a longtime and avid golfer. He's a seasoned pro with plenty of experience playing in celebrity events, and every year he looks forward to the American Century Championship, which he considers to be the celebrity “Masters.”

What have you learned through golf since you started playing?

“These events have given me the opportunity to meet great athletes from other sports and professional golfers. I think golf satisfies the competitive spirit I have. I think playing a lot of sports at a young age gave me the opportunity to compete. The great thing about golf is that it's completely different than playing against Michael Jordan in basketball. The handicap system means you can play against anyone and it's really fair and good competition. I love that.”

I'm okay with spending a little extra when playing golf. If you could change the format of this tournament, what would you change it to?

“It's really interesting, but unfortunately I think anybody who plays golf knows the term sandbagger, so in a tournament like this, you get people from all different courses and I can understand how it's very difficult to use a handicap in these circumstances.”

“Not winning is an interesting thing for me. People who don't know golf ask me, how is it? 'Are you winning?' My 8-year-old son asked me yesterday if I was winning and I said, 'No.' I played my best round here yesterday and I've ever played. It's going to be hard to get people to understand, 'No, you're not going to win.' You don't have a chance.”

“I'm saying this can't be done in four days, so I know it's going to be difficult, but I know why I'm here and I'm having a great time. So, certainly I have a few friendly bettors in this tournament, but more than anything I'm competing against myself.”

You have competed in many celebrity events, what makes this event (Tournament of Champions) unique?

“Difficulty-wise, Lake Nona is not an easy course. There's a reason that's where a lot of tour pros live and practice – it's not easy. The green complexes are very intricate and intricate. So I think it's great to be able to play this difficult golf course and such a beautiful golf course. Of everything I do, playing four days is the hardest, (longer) than the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is like the Masters in terms of celebrity, it's just us and it's just us. It's three days of walking, so it's still a lot of elevation.”

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Charles Woodson never discovered golf until after his illustrious NFL career. Now, as a regular at celebrity events, golf has influenced his life in many ways.

Can you tell us a bit about the impact golf has had on you and your charitable work?

“Golf is something I never thought I'd get into. I only really started playing golf after I retired and moved to Lake Nona and started hanging out with other guys who play golf all the time. It's a great game, and it's a fun time to spend with friends and people who play golf with you.”

“But in terms of my philanthropy and my connection to children's hospitals, it's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. It started with a charity golf tournament where me and some former teammates at the University of Michigan would get together every year and invite other former and current players to raise money to build a hospital. And then I also started the Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund. Golf has always been central to getting people to give back. Everybody loves to play golf and have a good time, so golf is an integral part of it, and I look forward to playing more golf every year. Raise money, play golf, play better golf.”

The golf course environment is a little different to football – do you like the quiet or do you miss the crowds?

“There's nothing like a roaring crowd. There's no substitute for that. There's nothing to replace that in life. It's different on the golf course than in football or basketball or any other sport where you're relying on 10 guys on the field with you and trying to win the game or the season's goals.”

“In golf, sometimes you rely on your caddie depending on where you are, the club, the ball and the course. That's it. So if you hit a bad shot, you can't blame anyone else because the club is yours, the swing is yours. It's all up to you. I think that's the big difference in golf, but that's why I love it. There's no one to blame but yourself and golf looks easy but it's not, so you can see it's a very challenging game.”

Speaking of easy people to play with, you played with Nelly Korda this weekend. What did you learn from her?

“What I try to learn from Nelly is her tempo, the tempo of her swing. I think if you ask any football player playing here right now they'll say tempo is something we struggle with, because in our sport everything is really fast, quick, trying to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. And your swing becomes like that, it becomes kind of automatic. You get to a place and you become fast. So I look at her swing and try to incorporate it into my own swing when I play. But habit is another thing. For me, it's fun to see her fluidity, the effortless movement she has out there. She's just a professional.”

You were a former footballer but after retiring you became interested in golf. When did you pick up your first club and why?

“Well, I first started playing golf many years ago as part of a charity event. I was doing scrambles and stuff like that. But in terms of starting to play with any intention or trying to get better, I'd say around 2017 or 2018 when I was here. People would invite me to play, and I didn't play, but they were just like, please come. We just wanted to have a good time. So, even if you're all as bad at golf as I am, I think you can still play. So I think that's when I really started playing golf with the intention of getting better.”

Which celebrity golfer would you like to play with? Let us know in the comments below.