When people talk about the Kelce brothers American Century Championship golf appearance, they usually focus on the Taylor Swift of it all. Or the beer. Or the karaoke. But if you actually watched the rounds at Edgewood Tahoe, you saw something way more interesting: the raw, unedited dynamic of two brothers who are basically the biggest stars in the world right now, trying to conquer a sport that famously doesn't care how many Super Bowls you've won.
Golf is a humbling game. Even for guys who can bench press a small car.
Travis and Jason Kelce didn't just show up to Lake Tahoe to collect a check or wave at the cameras. Well, okay, they did plenty of waving. But they also brought a level of "New Heights" energy to the Sierra Nevada mountains that the American Century Championship (ACC) hasn't seen in its 35-year history.
The Kelce Brothers American Century Championship golf vibe: More than just pars
Honestly, the golf itself was... colorful. Travis has been a regular at this event since 2019, but 2024 was special because it was Jason’s rookie debut. And let’s be real: Jason Kelce on a golf course is exactly what you’d expect. He’s out there in a straw hat, looking like he’s ready for a backyard barbecue rather than a televised tournament on NBC.
Basically, the weekend was a mix of legitimate athletic flashes and total chaos.
Take the Thursday before the main event. Travis didn't win the tournament, but he did win the karaoke competition. He belted out "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake. He even dedicated it to Taylor Swift. It was peak Travis. Meanwhile, Jason decided to win the Long Drive contest. He crushed a 322-yard bomb.
Think about that for a second. A guy who spent thirteen years as a center in the NFL, getting his knees beat up every Sunday, steps onto a tee box and out-drives professional athletes and scratch golfers. It’s wild.
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Dealing with the "Swiftie" effect on the course
You couldn't escape the Taylor Swift connection. Every time Travis walked to a tee, the DJ was spinning "Lavender Haze" or "Shake It Off."
At the 17th hole—the famous par-3 where fans line the beach in boats—Travis was literally dancing to "Cruel Summer" while trying to read a putt. Most golfers would lose their minds with that much noise. Travis? He leaned into it. He was doing air mic performances for Jason and making "crying" motions to the lyrics.
It wasn't all just fun and games, though.
When things got a little too real: The spectator incident
There was a moment on Friday at the 16th hole that reminded everyone why these guys are dangerous with a club in their hands. Travis took a massive rip at a drive and it went way offline.
It hit a woman in the back of the head.
It was a scary scene for a minute. There was blood. Paramedics had to rush in. But in true Kelce fashion, the brothers handled it with as much grace as you can when you've just accidentally sniped a fan. Travis walked all the way down to check on her, apologized profusely, and even joked that he'd take a picture with her to make up for the headache.
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"My advice would be don't feel bad if you hit somebody because they bought the ticket," Travis had joked on their podcast just a week earlier.
Life comes at you fast.
How did they actually score?
If you’re looking for high-level golf, you probably weren't watching the Kelce pairing. The ACC uses a Modified Stableford scoring system. You get points for birdies and pars, but you lose them for double bogeys or worse.
The final leaderboard looked like this:
- Mardy Fish: Won the whole thing with 83 points.
- Travis Kelce: Finished T63 with -11 points.
- Jason Kelce: Finished 87th with -51 points.
Yeah, Jason finished with negative fifty-one points. That's a lot of double bogeys. But nobody at Edgewood cared about the scorecards. They were there for the "zero-star walk-on" energy. That was actually how the announcer introduced Jason at the first tee—a nod to his humble beginnings at Cincinnati—and Travis was caught on camera absolutely losing it.
Why this matters for celebrity golf
The Kelce brothers American Century Championship golf weekend proved that the event is shifting. It’s no longer just about retired pitchers like John Smoltz or Mark Mulder grinding out pars. It’s about the "Garage Beer" in the cooler (which the brothers were actually drinking on the course). It’s about the interaction.
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At one point, a fan asked Jason if he was going to play Santa Claus because of his beard. Jason laughed and said he'd been "praying for that."
That’s why people tune in. You get to see these larger-than-life figures being human. They’re bad at golf, just like us. They hit people with balls, they get hoarse singing 80s rock, and they drink beer with their dad, Ed, who was following them around in a golf cart all weekend.
Actionable insights for fans attending next year
If you're planning to head to Lake Tahoe to see them in the future, keep these things in mind:
- Stake out Hole 17 early. It’s the heart of the party. If you want to see Travis dance or Jason chug a beer, this is where it happens.
- Watch the practice rounds. Thursday is often better than the actual tournament days because the players are more relaxed and likely to chat.
- Check the podcast. They usually record a "New Heights" segment or talk about their Tahoe shenanigans immediately after. It gives context to the inside jokes you'll see on the course.
- Wear a helmet? Okay, maybe not. But stay alert when the big hitters are on the tee. Those NFL muscles don't always translate to straight shots.
The tournament is a unique beast. It’s 5,000 feet above sea level, the views are distracting, and the distractions are... well, everywhere. Seeing the Kelce brothers navigate that chaos together was probably the highlight of the 2024 sports summer. It wasn't about the trophy—which Mardy Fish rightfully earned—it was about two brothers having the time of their lives before the grueling NFL season kicked back into gear.
The tournament ended with Mardy Fish jumping into Lake Tahoe to celebrate his win. The Kelce brothers? They probably headed straight for the casino at Harrah's. And honestly, that feels exactly right.