Matt Boldy has spent the past year looking like one of hockey’s fastest-rising names, but this week he’s trying to make noise with a club in his hands instead of a stick.
The Minnesota Wild winger, fresh off a season in which he set career highs with 42 goals and 43 assists for 85 points, is making his first appearance at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. Boldy also arrives with a gold medal from helping Team USA win for the first time since 1980, but the offseason version of his game has plenty of buzz too. By internet standards, he’s carrying a +2.5 to +3 handicap, and not long ago he even had thoughts about turning pro.
That’s the kind of resume that gets you invited into the ACC, where more than 100 celebrities spend three rounds competing for charity and bragging rights as the best stick-swinger in the group. Boldy teed it up Friday in round one alongside two familiar faces: the Tkachuk brothers.
He finished the opening day tied for 13th with 15 points, and the scorecard had some real highlights. Boldy chipped in for eagle on 18 and also rescued himself from the bleachers on another shot. Not bad for a first crack at one of the sport’s most recognizable celebrity events.
The ACC scoring system flips the usual golf script. Bigger numbers are better, with a bogey worth 0 points and an eagle worth 6.
Anything worse than bogey drops into the negative. An albatross is worth 10, a hole-in-one 8, a birdie 3, and par 1.
Double bogey lands at -2.
Boldy’s 15 points after one round leave him a long way from the top of the board, but he’ll keep going Saturday when round two begins at 10:55 a.m. CDT.
At the top, retired hockey player Joe Pavelski leads the field with 29 points through 18 holes after winning the tournament last year. Behind him are Mardy Fish at 27, Steph Curry at 25 and Tony Romo at 23.
Boldy is not the only Minnesota name in the mix. Former Vikings receiver Adam Thielen sits just behind him with 13 points. Joe Mauer is further down the standings, tied for 51st with -1.
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