STATELINE, Nev. – During Thursday’s afternoon conference, Mark Mulder, Stephen Curry and Joe Pavelski chatted about their past games, their respect for golf and what they anticipate they’ll do during this weekend’s tournament.

Golden State Warriors’ Guard Curry was happy to return to the American Century Championship (ACC) after missing last year’s game to participate in the Paris Summer Olympics. “The energy out here is ridiculous,” he said with a smile. As for how he’ll play after a year away from ACC, he said, “I don’t know about my game. We’ll find out.”

Mulder, former MLB All-Star pitcher and three-time winner of the ACC, felt that time away wasn’t the only factor in how someone’s game might change. “Everything changes tomorrow—it doesn’t matter how you played yesterday or today.”

This year’s tournament sold out tickets for Friday and Saturday. Pavelski, former NHL All-Star and forward for the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars said he could already see how packed the audience was this year.

Many wondered about how Curry and Mardy Fish’s co-championship (and co-favored position at 2.4-1) was treating them. Curry responded, “Fish has been FaceTiming me every other day for the last six months.”

To try and beat Fish out, Curry said he would try to stay in contention. “You can’t win on the first day, but you can definitely lose on the first day,” he said. Fish in an earlier press conference said that he felt his early game was weak and he played better on Saturday and Sunday, upping the ante even more for tomorrow’s scores between the champions.

Players agreed that the Modified Stableford scoring system kept them on their toes. “It’s the best version of golf because you’re always in it,” said Curry. “You have to play aggressively.”

Mulder acknowledged that despite his past wins, golf isn’t easy, referencing a previous game where he fell apart on the back nine. “We’re not pros. This game is incredibly difficult, and I recognize that. I’m going out to have fun and compete,” he said.

Pavelski felt that he had a shot this year. “I like my odds this time around,” he said, then joked with Curry about how fast he ran down the green when he got a hole in one back in 2023.

The friendly energy among the competitors was palpable, notably with Curry. He said it was great to see other Bay Area and Northern California icons come to play at ACC. “They’re doing a great job representing NorCal,” Curry said of Zach LaVine and George Kittle.

Curry went on to praise the camaraderie among players, especially those who have been attending for multiple years. “We’re all over the place, so it’s great to see everyone and rekindle friendships. But we know how to turn on the competition.”

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.