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Eruzione: Olympian returning for 25th year

Elyse Brightman
ebrightman@tahoedailytribune.com
Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, will be returning to Edgewood for his 25th American Century Championship.
Courtesy ACC |

Mike Eruzione is one of only one of four athletes to play on all 24 previous American Century Championship golf tournaments.

After captaining the 1980 Olympic hockey team known as the “miracle on ice” and beating world super-power Soviet Union en route to winning a Gold medal in Lake Placid, Eruzione says he gets nervous just by stepping on the course at Edgewood. Besides the competition, the crowds watching on give an added pressure.

“The competition is one thing but just the enjoyment and the fun you have about being out there and the galleries of people that show up,” Eruzione said. “So many people come back to watch you play and it’s intimidating but it’s also a fun intimidation. I look forward to stepping on the first tee, you get nervous. I’ve always told people I’d rather play the Russians every night than step on the first tee in Lake Tahoe.”



Eruzione considers hole 17 as the highlight of the tournament with the spectators that gather both on the land and the boats that line the shore.

“I love playing 17. That’s the most fun you can have on the golf course,” Eruzione said.



The Winthrop, Mass native is confident in the fact he won’t be winning the tournament overall, but is looking for a hole-in-one on 17. Shooting a hole-in-one on 17 wins the golfer a million dollars. A few years ago, Joe Sakic shot a hole-in-one on 17 and won $500,000 for himself and $500,000 to a charity of his choosing.

“I got a better chance at winning a hole-in-one than I do in having winning the tournament, so I look at it this way, I fly out to Tahoe for three shots,” Eruizione said. “I’ve had six hole-in-ones in my life and I think I have a seventh somewhere coming and I hope it’s on 17.”

Eruzione is slated at 300-1 odds to win overall and, even though he’s happy with those odds, wouldn’t suggest betting any money on him.

““That’s pretty good,” he said. “I wouldn’t put a dollar on myself.”


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