Rd 1 ACC Field Notes: More Focused Steph Curry Stays in the Hunt
Recap + our fav pics from Day 3 of the American Century Championship
One of the advantages of covering the American Century Championship year after year is that you begin to notice the subtle differences.
On Friday, Bianca Rhodes of B.Marie Photography said something that perfectly captured the mood of one Wardell Stephen Curry II’s opening round.
“I think it’s been a little different so far because Steph wasn’t goofing around as much and it seemed more serious the past two days,” Rhodes told me.
That wasn’t a criticism. If anything, it was recognition that Steph arrived at Edgewood ready to compete. After all, everyone who has played this tournament understands one reality: if you fall too far behind on Thursday or Friday, you’re probably chasing for the rest of the weekend.
That focus showed throughout a first round that finished with 25 Stableford points, good for third place behind the familiar names of past recent champions Joe Pavelski and Mardy Fish.
One of my favorite photographs from Friday wasn’t even a golf swing. It was Steph standing at the famous basketball hoop beside the 17th hole, ball in hand, reminding everyone that no matter how seriously he’s taking the tournament, he’s still Steph Curry.
The biggest moment of the day came at the par-3 17th. Due to the crazy winds, Steph found the beach area but recovered beautifully, saving par and keeping his round alive.
On 18th, he apparently took some advice from his caddie Jason Richards, with Richards joking he “almost got fired,” but actually getting the dap from Curry:
Afterward, Steph didn’t talk about birdies. He talked about resilience:
“17 was my favorite part of the day. Those are the parts, avoiding another double, keeping your round going.”
That’s probably the best summary of Friday. Not perfection. Patience.
After a costly four-putt on No. 12, Steph regrouped instead of unraveling. He made a long par putt on 13, escaped trouble on 17, and kept himself firmly in contention heading into the weekend.
As he explained afterward in the media room, “I was happy I didn’t get too rattled after the double and kept my round together.”
For someone who only plays a handful of competitive golf events each year, Steph admitted that the biggest challenge isn’t mechanics. It’s emotional discipline.
“You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself when you get on a birdie streak and not get too deflated when you have a double,” said Curry. “You’ve got to stay in the moment as much as you can.”
That mindset probably explains why Bianca noticed a different version of Steph this week: Less joking around, more focus.
Friday wasn’t all business, though. The Curry family tradition continued as Dell, Steph and Seth Curry once again battled for the family’s unofficial championship belt.
Steph laughed afterward that Seth, the two-time defending champion, might not be quite as confident after Friday’s round.
“They brought the belts out on 17 today. It’s such a cool tradition with my dad and my brother,” said Steph.
Those family moments remain one of the unique charms of the American Century Championship. Just minutes after grinding over every putt, the Currys were smiling together on the course, sharing another summer at Edgewood.
With two rounds remaining, Steph’s goal is simple: Eliminate mistakes, stay patient, keep yourself within striking distance heading to Sunday.
“We all take golf so seriously, but there is a level of awareness that we’re out here to have fun,” said Curry. “You want to see everybody do well. You just want to play a little bit better than they do.”
That’s the spirit of this tournament. Competitive enough to care, relaxed enough to hug your caddie after saving par. And, if our photographs are any indication, another memorable chapter in Steph Curry’s Lake Tahoe story.
📚 Thursday practice round + video/autographs
👀 My BTS moment with Anthony Slater in the ACC media room
🏆 Why Steph ❤️ ACC
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