Former tennis player Mardy Fish opens 7-point lead in American Century Championship

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Nev. — Former tennis player Mardy Fish birdied nine of his final 13 holes Saturday to take a seven-point lead into the final round of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

Fish had a 34-point round at Edgewood Tahoe under the modified Stableford scoring system to reach 57. Players receive a point for par, three for birdie and six for eagle and two points are deducted for double bogey or worse.

“It just felt like, today sometimes you have those rounds where you go behind your ball and look at the putt or whatever and you see it, like, right away” said Fish, the 2020 winner. “And I had a lot of those today.”

NHL player Joe Pavelski was second after a 29-point day.

“You’re trying to stay connected to Mardy,” said Pavelski, the Dallas Stars forward who said he's likely retiring after 18 NHL seasons. “We can kind of hear what’s going on back there."

Carolina Panthers receiver Adam Thielen — the first-round leader, a one point ahead of Fish — was third at 45 after scoring 21 points.

Derek Lowe (21) and Mark Mulder (23) were tied for fourth at 42, a point ahead of former LPGA Tour star Annika Sorenstam (24).

Charles Barkley was tied for 52nd with three points after a zero-point day.