Stateline, NV (My Sportsbook) - The 20th annual American Century Celebrity Championship in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada features current and former professional athletes and coaches, as well as many superstars from the entertainment world.

The most famous celebrity golf tournament in the country takes place on July 17-19 at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Club. Defending champ and seven-time title- holder Rick Rhoden is the 9-5 favorite, with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo the 3-1 second choice.

Rhoden, who dominated this event with five victories in the 1990's, has only won two titles this decade, including last year's one-point victory over retired hockey player Dan Quinn. The former Major League pitcher birdied the final two holes to raise his career earnings at Edgewood to just short of one million dollars at $997,289.

After being disqualified in 2006 for having "playing privileges" on the Champions Tour, Rhoden finished second behind Chris Chandler in 2007. He was then made the favorite for the 2008 tourney and the former All-Star hurler did not disappoint, even though he picked up just one birdie prior to the 17th hole on the tournament's final day.

It was "heartbreak city" for Quinn, who was looking for his fifth title and first since 2004. The former 40-goal scorer has finished first, second or third nine times in the American Century Championship, and would love nothing more than to reverse last year's decision. He is currently listed at 5-1.

Romo will be playing in just his third tourney in South Lake Tahoe. The 29-year-old, much younger than most of his competitors, improved from 11th in 2007 to a tie for third place in last year's event. He led after seven holes on the day's final round, but showed his greenness, failing to stay with the two veterans down the stretch.

Grant Fuhr rang up 64 points to match Romo, four off the winning total of 68 garnered by Rhoden in the 54-hole modified Stableford format. The five-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie (5-1) has finished in the top five on four occasions over the past five years, including a pair of back-to-back thirds.

In the Stan Humphries Celebrity Classic in San Diego this past April, Fuhr ended up with the third-place check, two strokes ahead of Rhoden, who finished seventh. The two had tied for second in last year's event.

Billy Joe Tolliver is the third golfer listed at 5-1. The only other multiple winner besides Rhoden and Quinn faltered badly last year, tying Mario Lemieux for 23rd place after a fifth and a second the two previous years. Tolliver nearly earned his third career victory by winning the event in 2006, but the former quarterback could not hold on to a six-stroke lead on the final day.

The winner that year was actor Jack Wagner (7-1 this year), who sank a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole. Wagner has since picked up fifth and seventh- place finishes the last two years at Edgewood.

Wagner, the only non-professional athlete to have ever won the American Century Championship, is one of just six golfers to have competed in all 19 previous tournaments.

There are a few newcomers this season, namely Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns, Ken Whisenhunt, head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons and Hall-of-Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith. It's doubtful any will finish in the top three, but Anderson is the favorite of all the first- time starters at the hefty odds of 18-1.

Who will take the 2009 event?

There are a couple of reasons to shy away from wagering on Rhoden. First, his 68 in 2008 was the least impressive score in the six years the American Century Championship has used the Stableford scoring format. Second, and more importantly, it's extremely difficult to repeat, as Quinn was the last to do so all the way back in 2001-02.

The choice is Quinn, who finished just one stroke behind Rhoden last year. Quinn gets revenge and picks up his fifth title since 1992.