Golfing celebs set No. 1 goal: Beat Barkley

STATELINE, Nev. – Ex-NFL quarterback Chris Chandler is determined to successfully defend his title at the 19th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe running today through Sunday.

Most of the others in the field of 80 past and present sports stars and entertainers are setting their sights a bit lower – they just want to beat Charles Barkley.

“As long as I’m ahead of Charles, I’m in good shape,” Dallas Mavericks star and 2008 U.S. Olympian Jason Kidd said.

Barkley is a 500-1 long shot to win the 54-hole tournament at the 6,707-yard Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden is the favorite at 9-5.

Michael Jordan, John Elway, Tony Romo, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Ray Allen and TV star Ray Romano are among some of the others who will tee it up today.