Flyers' Alumnus Dan Quinn Wins The American Century Championship

South Lake Tahoe, NV -- July 18 -- NBC must have a flair for predicting the closeness of the final round of its nationally televised celebrity golf event, The American Century Championship. The three leaders after two rounds, Billy Joe Tolliver (QB Texas Tech and NFL), Rick Rhoden (MLB Pitcher) and former Senator, Penguin, Flame and Flyer Dan Quinn were grouped. It came down to the 18th hole for Quinn to capture a one-point lead over last year's winner Rhoden. The one "point" is due to the Stableford scoring system that gives "plus" points for good play, three points for a birdie, two points for par, etc.)

On eighteen Rick Rhoden would have had to eagle putt to capture the title, but it was Former Hockey player Dan Quinn who tapped in for birdie and the $100,000 first place check. Quinn has now won three out of the last four Championships held at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. Both Rhoden and Quinn shot 4 under par rounds of 68, but it was Quinn's 7 birdies that gave him the victory in the Stableford format with +74 points. Rhoden received a check for $50,000 for his second place finish with +73 points.

Quinn won the title in 1992, after his first year with the Flyers and three times since his NHL 1997 retirement, in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Quinn was with the Flyers in 91-92 and again in 95-96.

Current Flyer Jeremy Roenick started well on Friday and finished on the leader board with a +17. Quinn was +25 and Rhoden +23. J.R.'s Saturday result was not as encouraging and he was quick to joke after his Sunday round "There's nothing to talk about after the way I played today."

Roenick finished 48th out of 79 participants with nine points.

Former Sixer Charles Barkley finished last among non-amateurs in 76th place. Barkley was sandwiched between "The Apprentice" standouts Bill Rancic (-89 points) and Carolyn Kepcher (-79 points), while their boss Donald Trump finished 56th with -6 points.

Among others with Philly connections: former Eagle QBs Jim McMahon (+41 points) ended 27th and Ron Jaworski finished in 63rd place.

Roenick was not the only player with ice hockey connections. Grant Fuhr finished fifth (+63 points), Brett Hull 18th (+49 points), Pierre LaRouche 25th, Mario Lemieux 32nd and Mike Eruzione 46th.

Quinn most likely won the competition because he played a ball off of a tree on Saturday (7-17). Rather than take a stroke and drop his ball nearby, he set his shot, bounced it off a tree and into play. He bent his nine-iron in the process and had to compensate all Sunday.

Quinn described the American Century Championship as a premier celebrity golf event, "This is the Masters, British, U.S. Open, P.G.A. and Ryder Cup all in one, everything. This is celebrity golf at its best. Lake Tahoe is beautiful, the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is spectacular and the people here have really embraced the event."

Spectators had opportunities to get autographs from the likes of Michael Jordan (+49 points), Trump, NFL-coMVP Peyton Manning and "The Bachelor" Jesse Palmer.