STATELINE, Nev. – American Century Investments is celebrating 27 years, as the title sponsor of the American Century Championship, colloquially as Celebrity Golf. It’s not typical for a title sponsorship to last nearly three decades, but CEO Jonathon Thomas says the long-lasting relationship is a testament to how great the event is and the community it’s hosted in.

“It’s a testament to the quality of the field we put out there, it’s a testament to NBC and the community of Lake Tahoe,” said Thomas.

While the relationship has lasted 27 years, the tournament itself is in its 36th year.

“This used to really be a hotdog and potato chip type of event and we made the decision to really lean into it and put a lot of money into it, turn it into a world-class exposure opportunity,” said Thomas.

He said in the early years, they used to have to work to get celebrities to the tournament but now they have celebrities who want to be here.

“Filling the field is no longer a challenge,” Thomas said.

The sponsorship offers huge benefits to American Century Investments.

“With 80,000 people walking around, billions of social media impressions, millions of articles being written, it’s a way for us to tell our story,” said Thomas.

The company directs 40% of its profits each year into medical research, which has been over $2 billion over the last 25 years.

Of course, CEOs aren’t immune from being starstruck and Thomas is no different.

Thomas played in the Pro Am on Thursday with 2023 winner and NBA great Steph Curry.

“He’s pretty amazing, one of the greatest athletes to walk the face of the earth and beyond everything he’s known for, off the court and on the course, he’s just a really wonderful human being,” said Thomas.

“I don’t know if I have a favorite [celebrity encounter] but I’m really proud of every single person in the field,” said Thomas, although he added that as a Kansas City resident, he was happy to see Patrick Mahomes in the past and the Kelce brothers.