Celebrities smash balls for charity at golf tournament in new ‘Smash for Cash’ event
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Celebrities smash balls for charity at golf tournament in new ‘Smash for Cash’ event
The Smash for Cash competition is located at hole No. 14. A combination of technology, golf tracking, and AI calculates a swing’s “Smash Factor” The measure takes into account ball speed and club speed. So far, the max registered Smash Factor has been 1.5. Jerome Bettis and Jay Bilas’ team tied the leaderboard at 1.48, but that could all change Thursday. Dylan Dreyer and Brian Baumgartner had more humble numbers with .42 and 1.12 respectively.
Rob Galloway / Tahoe Daily Tribune
STATELINE, Nev. – American Century Investments has introduced a new competitive exploit to this year’s American Century Championship. For Joe Theismann, former MVP and All-Pro NFL Quarterback, the Smash for Cash is another element to get those competitive juices flowing. “We’re competition junkies,” he said on Wednesday.
The Smash for Cash competition is located at hole No. 14, taking place during Wednesday and Thursday’s practice rounds. A combination of technology, golf tracking, and AI calculates a swing’s “Smash Factor.”
The measure takes into account ball speed and club speed. So far, the max registered Smash Factor has been 1.5. But it isn’t just about how hard players hit the ball.
“It’s really much more about precision than speed and brute force,” Erik Schneberger, Chief Marketing Officer for American Century Investments explained.
At the end of Wednesday, Jerome Bettis and Jay Bilas’ team tied the leaderboard at 1.48, but that could all change Thursday.
Sizing up Wednesday’s Smash for Cash results, Theismann joked, “I haven’t seen anything that looks like my swing yet.”
Individually, Bettis met the max registered 1.5 Smash Factor. Kyle Lowry and Ryan Fitzpatrick came close with 1.49. Dylan Dreyer and Brian Baumgartner had more humble numbers with .42 and 1.12 respectively. Their swings still popped with colors exploding behind their image in the AI-generated custom background, which sat next to the hole.
Although a fun and colorful competitive accessory to the tournament, the Smash for Cash is ultimately a charity event. Teams consisting of a celebrity and their four amateur partners who average a 1.43 Smash Factor trigger a $500 donation to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.
The top team will earn an additional $10,000 for a charity of their choice.
Theismann will get his opportunity to see if his smash measures up to Bettis’ 1.5 at Thursday’s competition, along with Marcus Allen, Roger Clemens, Trevor Lawrence, Miles Teller and former ACC champion, Steph Curry.
“You’re always curious as an athlete,” Theismann said, “you always want to know where you stand in different situations.”