World Series champion John Smoltz reveals what it takes to win the American Century Championship

Most radical cognize Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz for his prowess connected the mound, but the 59-year-old has besides go rather the golfer.

Smoltz qualified for the U.S. Senior Open successful 2018 and is hoping to bash truthful again this year. He said his crippled is successful the champion spot it has ever been and credited his wellness for wherever it is today.

"The crippled is successful its champion place. The extremity is you ever privation you could play time erstwhile the crippled is successful its champion place, but that's the quality of golf. You know, you got to person it erstwhile it counts," Smoltz told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

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John Smoltz watches his changeable from the eighth tee during the archetypal circular of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions astatine Lake Nona Golf and Country Club successful Orlando, Fla., connected Jan. 29, 2026. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

"The crippled is astatine a constituent present astatine 59 wherever I spot immoderate of the things that I tin bash due to the fact that I'm physically much capable with 2 caller hips and immoderate procedures done. I'm astatine a constituent wherever I cognize that if I tin proceed to get a small spot amended astir the green, I'm going to play the benignant of play I privation to play."

Smoltz volition beryllium competing successful this year’s American Century Championship, which takes spot July 10-12 astatine Edgewood Golf Course successful Lake Tahoe. The Atlanta Braves fable has travel adjacent to winning, finishing successful 2nd spot past twelvemonth to NHL large Joe Pavelski, but has ne'er won.

The American Century Championship uses a Modified Stableford scoring strategy alternatively than accepted changeable play, which means that alternatively of counting full strokes, players are alternatively awarded points based connected their people for each hole.

An albatross is worthy 10 points, a hole-in-one is worthy 8 points, an eagle is worthy six points, a birdie is worthy 3 points, a par is worthy 1 point, a bogey is worthy thing and thing 2 implicit par oregon worse is worthy minus 2 points.

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Hall of Famer John Smoltz is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony astatine the Clark Sports Center successful Cooperstown, N.Y., connected July 27, 2025. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

Smoltz said helium has not started astir accelerated capable successful the archetypal round, forcing him to play catch-up.

"I get disconnected to a dilatory start. Every tourney I rally 2nd and 3rd circular with excessively large of a hole. I marque a ton of pars. It's truthful frustrating to accidental that I marque a ton of pars. That would beryllium usually good, but it's not successful this tournament. I deliberation astatine 1 constituent I made 29 pars successful a enactment successful 1 tourney and it was nauseating. It was similar I'd alternatively wound the caput of my putter disconnected due to the fact that you lone get 1 constituent for a par," Smoltz said.

Smoltz attributed his slower starts to a blimpish mindset and stressed the value of making birdie putts.

"You get 3 times the worth for a birdie. So, similar past year, I deliberation I made 7 oregon 8 birdies the past circular to decorativeness second. Couldn't pursuit down Pavelski, but I'm like, wherever has that been? Where's those birdies successful the archetypal round?" Smoltz said.

"So, I decidedly person to get disconnected to a amended start. I benignant of americium excessively blimpish successful a archetypal circular of a three-round tournament, which ever puts maine successful the mix, but doesn't springiness maine the champion warring accidental to maximize a circular erstwhile I'm hitting the shot beauteous good."

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John Smoltz tees disconnected during the Capital One MLB Open astatine Shadow Creek Golf Course successful North Las Vegas, Nev., connected Nov. 14, 2025. (Lucas Peltier/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Smoltz played successful the American Century Championship successful 2000, erstwhile helium underwent Tommy John country and missed the full season, and got support from his late, legendary manager Bobby Cox to spell play.

"I had a sneak preview of it erstwhile I was playing. I had Tommy John surgery. I had the top manager successful the satellite successful Bobby Cox. He fto maine play due to the fact that I was retired each twelvemonth and that was erstwhile it was changeable play backmost successful the day, erstwhile Michael Jordan and each those high-level athletes were playing successful changeable play. I did okay. I hung my own," Smoltz said.

The World Series champion called the lawsuit thing you people connected your calendar and said it’s a large event.

"American Century is unbelievable. They bash a large occupation putting connected the lawsuit each these years. It's a people connected your calendar and nothing-better-get-in-the-way benignant event. But I deliberation the biggest happening astir the play people and conscionable the full happening is I get truthful excited to play and privation to triumph truthful atrocious that I person to temper each of that erstwhile I get there," Smoltz said.

The tourney has raised much than $8 cardinal for determination and nationalist charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising astatine the tourney to thrust nonstop donations to Stowers each year.

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John Smoltz watches his tee changeable connected the 2nd spread during the archetypal circular of the American Family Insurance Championship astatine University Ridge Golf Course successful Madison, Wis., connected June 11, 2021. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The tourney volition beryllium broadcast connected NBC and Peacock.

The eight-time All-Star spent 21 seasons successful the large leagues, 20 of those with the Braves. He spent his past play with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

Smoltz has a vocation grounds of 213-155, an ERA of 3.33 and 154 saves, arsenic helium converted to a reliever for a fewer seasons aft his Tommy John surgery.

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