Shortly before 10am on Friday, as the sun charred the pine trees and shores of Lake Tahoe, a concerned father checked on his youngest son.
‘How are you set for sunscreen?’ Ed Kelce asked. ‘Sunscreen?’ Travis responded. ‘You have to understand, I got mom’s Croatian side. So we’re made for the sun!’
The 35-year-old let out a smile and wandered toward the first tee at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. SWAT officers were already there. So was Jason Kelce, wearing a straw hat and waiting to start the opening round of the American Century Championship.
This tournament brings 90 celebrities from sport and showbiz to Stateline but, unfortunately for football’s most recognizable brothers, no amount of fame or podcast listeners or European heritage can protect you from the hazards of these 18 holes. Nothing will, except your golf game. And on Friday, the Kelce brothers got burnt.
At the end of the opening round, Travis sits 62nd with his older brother down in 83rd. At least neither Taylor Swift or Kylie Kelce were in the crowd to see it.
Will she or won’t she be here? That was the question being asked around Tahoe even before the Kelce caravan rolled into town. Even before the brothers took a sip of beer and then took to the stage to perform karaoke on Thursday night. Well, there was no sign of Swift before this opening round no sign of her as the brothers spent nearly five hours hacking their way around the edge of Lake Tahoe.
Jason and Travis Kelce played together at the American Century Championship on Friday
At the end of the opening round, Travis sits 62nd with his older brother down in 83rd
So pity those Swifties who lined the fairways waiting, hoping, praying to catch a glimpse of the singer. Time will tell if Swift appears over the weekend but on Friday, as Travis and Jason played alongside fellow NFL star Andrew Whitworth, father Ed was the only member of the family among their entourage.
He turned a few heads and so did a blonde lady who is part of Team Travis. She confused the odd supporter. ‘That’s not her,’ one fan was told after filming the lady walking by.
This is a field brimming with A-listers from TV and film and football and beyond. But few attract the same fanaticism that followed the Kelces over 18 holes.
There was only one moment in their round when they gave up center stage. That came on the 16th tee, when a bear wandered nearby and everyone’s attention was diverted for a few moments at least.
By then, the Kelces had probably sunk more beers than long putts. But perhaps that was no surprise, given their preparation. On the eve of the tournament, they were up on stage belting out Bob Seger. Around 9am on Friday, Travis had cracked open his first can of beer.
Jason had already revealed that the brothers were considering a side-bet – shotgun a beer every time you three-putt. But the elder Kelce had bigger concerns. With just minutes to go before their tee time, he was receiving last-minute swing lessons on the driving range.
A sheriff watches on carefully as a black bear walks behind the tee at the 16th hole in Tahoe
The brothers were followed by hordes of Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs fans
There was no sign of Travis’ girlfriend Taylor Swift during the opening round on Friday
The announcer then twisted the knife, introducing the legendary Eagles center as a ‘zero-star walk-on running back’ – much to Travis’ amusement. But that was kind compared to the verdict of one fan a few holes later.
‘Jason’s hitting so you gotta watch out,’ he told his young son. ‘Why?’ the boy asked. ‘Because he’s a bad golfer.’ At times he proved him right and at times at proved him wrong.
Travis had his own share of comical struggles. A member of tournament staff had to chase him down on the second hole. The Chiefs star had already lost his scorecard. Perhaps he was hoping there would be no record of this round.
But the brothers smiled and drunk their way through the pain. They also gave these fans plenty of memories.
Jason signed hats and the Eagles jersey of a newborn baby. He posed for countless selfies and played up to the crowd, too. ‘Ah, my back!’ the Eagles legend shouted after one particularly hard practice swing.
Travis – or ‘Mr Swift’ as one fan christened him – took it all in good spirits, too. He greeted and thanked the hordes of Chiefs fans who came out. He even posed for one who – err – complimented his physique.
The brothers cracked open the beers after just four holes. Alas, the booze didn’t help their aim. When Travis struggled to get out of one bunker, a fan shouted some useful advice: ‘Shake if off!’
Jason Kelce cracks open a beer during the opening round of the event at Edgewood Tahoe
When he fired a tee shot down the fairway, another fan shouted ‘fore’ and was given a stern telling off by his security. ‘Show some class,’ they were told. Thankfully, he was a lone idiot.
And so, by the time the brothers reached the par-three 17th, the party was in full swing. Music was blaring and dozens of boats had parked up on the shore.
Footballs and pens and caps rained down on the Kelces. Travis drop-kicked one back into the lake; a few minutes earlier, Jason had sunk another beer. At the other end of the leaderboard, Aaron Rodgers and Stephen Curry were among those chasing the leader, ex-hockey star Joe Pavelski.
Who knows what the next couple of rounds have in store. Who knows who will be here to watch it. Who knows where they will end up on the leaderboard. All that’s certain? These brothers will go down swinging and swigging.
