PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – In December, the first body blow to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am arrived when it was announced no spectators would be allowed at this year’s event due to COVID-19 safety measures.
In January, a jab to the face landed when celebrities such as Bill Murray and Justin Timberlake as well as amateurs were told they wouldn’t be allowed to play this year, essentially turning this week’s tournament into the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro. The traditional three-course rota was cut to two, as well, with Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill providing the fields of play and Monterey Peninsula CC taking the week off.
And on Feb. 8, headliner and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson withdrew from the event after winning halfway across the world last week in Saudi Arabia, further diminishing one of the weakest fields in tournament history.
And if all of that isn’t enough, Mother Nature could deliver a haymaker as the forecast for this weather-plagued annual gathering is not kind – rain the first three days and temps tipping out at 55 degrees.
Should someone throw in the towel?
Not yet.
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Yes, the comedic genius of Murray will be missed and the overpowering presence of Johnson leaves a void, but the tournament has yet to reach the 10 count. There are enough calling cards to lure attention, especially with much of the country in a deep freeze or under piles of snow.
Start with the setting – Monterey Peninsula. You may have heard that there’s some spectacular scenery in these parts, with many saying it’s the greatest meeting of land and sea the world over. The crashing waves, the seals, the picturesque cliff-side holes at Pebble Beach such as Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 18. It’s a special place that charges the inner soul. And let’s not forget, there are plenty of reasons Jack Nicklaus said if he only had one more round to play, he would choose to play Pebble Beach.
Spyglass is no pushover, either, with a brilliant blend of ocean holes and stretches of forest holes inhabited by many a deer who tee up an unusual gallery.
The field isn’t horrid, either. The Prince of Pebble Beach, one Phil Mickelson, is a star attraction who has gone 3, 1, T2, 65 and 2 in his last five starts here. What a shot in the arm it would be if he contended for his record-breaking sixth title here.
More: APGA star Kevin Hall will tee it up at Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth shares top billing with Mickelson and last week Jordan was doing Jordan things in Phoenix. The 2017 Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner and three-time major champion ignited the golf world with a 61 last Saturday and finished T4 on Sunday, his first top-10 in a year. There’s not much better golf to watch when Spieth is summoning his magical powers.
Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 11 and is an emerging star with a win and a second in his last four starts. No. 15 Daniel Berger is another player on the rise and has two top-10s in his only two starts here. No. 17 Paul Casey won in Abu Dhabi last month. Francesco Molinari looks like he’s returning to form as he makes his Pebble debut. Will Zalatoris’ remarkable story and ascension up the world rankings seems likely to continue here.
And one of the most popular players in the game, Rickie Fowler, added this week to his schedule as he tries to regain his form and win for the first time since 2019. Think how social media would react if he goes all Spieth in Phoenix here at Pebble. There’s also former world No. 1 Jason Day – who has gone 4-T4-T2-T5-T11-T4 at Pebble Beach in his last six starts – trying to break a winless drought; this could be the ideal place for him to win for the first time since 2018.
The Pebble arena also is home to Cinderella stories, and frankly, who doesn’t like a Cinderella story? Underdogs such as Nick Taylor, Ted Potter, Jr. and Vaughn Taylor have crashed the winner’s circle in the last six years.
The tournament has been battered and bruised with bad news but the show must go on and will go on. And don’t pull the curtains just yet.
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