PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Even with a smaller field and a bigger wallet, one aspect of Pebble Beach doesn't change.
Simply contact Tony Finau. He was on the seventh hole, one of the most famous par-3 holes in golf, measuring 106 yards down the hill to the waves crashing against the rocks.
As a strong wind blew from the Pacific Ocean, Finau hit the driver.
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is different in many ways, starting with its status as a signature event with 80 top players (amateurs for just two days) at Pebble Beach and Spyglass and $20 million in prize money.
“It has a little less Bing Crosby about it,” Jordan Spieth said. “It was fun and unique in a way, but it feels like it was closer to a major championship.”
And then there's the weather, which plays a role regardless of the format. Two days of relatively pleasant conditions gave way to extreme winds in the final round of training on Wednesday, spawning stories about club selection.
“Only 4 iron in the 17th,” said Erik van Rooyen.
Spieth typically hits a driver and an 8-iron into the 10th hole, which runs along the Pacific Ocean. The wind knocked him over and he hit 3-wood for his approach. On the other hand, he also hit the 7-iron for his second shot on the par-5 18th hole.
It's not likely to get much better with rain forecast for all but Saturday. This is usually the day when celebrities reign supreme at Pebble Beach, except this year.
The 80 amateurs will be finished by Friday, and celebrities, at least from the entertainment industry, are hardly there. In their place are a mix of corporate guests and athletes — Tom Brady, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers, Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants and even Pau Gasol, who won an NBA title with the Lakers.
This is primarily a show for the elite, a field that has always had its share of stars – from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to Dustin Johnson and Spieth – but also a whole field of PGA Tour rookies and other players who Bags can only be identified by the names on their names.
Pebble Beach was one of those rare PGA Tour stops that was defined more by the golf course and scenery than the strength of the field. Now it has both.
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Finau and Spieth are among the 45 players from the top 50 in the world. Participation was based on performance – the top 60 in last year's FedEx Cup as well as players who finished in the top five on a special points list in the last three events.
“That makes it even more exciting,” Wyndham Clark said. “Now we have the best players. These major events feel like majors, and now being in a major venue makes them feel even bigger.”
Spieth has been a regular since his professional career, even before his long-term partnership with the title sponsor. He likes the idea that Pebble Beach is sure to have some of golf's biggest names in the mix (and possibly in the mud) on Sunday.
He also knows what was lost. Spieth will be playing with the CEO of McDonald's rather than country singer Jake Owen, his usual partner.
Before the move – and before LIV Golf – there were few better entertainments on the ropes than Spieth and Owen paired with Johnson and his father-in-law Wayne Gretzky.
“The fact that I don't have Jake as a partner is probably the only downside, but I haven't met my partner yet and I'm sure we'll have a good time too,” Spieth said. “Most of the amateurs who couldn't come back, especially the entertainers, are depressed and curious about the future, and I don't know what that is either. That’s the only thing I’ll miss.”
Brady (with New England native Keegan Bradley) and Allen (with “Cashmere” Keith Mitchell) are in the same group. The real rival for Allen could be Rodgers, who is in the group behind him and plays with Beau Hossler.
Rodgers won the 54-hole Pro-Am tournament last year while playing with a handicap index of 10 alongside Ben Silverman, who was 1 over par for three days. They finished at 26 under. Do the math. Rodgers has a handicap of 4 this year. What a comeback.
Things are getting more serious for the rest of the field and it seems to be a battle of the elements. Pebble has always been the most difficult golf course to play because of its so much exposure to the Pacific, and now players have three rounds on it.
“I'm extremely excited about the idea that three to eight guys from the top 10 and 15 in the world could come to Pebble Beach,” Spieth said. “Regardless of the conditions, it would be very exciting to watch. Unlike the US Open, that wasn’t really possible at this event.”
“So I think the field this week is going to make possibly the best AT&T ever.”
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