If you were to ask me, outside of the 4 Majors, my favorite tournament on the PGA Tour is the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In fact, it might rival the PGA Championship to an extent.
The treacherous 18th Hole at Pebble
What makes it so special?
- The celebrities. Yes there are other Pro-Ams, but this has always been the creme de la creme of Pro-Ams. The old days saw Bing Crosby and Jack Lemmon. With elder statesman Bill Murray pulling out, this won’t be quite as memorable. But you still have the Ray Romano’s and Wayne Gretzky’s to add to the flair.
- Course familiarity. If you’ve played any of the EA Sports golf offerings of the last 20 years, you’ve played the Pebble Beach Golf Links. For many years it was the antithesis of Augusta National, a course which only within the last few years has allowed its awesomeness to be recreated in a video game. Pebble was almost always an included course, allowing fans to get to know the course in and out.
- Classic holes. From the extremely short 7th, to the coastal masterpiece finishing hole, many of the holes at Pebble Beach are remarkable.
- A regular event on a Major course. There are few courses on the PGA Tour that routinely appear in Major Championships. Congressional Country Club is one. Pebble Beach is the other. It’s already in line again for the U.S. Open in 5 years.
There is frivolity from the amateurs, but this is also a serious test.
Rounds 1 & 2 – The Golf Channel, 3:00 PM EST
Rounds 3 & 4 – CBS, 3:00 PM EST (early action on TGC at 1 PM)
THE OTHER TOURS
European Tour
Joburg Open
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg, RSA – TGC, 5:30 AM EST
LPGA
Off
Champions Tour
Allianz Championship
The Old Course at Broken Sound Club – TGC, 3 PM EST (all rounds)
Web.Com Tour
Off (Starts Next Week)
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