With his flawless final round 64 Sunday to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Phil Mickelson showed how fast things can change in the life of a professional golfer.
Just a few weeks ago, Mickelson was playing extremely inconsistent, missed a cut, called his own play pathetic, and admittedly questioned whether or not he was working on the proper things. He complained that he was unable to stayed focused throughout his rounds.
On Sunday, paired with Tiger Woods, Mickelson played one of the best rounds of his life. He made six birdies as well as an eagle, and drained two long putts to save par when he found trouble. He admitted afterword that playing with Woods amps him up and heightens his focus to the highest levels.
There have been recent discussions between Tim Tebow and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am about the star quarterback playing in the tournament.
An appearance by Tebow in combination with Tiger Woods playing would mean huge ratings. Although rumored as a possibility, it's unlikely that the two would be paired up together. Woods is supposedly already playing with Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo.
A lot will depend on whether or not Tebow's Broncos can pull off another huge upset win against the heavily favored Patriots on Saturday night.
Tiger Woods will start his 2012 PGA Tour season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on February 9th, returning to the tournament for the first time since 2002.
"I'm excited to start my PGA Tour season at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am," Woods said. "AT&T is a great partner to my Foundation, and I'm looking forward to playing in this event. I haven't been to this tournament lately, but I have a lot of good memories at Pebble. It will be fun going back."
Being a Pro-Am, the rounds have been known to last 5-6 hours which will be one downside for Woods. On the plus side though, he's continuing to forge good relationships with his business partners while at the same time getting in another tournament in preparation for the Masters.
The par-5 14th hole has been destroying player's rounds so far during the first two days.
Scores made on the hole:
Zach Johnson - 9 Ian Poulter - snowman Paul Casey - snowman Ricky Barnes - 7 Y.E. Yang - quite possibly still playing the hole (Yang finished with a back nine of 49)
1 Tiger Woods USA 2 Phil Mickelson USA 3 Lee Westwood England 4 Steve Stricker USA 5 Jim Furyk USA 6 Luke Donald England 7 Ernie Els South Africa 8 Ian Poulter England 9 Paul Casey England 10 Rory McIlroy Northern Ireland
As you can see, there are four players in the top ten in the world from both the United States and England, all with very legitimate shots at winning the championship.
Tiger Woods 7/1 Phil Mickelson 7/1 Lee Westwood 10/1 Rory McIlroy 28/1 Padraig Harrington 28/1 Jim Furyk 28/1 Ernie Els 30/1 Steve Stricker 33/1 Luke Donald 33/1 Retief Goosen 33/1 Dustin Johnson33/1
Somehow Tiger is still the co-favorite to win, although the swing above from Monday's practice round is not a good sign.
As usual, there are some interesting pairings set up for the U.S. Open. I thought they might pair the top three in the world like they did at Torrey Pines in 2008 but they didn't. It would have been huge to have Tiger and Phil in the same group but that would probably have put all eyes on that pairing alone and taken away from the event.
A big name player has won the Open at Pebble four out of four times and I suspect this year will be no different. If I had to place a bet, my money would be on Mickelson for 2010.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson got off to a great start at the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with birdies at his final five holes for a first round 64 and the lead at eight under.
Pebble Beach is known for windy conditions, although Thursday saw the course in calm weather. “It’s one of the best places you want to be when it’s good weather,” Johnson said. “It’s so pretty, too. It’s a fun place to be.”
The tournament features a rotation of courses including Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula. The players play each course the first three days of the tournament and those making the cut play the final round at Pebble Beach.
J.B. Holmes made eagle on the difficult par-4 8th hole by holing out an eight iron from 175 yards on his way to shooting 65 at Pebble. He's joined at seven under by KJ Choi, who also shot 65 at Pebble.
David Duval had the round of the day at Spyglass Hill, shooting a five under 67 on the course considered to be the most difficult in the rotation. Duval continues to show signs of greatness at times but then tends to falter down the stretch. Hopefully he can play well for the entire tournament and make a run for the title.
Phil Mickelson, three time winner of the event, shot a two under par 68 at the Shore Course.
The AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am kicks off Thursday and there is a very good field. This week will provide a great warm up and preview for the players to get ready for the U.S. Open, which will be held there in June. Having played Pebble Beach, it is always enjoyable watching the best players in the world on such a difficult course, especially if the wind is blowing.
Defending champion: Dustin Johnson
Top ranked players: Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Mike Weir, Sean O'Hair
Young guns: Ryo Ishikawa, Rickie Fowler
Notables: John Daly, Sam Saunders (Arnold Palmer's grandson)
The first and only time I've played golf in California, I was fortunate enough to play Pebble Beach. I played with three of my friends in early December and we were lucky enough for the weather to be about 70 degrees and sunny.
The course layout and views were unbelievable and I was able to picture shots I had seen in highlights on television throughout the years. There were many great holes and I can't even imagine how difficult the course would have been had the rough been really high or if the wind was blowing hard.
The four holes that really stood out were numbers seven, eight, seventeen, and eighteen.
Number seven, pictured above, is a short downhill par three surrounded by bunkers and the pacific ocean on three sides. This hole is not very difficult if the weather is calm, however, if a strong wind is blowing, it could be a nightmare.
Number eight, pictured above, is probably the most difficult par four I've ever played. This is a dog leg right in which you have to hit a very good uphill tee shot to set yourself up for a very difficult second shot. Your second shot will be hit over a cliff and the ocean to a very small green surrounded by bunkers. I would imagine there is at least one million golf balls in the ocean near this hole.
Number seventeen, the famous hole where Jack Nicklaus hit the pin with his 1 iron at the 1972 U.S. Open is another fantastic hole. This is a long par three to one of the most narrow greens you will ever see.
Number eighteen, pictured above, is one of the most famous par fives in the world. As you can see, the pacific ocean is along the entire left side of the hole as you play to the green. Depending on how much risk you want to take on the tee shot, you can play it safe out to the right or try and cut the corner over the ocean.
Course information:
18 Holes
Par: 72
Black Rating (US Open Championship): 74.3/Slope 144; Yardage - 6,828
Blue Rating: 73.8/Slope 142; Yardage - 6,737
Gold Rating: 72.3/Slope 137; Yardage - 6,348
White Rating: 71.2/Slope 134; Yardage - 6,116
Red Rating: 71.8/Slope 129; Yardage - 5,198
PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS
Resort Guests
$495 incl. cart
Non-Resort Guests
$495 + cart
Overall, playing Pebble Beach was a fantastic experience. The hotel accommodations, resort, and service were excellent. The pro shop was cool and they even have a full spa if you aren't there for the golf. Viewing the sites along 17 mile drive was nice. We had some great caddies for our round who provided good advice and kept us moving along when we started sight seeing for too long.
I highly recommend playing Pebble Beach if you ever have the chance. Although expensive, this is a once in a lifetime experience that you will not forget.
