? COURSE: Pebble Beach Golf Links, 6,816 yards, par 72. Framed by
breathtaking views of Carmel Bay on one side and the Del Monte Forest
on the other, the iconic layout has been a favored PGA TOUR stop since
1947. Designed in 1919 by amateurs Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, the
duo was meticulous in building as many holes as possible along the
craggy Pacific coastline. Though Pebble Beach hosted the first of five
U.S. Amateurs in 1929, it wasn't until 1972 that the U.S. Open became
its first professional major. Four more Opens have followed, along with
the 1977 PGA Championship. Spyglass Hill GC (6,953/72) and Monterey
Peninsula CC's Shore course (6,838/70) also are used for the first three
days of pro-am competition.
? FIELD WATCH: Phil Mickelson, seeking a fifth Pebble Beach
win, and defending champion Brandt Snedeker headline a list that
features seven of the top 21 players in the current world rankings. …
Two-time champion Dustin Johnson also is featured, teaming again in the
pro-am with NHL Hall of Famer and future father-in-law Wayne Gretzky. …
David Duval, runner-up three times at Pebble Beach, makes his third
start of the 2013-14 season. The former world No. 1 has no status beyond
a past champion. … Max Homa, last year's NCAA champ now getting ready
for the Web.com Tour, will play on a sponsor exemption.
? 72-HOLE RECORD: 267, Brandt Snedeker (2013).
? 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Charlie Wi at Monterey Peninsula (1st
round, 2012). Pebble Beach record: 62, Tom Kite (3rd round, 1983), David
Duval (3rd round, 1997). Spyglass Hill record: 62, Phil Mickelson (1st
round, 2005), Luke Donald (1st round, 2006).
? LAST YEAR: Snedeker capped a torrid 2013 start in record
fashion, posting nothing worse than a 68 all week to break the
tournament scoring record shared by Mickelson (2007) and Mark O'Meara
(1997). The Nashville native ? runner-up the previous two weeks at
Phoenix and Torrey Pines ? closed with a 7-under-par 65, playing his
first seven holes in 5-under to build a comfortable cushion. Chris Kirk
(66) was two shots back in second. Snedeker also won the pro-am
division, teamed with fellow Vanderbilt alum Toby Wilt.
? STORYLINES: Another Mickelson win would draw him alongside
O'Meara, dubbed the "King of Pebble Beach," for most in the event. Back
woes, though, remain an issue after withdrawing at Torrey Pines and a
slow start in Phoenix. … Injuries have followed Snedeker, too, though he
recently pronounced himself 100 percent following an October knee
injury suffered when jumping off a Segway in China. … This year's
celebrity list includes NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and
Alex Smith, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, actors Andy
Garcia and Kurt Russell, musicians Kid Rock, Jake Owen and Darius
Rucker.
? SHORT CHIPS: Mickelson's 13 wins in multi-course events
makes him the leader among active PGA TOUR players, one ahead of Tiger
Woods. Mickelson's total includes four at Pebble Beach, three at Torrey
Pines, two at the Humana Challenge, one at the HP Byron Nelson and three
from the long-departed Nortel Open in Tucson. … Sang-Moon Bae becomes
the only man commit to each stop since winter break ended, making Pebble
Beach his sixth consecutive start. … Gene Littler is the only man to
win titles in both the professional and amateur divisions ? first in
1954 as a 23-year-old amateur, then 21 years later on the pro side.
Last Week's Winner OcalaNole99! Congrats!
Updated standings
1. 2952 - 1452
2. Ocala - 919
3. dfs - 844
4. Bobcat - 830
5. Bill - 736
6. Ed - 639
7. g2f - 616
8. NMT - 613
9. Lizard - 509
10. 67810 - 484
11.NiA - 439
11. Sea - 439
13. DL - 131
Good Luck!
This post was edited on 2/9 9:07 PM by DFSNOLE
Field
