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The ups and downs of Pebble Beach for the pros
2007-02-07
The chance of rubbing shoulders with celebrities such as Kevin Costner and Bill Murray is a major attraction for fans at this week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. For the players, however, the tournament's long established pro-am format can be a mixed blessing. The field of 180 professionals is the biggest on the PGA Tour and the pace of play over the three hosting courses can be sluggish with many of the big-name actors and musicians taking time to entertain and sign autographs along the way. American film star Murray, a tournament fixture in recent years, is probably the slowest moving celebrity in the field with his unique approach to the week. The most notable amateur to compete in the event since fellow actor Jack Lemmon, Murray is renowned for his high-octane and unpredictable entertainment out on the course. He has swung baseball bats on the 18th green, wrestled a woman in a sand trap, attacked television cameramen and tackled a windblown umbrella. It is probably just as well he is usually paired with 1987 U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson, who has grown accustomed to Pebble Beach golf Murray-style. "It takes a different kind of mental attitude this week just because it is the pro-am format," British world number eight Luke Donald told reporters as he prepared for Thursday's opening round. "I've been very fortunate to be paired with a friend of mine, Eric Gleacher, for the last few years. He is a good amateur golfer and that obviously makes it easier. "But rounds here can be quite slow and you just have to be patient." American Paul Goydos, who ended a PGA Tour title drought of more than a decade by winning last month's Sony Open in Hawaii, loves playing at Pebble Beach. COOL TOURNAMENT "I think this is a cool tournament," he said. "In my rookie year, I got paired with (U.S. business tycoon) Donald Trump and I thought this is my favorite tournament of all time. "It's one of the icon events. You're playing Pebble Beach, and that's royalty when it comes to golf." Goydos recalled one year when he was paired with American singer Michael Bolton. "He got a penalty on the first hole for signing autographs," he said. "He showed up late on the tee and the rules are your partner is hitting three off the tee because he is late. "That's what makes this tournament great. If you don't like those things, don't come here and play. "But they do have a 180-man field here so they don't seem to have trouble getting players to play." Entertainment has been part-and-parcel since the tournament was first held in 1937 as the Bing Crosby Professional-Amateur at Rancho Santa Fe Country Club north of San Diego. After six years at Rancho Santa Fe, the tournament moved up the Pacific Coast to the picturesque Monterey Peninsula where crooner Crosby provided the $10,000 purse. For a time known as Crosby's "Clambake," the pro-am event has always been underpinned by its celebrity presence. Among the amateur stars in action this week are musicians Bolton, Glen Campbell, Glenn Frey, Huey Lewis and Kenny G, film stars Murray, Costner, Andy Garcia and Don Cheadle, plus NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
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