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The First Tee at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Monterrey)
The beginning part of the PGA season has offered quite a bit of drama, and this past Sunday was no different. Danny Lee had a two shot lead heading into the final round but faltered early, opening the door for a Ricky Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama showdown. Matsuyama made a birdie on the 17th hole to tie for the lead, and then matched Fowler's birdie on the 18th hole to send the tournament into a playoff. Unfortunately for Fowler, Matsuyama played excellent in the playoff and avoided the trouble that constantly found Fowler (Fowler had to get up and down twice from tough spots to extend the playoff). When the dust settled, Matsuyama claimed his second PGA Tour victory in his first two years on tour. He has an incredible all-around game that travels well, but his ball-striking is what makes him an emerging star. Keep your eye on him, he will contend in a major this year.
The Field
The Tour moves to one of its most famous venues this week, Pebble Beach Golf Links. There are few more scenic golf courses than Pebble Beach, which finds its home along the Monterrey Peninsula. The unique aspect to this week's tournament is that it is a Pro-Am, meaning the professionals are paired with amateurs for the tournament, and winners are crowned for both teams and individuals.
As usual, Pebble Beach has attracted a star-studded field. World #1 Jordan Spieth is the main attraction and comes into this week in top form having won his last tournament. World #2 Jason Day is coming off a missed cut at Torrey Pines and will be looking to notch his first victory of the year. Other notable players include Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Brandt Snedeker, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry and Bill Haas. Mickelson has won at Pebble Beach four times, and is the all-time earnings leader. Snedeker comes into the tournament with a lot of momentum having won at Torrey Pines, while also being the defending champion. Jimmy Walker is another player who's had success at Pebble Beach, winning the tournament once while also having a tremendous start to his season (win and 2nd place).
The Course(s)
The Pebble Beach Pro-Am is played on three different courses for the first three days before finishing up at Pebble Beach for the final round on Sunday. The course rotation is made up by Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Monterrey Country Club. Each course is unique, but the one constant theme among them is that they will yield low scores to the players. The biggest defense on these courses is the weather, but with near perfect conditions expected, the scoring should continue to be low across the board.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Famous for its history, Pebble Beach has played host to some of the most memorable shots in the history of major championships. The most memorable is Jack Nicklaus's 1 iron on the 17th hole that was the key shot in his US Open victory in 1971. The 17th hole (Par 3, 200 yards) has decided many of the tournaments played at Pebble Beach, and it's one I look forward to watching each year.
The course history is something that always intrigues me, as the course was designed and built by two amateurs (Jack Neville and Douglas Grant) who had no prior experience as course architects. That is incredible considering how the course has stood the test of time, while only having small renovations over the years. They took a minimalist approach—something that is in-style currently among course architects like Coore and Crenshaw—taking advantage of the incredible coast line and breathtaking views. It is truly a gem, and is a lot of fun to watch on TV.
Pebble Beach is a shot maker's golf course, which plays right into the hands of the upper echelon of ball-strikers. It is short by today's standards, weighing in at 6,816 yards (Par 72). It is safe to say that length will not be an issue for the professionals. There are three par short 4's in the first four holes, and all three come in under 390 yards. Some of the longer hitters might try and get home of the tee, but there is a premium on accuracy, as there is trouble surrounding the fairways and greens.
This is a constant theme at Pebble Beach. Length is not necessarily rewarded on many of the holes, as they are short enough to lay up and still have a short iron into the hole. The most important aspect to scoring at Pebble Beach is setting up the correct angle for your approach shot. With tricky greens and lots of trouble, there is no need to do anything fancy. Put the ball in the fairway, set up your approach shot and you will have plenty of birdie opportunities.
Spyglass Hill
Spyglass Hill is a Par 72, and will be played this week at 6,858 yards. Spyglass was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. as part of a group of courses that were to be built along the Monterrey Peninsula. Spyglass is widely revered for its contrast of settings. The first five holes offer dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean, as it weaves its way around the coastal areas of the peninsula. After the 5th hole though, players are in for a treat, as the course setting completely changes. The remaining 11 holes are played through the Del Monte forest and offer a nice change of pace from the other two venues.
Among golf purists, Spyglass Hill is debated as a superior course to Pebble Beach, which should give you an idea of just how incredible the courses in this rotation are. It is no wonder why the tournament attracts such high profile players, as they are no different than the weekend hacker who wants to play the best courses in the world. The only difference is the professionals get payed to play the courses, while we have to shell out $500 just for the chance to play them.
The strategy for Spyglass is not much different than that of Pebble Beach, and you can include Monterey CC in there as well. Players need to keep the ball in play and give themselves as many birdie opportunities as possible.
Brandt Snedeker won the tournament last year, and he did on the strength of hitting all 18 greens in regulation while playing Spyglass Hill. This should give you a feel for what is important at this rotation. There is nothing too tricky—despite the constant scenery and altitude changes—so it is a good idea to target players who make their money with their short irons and their putter. This is a week where the shorter hitters are not a disadvantage.
Monterrey Country Club
Monterrey CC is the lone Par 70 in the rotation, and will be played at 6,838 yards. All three of the courses in the rotation are incredibly short by PGA standards, but what they lack in length, they make up for in sheer beauty and playability. Remember this is a pro-am, so the amateur players and celebrities need to be able to navigate the course without slowing down the pace of the tournament. The setting of Monterrey CC displays vast ocean views, as well as signature Cypress trees that add a distinct feeling to the course, and separates it from the two sister courses in the rotation. Of the three courses, Monterrey CC should prove to be the hardest, but that is relative. The average scores will be close to (-2) for the tournament so it is hardly a difficult test for the professionals. It does use its yardage well though, averaging 563 yards on its three par 5's, and 194 yards on its five par 3's. Two of those par 3's are over 220 yards and are surrounded by trouble, so it is possible for players to make big numbers if they get too aggressive.
All in all, this rotation is all about restraint. The courses can tempt you into being aggressive, but there is very little to be gained and in many cases the risk is not worth the reward. The winner will avoid the trouble, play straight forward golf tee to green, and give themselves as many good looks at birdies as possible.
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