The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a professional

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

tournament on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

, held annually at

Pebble Beach, California Pebble Beach is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, United States. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also ...

, near

Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...

. The tournament is usually held during the month of February on two different courses, currently

Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, U.S. Opened in 1919, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, o ...

Spyglass Hill Golf Course Spyglass Hill Golf Course is a golf course on the west coast of the United States, located on the Monterey Peninsula in California. The course is part of the Pebble Beach Company, which also owns the Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spani ...

and previously,

Monterey Peninsula Country Club The Monterey Peninsula Country Club (MPCC) is a 36-hole country club, golf club on the West Coast of the United States, located on the Monterey Peninsula in Pebble Beach, California. History On February 1, 1919, Samuel Finley Brown Morse , Samuel ...

. The event was originally known as the

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

National Pro-Amateur, or just the Crosby Clambake. After Crosby's death in 1977, the tournament was hosted by his family for eight years. The Crosby name was dropped after the

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

event, and

AT&T Corporation AT&T Corporation, an abbreviation for its former name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, was an American telecommunications company that provided voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to busi ...

became the title sponsor in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

. It is organized by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.

History

Founded in 1937, the first National Pro- Am Golf Championship was hosted by entertainer

and

Larry Crosby Laurence Earl Crosby (January 3, 1895 – February 7, 1975) was the long-serving publicity director of his younger brother, Bing Crosby, a manager, a philanthropist, an inventor, and an author. He was the eldest of Bing's six siblings. Crosb ...

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States, within the San Diego metropolitan area. The population was 3,156 at the 2020 census. The CDP is primarily residential with a few shopping blocks, ...

Golf Club in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its border with Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634; it is the second-most populous ...

, the event's location prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Sam Snead Samuel Jackson Snead (; May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for the better part of four decades (having won PGA of America and Senior PGA Tour events over six decades) an ...

won the first tournament, then just 18 holes, with a winner's share of $500. A second round was added in 1938 and was played through 1942. After the war, it resumed in 1947 as a 54-hole event, up the coast on golf courses near

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

, where it has been played ever since. Beginning that year, it was played at Pebble Beach Golf Links,

Cypress Point Club Cypress Point Club is a private golf club located in Pebble Beach, California, at the northern end of the Central Coast. Its single 18-hole course has been named as one of the finest in golf, best known for a series of dramatic holes along th ...

, and

through

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

. The tournament became a 72-hole event in 1958. In

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

, the new Spyglass Hill replaced Monterey Peninsula CC as the third course (with the exception of

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

, when it returned to MPCC). After

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

, private Cypress Point was dropped by the PGA Tour because it would not admit an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

member, and was replaced by Poppy Hills in

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, which hosted through

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

. Poppy Hills was not well received by the players, primarily due to poor drainage, and MPCC returned to the rotation in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

Notable professionals in recent years have included

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins, PGA Tour wins, ranks second in List of men's major championships winning golfers, men's m ...

Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters ...

Mark O'Meara Mark Francis O'Meara (born January 13, 1957) is an American retired professional golfer. He was a tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He spent nearly 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Offici ...

Davis Love III Davis Milton Love III (born April 13, 1964) is an American professional golfer who has won 21 events on the PGA Tour, including one major championship: the 1997 PGA Championship. He won the Players Championship in 1992 and 2003. He was in th ...

Jordan Spieth Jordan Alexander Spieth (; born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion. Spieth's first m ...

, and

Vijay Singh Vijay Singh ( ; born 22 February 1963) is a Fijians, Fijian professional golfer. In 1982, Singh turned professional and played on the local Asia Golf Circuit. However, his early career met with controversy, as he was accused of numerous rules ...

. Notable celebrities have included fan favorite

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with ...

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...

George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is most known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom '' George Lopez''. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican ...

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...

Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick ( ; born April 16, 1952) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, inc ...

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selli ...

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Raymond "Ray" Barone on the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005), for which he won three Primetime Emm ...

Clay Walker Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. (born August 19, 1969) is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single " What's It to You", which reached Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Son ...

, and

Carson Daly Carson Jones Daly (born June 22, 1973) is an American television host, radio personality, producer, and television personality. From 1998 to 2003, Daly was a VJ (media personality), VJ on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' (TRL), and a DJ for the Sou ...

. Past celebrities included many Hollywood legends, some of whom were accomplished amateur golfers.

Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom ''Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in '' Rebel Without a Cause, ...

, best known as the voice of

Mr. Magoo Mr. Magoo, whose first name is "Quincy", is a fictional cartoon character created at the UPA animation studio in 1949. Voiced for many years by Jim Backus, Mr. Magoo is an elderly, wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of comi ...

and as

Thurston Howell III Thurston Howell III (mentioned in the opening credits as: "The Millionaire") is a character on the CBS television sitcom '' Gilligan's Island'', which ran from 1964 to 1967, and later in syndication. Portrayal Howell, portrayed by veteran ch ...

on ''

Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...

'', made the 36-hole pro-am cut in 1964. When

Gene Littler Gene Alec Littler (July 21, 1930 – February 15, 2019) was an American professional golfer and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth, rhythmical swing, he once sai ...

won the 1975 event, he was the first player who had been on a winning amateur team in this pro-am (which he had done as a 23-year-old in 1954) to have gone on to win it as a pro.

Current playing format

The starting field consists of 80 professionals and 80 amateurs. Each professional is paired with an amateur partner. On the first two days, 80 two-person teams will play a Better ball format with one round on Pebble Beach and the other round at Spyglass Hill. The pros also play an individual

stroke play Stroke play is a scoring system in the sport of golf. In the regular form of stroke play, also known as medal play, the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. In a regular stroke play competition, the winner is the ...

format. On the last two days, only the pros will advance to the third and final rounds held at Pebble Beach. In addition, there will be fewer celebrities in the pro-am field as well.

Prior playing format

Previously, the starting field consisted of 156 professionals and 156 amateurs. Each professional was paired with an amateur player. On the first three days, 156 two-man teams played a better ball format with one round on each of the three courses. The pros also played an individual

format. On the final day, those professionals and pro-am teams making the 54-hole cut played on the Pebble Beach Golf Links. *Individual pro cut: At 54 holes, the low 60 scorers plus any ties. Players between 61st and 70th (and ties) received both official money and

FedEx Cup The FedEx Cup is the championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction in 2007 marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Since its inception, the competition has been sponsored by FedEx. In 2022, the PGA Tour ...

points, as the cut for this tournament ensured the field was smaller than a standard tournament cut of 70 to accommodate the pro-am teams playing on the last day. They were indicated as MDF (made cut, did not finish); this designation was used in other PGA Tour events when more than 78 players made the cut and the field was reduced to 70 and ties after the third round. *Pro-Am cut: At 54 holes, the low 25 teams, plus any ties. Only professionals competed in the individual competition part of the tournament. Amateurs were restricted to playing only in the pro-amateur team competition. The local Pebble Beach tournament officials organized the pairing of professionals with amateurs, while the PGA Tour managed the assignment of the pros' tee times.

Professional field

The professional field consists of 80 players under the PGA Tour's Signature Events rankings. # ''Top 50'': The 50 players who qualified for the BMW Championship at the end of last year's PGA Tour season. # '' Aon Next 10'': Players 51–60 in the final points list of the previous season (includes points from the FedEx Fall from the

Procore Championship The Procore Championship, previously the Fortinet Championship and the Safeway Open, is a professional golf tournament, part of the PGA Tour. Originally sponsored by Fry's Electronics, it was first staged in 2007 as the Fry's Electronics Open at ...

to The RSM Classic) # ''Aon Swing 5'': The top five players who scored the most FedEx Cup points in the

Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian ...

The American Express The Desert Classic (currently known as The American Express for sponsorship reasons; previously known as the CareerBuilder Challenge, Palm Springs Golf Classic, the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and the Humana Challeng ...

, and

Farmers Insurance Open The Farmers Insurance Open is an annual professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in San Diego, California. Founded in 1952, the tournament has been held at Torrey Pines Golf Course, a 36-hole municipal facility in La Jolla, since 1968. T ...

''provided'' they are neither a Top 50 or Aon Next 10 player. # ''Current Year Full-Field Winners'': Winners of The Sentry, Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express, and Farmers Insurance Open of the current season. # ''Rankings'': Top 30

Official World Golf Ranking The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of professional golfers. It was started in 1986. The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments (i.e. not pairs or team events) over a "rolling ...

players who are PGA Tour members. # Up to four sponsor exemptions. # Should a player who is in the Top 50 not be in good standing with the PGA Tour, then the 51st place player (and so forth) from after the FedEx St. Jude Championship that did not qualify for the BMW Championship shall be a member of the Top 50 until the eligibility list officially has the Top 50. This will also affect the Aon Next 10 list. # If, after sponsor exemptions, there are fewer than 80 players in the field, players 61st and beyond from the final points list of the previous season will be used to fill the field to 80.

Format

Conducted as a planned 72-hole pro-am event, 1958–present. Exceptions are as follows: * 18 holes: 1937 * 36 holes (planned): 1938 to 1942 * 36 holes, due to bad weather: 1952 * 54 holes (planned): 1947 to 1951, 1953 to 1957 * 54 holes, due to bad weather: 1974, 1981, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2009 and 2024 ** In 1996, the first 36 holes were played as scheduled on Thursday and Friday. Rain on Saturday and Sunday prevented the completion of the tournament and it was canceled (54 holes required to be official due to three course setup). ** In 1998, weather conditions prevented the tournament from being finished on schedule (9 holes were played Thursday, 9 on Friday, 18 on Saturday, rain Sunday and Monday). The third round was delayed until August to prevent cancellation similar to 1996. 43 of 168 players withdrew rather than return for the final round. * No pro-am: 2021 ** In 2021, the pro-am section of the tournament was postponed due to safety concerns in relation to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

; as a result Monterey Peninsula was also removed from the course rotation. The amateurs participated in their own tournament during the

PURE Insurance Championship The PURE Insurance Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour Champions. It is sponsored by the PURE Insurance company and normally held in August/September in Monterey, California at the Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course, ...

PGA Tour Champions PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, open to golfers age 50 and over, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, f ...

event at Pebble Beach in September. ** In 2023, the pro-am competition was shortened to 54 holes due to high winds on Saturday, February 4; professionals only competed in the final round on Monday, February 5.

Criticism

Despite being one of the most iconic events on the PGA Tour, many top players tend to skip the event, citing long rounds, celebrity distractions, sketchy weather and the bumpy poa annua greens. In addition, the schedule also made it difficult for players to compete in the event as it was usually the same week as the Saudi International, which also featured a strong field (mainly catered for by large appearance fees). The few top players who did compete regularly at Pebble Beach such as

, were contractually obligated to compete there due to sponsorship reasons.

Tournament hosts

Winners

Source:AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am - Winners
- at golfobserver.com (since 1970)

Multiple winners

Thirteen players have won this tournament more than once through 2022. *5 wins **

: 1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997 **

: 1998, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2019 *4 wins **

: 1937, 1938, 1941, 1950 (tie) *3 wins **

Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus (; born January 21, 1940), nicknamed "the Golden Bear", is an American retired professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greate ...

: 1967, 1972, 1973 **

Johnny Miller John Laurence Miller (born April 29, 1947) is an American former professional golfer. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s. He was the first to shoot 63 in a major championship to win the 1973 U.S. Open, and he ran ...

: 1974, 1987, 1994 *2 wins **

Lloyd Mangrum Lloyd Eugene Mangrum (August 1, 1914 – November 17, 1973) was an American professional golfer. He was known for his smooth swing and his relaxed demeanour on the course, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Icicle." Early life and family Mangru ...

: 1948, 1953 **

Dutch Harrison Ernest Joseph "Dutch" Harrison (March 29, 1910 – June 19, 1982) was an American professional golfer whose career spanned over four decades—one of the longest in the history of the PGA Tour. Early life Harrison was born in Conway, Arkansas. ...

: 1939, 1954 **

Cary Middlecoff Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated ...

: 1955, 1956 **

Billy Casper William Earl Casper Jr. (June 24, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. In his youth, Casper started as a caddie a ...

: 1958, 1963 ** Tom Watson: 1977, 1978 **

: 2001, 2003 **

Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He has won two Men's major golf championships, major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open (golf), 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 ...

: 2009, 2010 **

Brandt Snedeker Brandt Newell Snedeker (born December 8, 1980) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the 2012 FedEx Cup with a victory in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Following this victory, he moved into the top t ...

: 2013, 2015 In addition, Nicklaus won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

, Watson in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

. Two others have won an AT&T and a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach;

Tom Kite Thomas Oliver Kite Jr. (born December 9, 1949) is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He won the U.S. Open in 1992 and spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1989 and 1994. Early life a ...

(1983 &

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

), and

(2000 &

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

). Two golfers have won an AT&T and the

tournament; John Cook (1981 Crosby & 2014 First Tee) and Hale Irwin (1984 AT&T and 2005 First Tee). Both tournaments are played at Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach.

Notes

References

External links

*
Coverage on the PGA Tour's official sitePebble Beach Golf Links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atandt Pebble Beach Pro-Am PGA Tour events Golf tournaments in California Pro–am golf tournaments Sports competitions in Monterey County, California Tourist attractions in Monterey County, California Pebble Beach, California AT&T Recurring sporting events established in 1937 1937 establishments in California