One of the PGA Tour’s biggest ploys against LIV Golf will be on trial this week as the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is given a $20 million (A$30.5m) shot in the arm to captivate viewers worldwide.
Despite being staged at one of the most dramatic, and iconic, courses in the world, the event has long struggled to attract a strong field with the world’s best put off by painfully slow rounds, and a logistic nightmare.
Having started in 1937, the event — originally called the Crosby Clambake after celebrity host Bing Crosby — is the only genuine pro-am on the PGA Tour, once fielding 156 pros, and just as many amateurs.
The monster field — which had to play across three different courses, often during gruelling six-hour rounds — saw most top players snub the event.
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Big changes this year, however, are set to restore the event to its former glory on the same weekend that LIV Golf starts its 2024 season.
The PGA Tour has marked the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as one of this season’s eight Signature Events, which feature smaller fields, no cuts, and bigger prizes.
Those restrictions have been made in direct response to the threat of LIV Golf, which effectively offers the same opportunity to its players for 14 tournaments worldwide.
In a bid to satisfy more of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars more often, the event has been reduced to just 80 professionals — and with no cut, many could have a chance at winning the massive $3.6 million (A$5.5m) top prize on Sunday.
The Pro-Am is the second Signature Event of the season following January’s Sentry tournament in Hawaii, won by Chris Kirk.
That tournament, however, was already elevated in 2023 and therefore didn’t undergo any major changes for this year.
By comparison, Pebble Beach will boast the strongest playing field it ever has with megastars Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth just the tip of the iceberg, while Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott will also feature.
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The event will also be the first since the PGA Tour announced it had finally reached an agreement to form a new for-profit entity with a consortium of US billionaire investors.
The investors, under the banner of Strategic Sports Group (SSG), will inject up to $3 billion (A$4.6bn) into the PGA Tour, which remains the majority shareholder.
As such, the pressure will be on this weekend for the Signature Event to live up to its billing, and provide confidence in the PGA Tour product to its growing list of wealthy investors.
Success would also give more power to the PGA Tour at the negotiating table with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has been left out of the initial round of investing, but remains in negotiations.
What success at Pebble Beach looks like is subjective — but the world’s best players featuring at one of America’s most exciting courses is a good place to start.
And they could well have to bring their best game as well with conditions on the Monterey Peninsula this week being described as “pure carnage”.
Heavy winds off the Pacific Ocean have wreaked havoc during practice rounds with videos of pros battling the wild conditions going viral on social media.
One video shows Sahith Theegala hit a three-iron straight into the wind with the ball not even travelling 90 metres, according to the star.
Another video showed Tony Finau using a driver on the short par-three seventh hole.
Conditions are expected to improve for round one on Thursday (local time), albeit only marginally with an 80 per cent chance of rain, and wind gusts potentially hitting 70km/ph.
This is not unusual for the area with play having to finish on a Monday last year due to a suspension of the third round due to high winds.
HOW DOES THE PRO-AM WORK
The 80 professionals in the field vie for the US$20 million purse in a traditional stroke play event.
Where things have changed on the professional side of things is that the field has been nearly halved, while no players will be scrambling to make the cut after two rounds. All will play the weekend.
The tournament remains a Pro-Am, however, with 80 amateurs also being invited to play the first two rounds.
They are each partnered up with a professional, and will play one round at Pebble Beach and one at Spyglass Hill over the first two days.
The Pro-Am team event runs concurrently with the professionals-only competition as a better ball, handicapped event over 36 holes.
WHAT ARE THE MOST NOTABLE PRO-AM PAIRINGS
Another big change to this year’s tournament is that high-handicappers have been axed.
Given the smaller field and the need to speed up play, only single-digit handicappers will feature.
It means the likes of comedian Bill Murray, an iconic staple of the event for many years, has been axed.
Here are some of the more notable Pro-Am pairings.
Keith Mitchel and Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills quarterback)
Keegan Bradley and Tom Brady (legendary NFL quarterback)
Beau Hossler and Aaron Rodgers (NY Jets quarterback)
Emiliano Grillo and Pau Gasol (NBA legend)
Cam Davis and Josh Kroenke (Heir to Kroenke S&E, owner of Arsenal and Denver Nuggets)
Maverick McNealy and Condoleezza Rice (Former US Secretary of State)
Jordan Spieth and Chris Kempczinski (McDonald’s CEO)
HOW TO WATCH
Watch every round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports, available on Kayo.
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