Pebble Beach is considered by many to be America’s favorite golf course and while it is one of three used for this week’s event it will once again be the star of the show.
The tournament itself holds a special place in history as it was the first to utilize the celebrity pro-am format thanks to Hollywood legend and accomplished golfer Bing Crosby.
Colloquially known as the Crosby Clambake for many years, the event dates back to 1937 when it was played over 18 holes at Rancho Sante Fe in San Diego and won by Sam Snead.
The following year it expanded to 36 holes and in 1947 moved to Pebble Beach and was played over 54 holes for the next 11 years.
1958 was the first year of 72 hole play and the tournament has been a staple on the PGA Tour ever since.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: It took 203 tournaments but Tom Hoge finally captured his first PGA Tour title with a brilliant finish in 2022.
RIGHT: Tom Hoge claimed his first PGA Tour trophy at Pebble Beach last year. PHOTO: Jamie Squire/Getty Images.
Sharing the lead at the start of Sunday it was a roller coaster final round which saw the lead change hands several times.
But a run of three birdies in his final five holes – and a Jordan Spieth bogey at the famous par-3 17th – was enough to see Hoge home by two.
COURSE: With such a large field (156 pros and 156 amateurs) three courses are needed to accommodate Spanish Bay spirit Monterey Peninsula Country Club playing the supporting role to Pebble Beach.
Spanish Bay is a 1987 Robert Trent Jones Jr design with input from former USGA head Sandy Tatum and five-time Open champion Tom Watson.
As one of the four courses in the Pebble Beach portfolio it is immaculately presented and popular with resort guests and pro-am players the week of the tournament alike.
Perhaps the most architecturally interesting of the three courses, however, is Monterey Peninsula Country Club thanks to a 2004 redesign by flamboyant designer, the late Mike Strantz.
The Club is home to two courses with the tournament venue, The Shore course, occupying the most spectacular setting.
Strantz was known for his bold style and it is on full show at MPCC which has met with rave reviews since the work was done.
Spectacular and challenging (especially if the wind blows), it is the hidden gem of the three tournament courses and the week offers a rare insight into one of America’s most highly regarded clubs.
Pebble Beach needs little in the way of introduction as anyone with even a hint of golf interest will be familiar with the stunning cliff top layout.
The stretch of holes from 7-10 might be among the most spectacular in world golf with the devilish par-3 7th and heroic and daunting par-4 8th among a handful of the game’s best two-hole combinations.
PRIZE MONEY: US$9,000,000
PLAYERS TO WATCH: If history is a guide, the player who will garner the most attention this week won’t be a professional but actor Bill Murray.
Jordan Spieth headlines the field this week in California. PHOTO: Andy Lyons/Getty Images.
Murray’s on course antics have become synonymous with the event and he will no doubt be in full flight again this year.
The presence of the film star and his playing up for the cameras is one reason many pros prefer to skip this event although others seem to thrive in the celebrity environment.
Among those is Jordan Spieth who was close again in 2022 until a bogey at the 71st hole.
In 10 starts Spieth has yet to miss the cut and was the winner in 2017. He has five other top-10 finishes to his name in that span, three of those top-fives.
Reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick makes his fourth appearance at Pebble Beach this week and will be hoping the trend of his results continues.
He missed the cut in his first attempt in 2019, was T60 two years later but managed to finish T6 in his last outing in 2022.
The Englishman has looked a different player since his triumph at Brookline last year and makes his second start of 2023 off the back of a T7 in the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Viktor Hovland is the other headline player who will attract plenty of attention and on the face of it the atmosphere this week should be to his liking.
The popular Norwegian won the US Amateur at Pebble Beach four years ago and makes just his second start here as a professional.
T38 was the result of his first outing in 2020 but having won at the back end of last year he will be looking for something better than that this week.
72-HOLE RECORD: 265 (-22, Brandt Snedeker2015)
18-HOLE RECORD @ PEBBLE BEACH: 62 (Tom Kite1983; David Duval1997; Patrick Cantlay2021; Matthias Schwab2022)
PAST AUSSIE WINNERS: Bruce Crampton (1965); Brett Ogle (1993)
AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Aaron Baddeley, Cam Davis, Greg Chalmers, Harrison Endycott, Geoff Ogilvy and Cam Percy
TV TIMES*
Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 7am – 10am)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 7am – 10am)
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 5am – 11am)
Round 4: Sunday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 5am – 11am)
*AEDT, check local guides
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