COURSE REVIEWS

Tuesday's Pebble Beach Notes:
Some Already Eyeing U.S. Open

By David R. Holland,
Senior Regional Staff Writer

PEBBLE BEACH, CA -- Tuesday at the Pebble Beach Golf Links was one of those days that will make you forget about Sunday in 1998 when it was raining sideways and Bill Murray re-created the scene from “Caddyshack” of the priest playing in howling winds, rain and lightning.

During Tuesday’s practice rounds the winds were faint for most of the day, the greens were soft and allowing the ball to back up, the pros were thinking of what the conditions will be in June for the U.S. Open, and there was a tribute to Payne Stewart.

And it was announced Tiger Woods’ amateur playing partner would be a former Stanford teammate -- Jerry Chang.

When eight of the PGA’s top players gathered on the first tee for the 2 p.m. Dockers Past Champions Shoot-out the large gallery paused and a lone bagpiper appeared playing “Amazing Grace”.

	Payne Stewart

Then Peter Jacobsen talked about his fallen friend. “Payne loved these golf courses. He loved the tradition and history of golf in this entire area and he loved this shoot-out. And to play in this event with these guys, the guys he loved to needle the most -- I think that’s kind of what Payne was all about -- having a good time and trying to get something over on the other players.”

Then the fun began. As Tommy Armour III addressed his tee shot at No. 1, Master of Ceremonies Bob Murphy said: “Armour has won $3 million on the tour.” Jacobsen countered: “And he’s spent $8 million.”

Fuzzy Zoeller and Billy Andrade teamed to win the Shoot-out when Zoeller hit his approach shot to within a foot on 18. They split $13,000 in the four-team skins competition. Second went to Armour and Paul Stankowski, with $5,000, and Jerry Pate and Rocco Mediate split $2,000. The team of Jacobsen and Jean Van de Velde got shut out.

Eyeing the U.S. Open

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“This course is like a pussycat on days like this,” said Zoeller. “But when the wind is blowing you have a giant staring you in the face.”

When the wind pounded the players in the final round of the 1992 U.S. Open, there were 20 rounds in the 80s -- that was one-third of the field. Zoeller, who won the 1986 Crosby Pro-Am, an event shortened to 54 holes, said those conditions are never fun. “Anybody who tell you they have fun on a day like that is smoking dope.”

Already Pebble Beach Golf Links is taking on the look of June’s U.S. Open. The fairways are not as wide as they normally are. The greens are a 9 on the Stimp Meter, but they will roll at 11 in June. The rough will also be higher and the second hole, which is usually a par 5, will become a tough par 4.

It’s been five years since the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am got a break from the weather, but this year’s forecast is very optimistic. Only brief showers are forecasted and Sunday is looking like another nice day. Of course, that isn’t written in stone.

Woods and Chang

	Tiger Woods

So Michael Jordan is busy with the business of the Washington Wizards and Woods will be teamed with Chang. But the complete foursome will include Mark O’Meara and Ken Griffey, Jr. They go off the tee at Poppy Hills in Thursday’s opening round at 8:20 a.m.

Woods’ former partner Kevin Costner will be teamed with Brian Hull two foursomes behind Woods and Chang.

And speaking of funny man Bill Murray -- he won’t be here because of a scheduling problem. Instead, Murray played in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic two weeks ago.

So this week’s craziness will have to be inherited by Tommy Smothers, who showed up Tuesday with a golf ball yo-yo. “Comedy is a release of tension,” Smothers said. “On the golf course you always have some quiet tension and that needs to be released. I love making eye contact with the gallery and I think sometimes actors just aren’t used to being with real people.”

Another change is the absence of Jack Lemmon teamed with Jacobsen. Lemmon, who had surgery in December, just wasn’t physically able to continue his 17-year run with Jacobsen.

“I really miss him,” Jacobsen said. “Part of the reason I come here is because of playing with him. He kept telling me he would make it, but the doctors told him differently. I think the fans will miss it too, because they viewed us as a tandem.”

O’Meara’s Day on the Beach

	Mark O’Meara

One of the strangest sights of the day happened when former champion O’Meara finished his practice round on No. 18. He calmly walked off and jumped down on the beach. There a pup tent was awaiting him for the filming of a commercial by KOA, the campground company.

O’Meara entered the tent and awaited the lines by Gary McCord, one of CBS’ commentators. As McCord peeked in the tent he said: “Mark O’Meara, what are you doing here?” One can only imagine what O’Meara’s lines will be.