Golfing News

Yes, it’s Pebble Beach, but it’s not the same one that PGA Tour players saw in February at the AT&T National Pro-Am, and certainly not the one that we watched Tiger Woods carve up 10 years ago and spit out (then again, was it Pebble that he chewed and spit back, or the field that he beat by 15, yes, FIFTEEN shots?)

The U.S. Golf Association added almost 200 yards to the layout, and doing that still just got it over 7,000 yards (7,040). It will play as a par-71, as No. 2 will play as a 502-yard par-4; it’s normally a par-5 during the winter Tour event.

Fairways and landing areas have been narrowed all over the course, and balls that fail to find short grass will find, well, long grass — or worse. Coastal fescue grass, dreaded baranca and the Pacific Ocean beaches at the bottom of cliffs on the shore holes eagerly await wayward shots. Expect the rough to be up around the greens.

16 bunkers, 11 tees and four greens have been rebuilt or altered. There are new tee boxes on shore holes No. 9 and 10, par-4 holes. They were hard enough before, but now they measure 505 and 495 yards.

Put it this way: only the 12th hole has not been altered since the February AT&T tournament won by Dustin Johnson (for the 2nd time in a row; see my next post later tonight for a list of the top contenders). Should a coastal storm stir up some winds, the course could play incredibly tough, but in “normal” conditions, expect the winner to be around 6 to 8 under par on Sunday.

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