Twenty years later, Club 15 still celebrates the amateur
>> Wind delays and rowdy crowds at the Pebble Beach Golf Links — there's nothing more AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am than that.
Before high gusts suspended and ultimately delayed third round play Saturday, Club 15 — the tournament's most popular gallery — weathered light showers and building winds to whoop, holler and hearten from its usual perch between Pebble Beach's 14th hole and 15th tee.
An annual tournament highlight, this year marked the Club 15's 20th anniversary of offering “professional support for the amateur golfer.” Not your regular golf viewing experience, the tradition embodies the heart of the Pro-Am, motivating amateurs in a way only fellow nonprofessionals know how: wild cheers from the sidelines.
“We elevate the `Am,'” said Douglass Johnson, longtime Club 15 member.
Sitting in a lawn chair between throngs of spectators, most nursing a cold drink, Johnson eagerly watched Club 15 initiate amateur after amateur into its infectious ranks.
“C'mon, get comfortable,” fans called out to actor-comedian Will Arnett, beckoning him to the bright blue couch Pro-Am title sponsor AT&T bought for Club 15 last year.
“So bossy,” Arnett quipped. He assured the crowd he'd sit after he teed off.
Appeased, the gallery did what it does best — and roared. True to his word, Arnett sat down just long enough for a picture, before heading out to his next shot. Getting up from his amateur throne, Arnett threw a subtle fist into the air. “Club 15!” he called out, walking away with a hat the gallery gifts to all amateurs who buy into the fun. Safe to say, he's in.
Johnson, grinning, waived the actor off. He turned his attention to the next amateur brave enough to embrace the merriment.
“What I love about the energy Club 15 brings is that everyone is really spirited,” Johnson said. “They really get into cheering on the amateurs themselves. I don't think at any other place or time during the tournament do people really focus on the amateurs themselves. That's what's really behind our energy and spirit at Club 15.”
Started by a small group of friends two decades ago, Club 15
has grown from a hodgepodge fan operation to an effort now supported by the tournament. These days, the legacy is an expected part of Pro-Am culture.
“Twent years ago, we were different people — maybe there was more stamina, maybe there was more chutzpah,” Club 15 founder Scott Larson quipped, “but we're still enjoying the same party.”
Stationed at the gallery's helm, Larson spent Saturday in his element as the tournament's pseudo mascot for the amateur, pampering and pandering through the morning.
Most amateurs were happy to oblige.
“Do you want it loud?” Larson asked Brian Ferris, co-chairman of the Pebble Beach Company.
Practicing his swing, Ferris answered, “Do you even have to ask?”
On cue, fans responded with a low, drawn-out yowl in approval. Taking his shot, Ferris rode out Club 15's rallying cries, running past fans with his hand ready for a high-five.
“See?” spectator Christine Riso pointed as Ferris galloped away, “there's an example of why we do what we do.”