Thus far, success a layup for Furyk in tournament
PEBBLE BEACH — If the golf gods have any sense of justice, they will not torment Jim Furyk again Sunday at Pebble Beach.
Maybe they’ll guide a wayward drive off the rocks and back onto the 18th fairway, a la Hale Irwin in 1984. Maybe one of Furyk’s approach shots will take a friendly bounce and nestle near the hole.
Then again, maybe Furyk doesn’t need any help.
He will bring a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of this sun-splashed AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro- Am. Furyk zoomed ahead down the stretch Saturday, shooting 63 at Pebble — including 30 on the back nine — to reach 18-under-par for the tournament.
That put Furyk one stroke ahead of Brandt Snedeker (67)
and Matt Jones (67), and two clear of Nick Watney (65).
Furyk is the senior member of this quartet, at age 44. He also offers an important reminder: Not all PGA Tour pros swing for the heavens and smack their tee shots into the next county. Power helps, absolutely, but it’s not a prerequisite — especially at Pebble Beach.
Watney had a first-hand view of Furyk’s workmanlike ways the past three days, because they played in the same group. As Watney saw, Furyk plods along, clinical and efficient as always.
“If he was a quarterback, he wouldn’t try to throw a bunch of bombs,” Watney said. “If he was a pitcher, he’s not going to try to overpower you — he’ll take the corners and get outs.
“Jim makes birdies. It’s a beautiful thing. He knows his limitations, he plays well within them and he’s really good at it.”
Furyk provided a textbook illustration Saturday on No. 18, the 543-yard par-5. Watney used his driver, hit 5-wood on his second shot, putted from the fringe and made a 4-footer for birdie.
Furyk didn’t even consider using his driver. He hit a hybrid club off the tee, laid up on his next shot and plopped his subsequent wedge shot inches from the hole. Easy birdie.
He’s ranked No. 6 in the world and owns 16 career victories, so he usually doesn’t need guidance from the golf gods. But he’s also chasing his first win since the Tour Championship in September 2010, what probably seems like a lifetime ago.
Furyk has made 93 official starts since then — with 30 top-10 finishes, including seven as a runner-up. Still, no wins.
This should gnaw at him. And it does.
“I want to win golf tournaments,” Furyk said. “That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and what keeps me competing. It was disappointing not to win, but last year was still a very, very good year.”
Saturday’s sparkling round made an impression on singer Huey Lewis, Furyk’s amateur partner. Lewis, an AT&T ProAm veteran, marveled at his pro’s numbing steadiness; Furyk has hit 36 of 41 fairways through three rounds.
“Jim could have shot 61 today — he missed two little putts,” Lewis said. “Everything’s just straight, straight, straight. … We’re a great group to watch, for both pros and amateurs, because we both have classic swings.” Yes, Lewis was joking. As this race shifted into gear, another show unfolded in a parallel universe: Celebrity Saturday at Pebble, with all the A-list amateurs parading around the storied links. That meant Matt Cain, Buster Posey and Bill Murray in consecutive groups, drawing predictably large galleries.
Murray remains the clown prince of Pebble. He missed last year’s tournament while working on a movie (“The Monuments Men”), but his return sparked familiar, entertaining interaction with the crowd.
As Murray lined up his 30-foot birdie putt on No. 5, he turned to the crowd, smiled widely and said, “It would be great if I made this.” The fans cheered, then groaned when Murray slammed his putt wide right and about 10 feet past the hole.
He held his thumb and index finger less than an inch apart — missed it by that much.
Murray was at it again on No. 6, as pro partner D.A. Points prepared for his 8-foot eagle putt. Murray announced to the crowd, “This is for eagle, ladies and gentlemen. If he makes this putt, D.A. Points will take the lead … in this foursome.”
The crowd laughed, so Murray turned to Points and said, “If you make this, they’re going to go crazy. They’ll rush the green and pick you up!”
Points, grinning, made the putt. The fans did not rush the green.
They got another good show Saturday, equal parts birdies and laughs. Expect fewer chuckles Sunday, because Points and Murray missed the pro-am cut — but plenty more birdies, with Furyk leading the way.