Fitzgerald receives praise for play
PEBBLE BEACH — Larry Fitzgerald and Kevin Streelman are just two ordinary country-club buddies who enjoy good-natured trash talk on the course — except Fitzgerald is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer and Streelman is a longtime PGA Tour pro.
Fitzgerald and Streelman, friends from Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., combined to win the pro-am competition Sunday at Pebble Beach. They teamed to shoot 41-under-par 246 for the week, good for a seven-stroke victory over Chez Reavie and businessman Brian Swette.
Fitzgerald, Arizona’s 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, became the first African American amateur to win the ProAm at Pebble. He carries a 13-handicap and helped Streelman with several good shots, including some long putts Sunday.
“He’s always messing with me,” Fitzgerald said. “Something is always going through his mind. He’s the wittiest guy ever, so he’s always got some funny, snide remarks coming my way.”
Fitzgerald started playing golf less than five years ago, but he quickly became consumed with it. He and Streelman played alongside Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tour pro Jerry Kelly the first three days.
“It’s fun to watch his passion and competitiveness on the football field come onto the golf course,” Streelman said of Fitzgerald. “He wants to win. He struggles off the tee a little bit … but he’s great inside of 150 yards and he’s a great putter.” Spieth sputters: Jordan Spieth, last year’s AT&T winner, couldn’t find his customary groove all week. Spieth strung together three birdies early in Sunday’s round (on Nos. 4-5-6), but he struggled thereafter and settled for a 1-under-par 71.
Spieth ultimately tied for 20th, with only one sub-70 round; he shot 66 at Monterey Peninsula on Friday. He blamed his wedge game more than his putting.
“My putter made tremendous progress this week,” Spieth said. “I just need to tighten up the swing a little bit, just my wedge play really. But it was very close.
“The putts I missed today were ones that I misread. I don’t think I put one bad stroke on it, which is the first time can I say that in a long time.” Briefly: Jason Day, who won his previous start in San Diego, tied for second after a final-round 70. Day couldn’t get closer than three shots behind eventual winner Ted Potter Jr. throughout the back nine. … Stanford alum Patrick Rodgers began Sunday’s final round three strokes off the lead, but he made only one birdie (on No. 15) in shooting 73. Rodgers tied for eighth.