Golfing with the stars
Players, celebrities tee off at Pebble Beach
Golf has gone Hollywood this week, as celebrities and PGA players take part in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament, running from Monday, Jan. 30 to Sunday, Feb. 5. CBS will carry the final round live on Sunday.
What began as singer Bing Crosby’s friendly invitational (dubbed the Crosby Clambake) is now the most star-studded stop on the PGA Tour. The tournament pairs some of the game’s best players with celebrities and musicians, with the action unfolding on three different Pebble Beach, Calif., courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
At stake is an $8.7-million purse, but tournament proceeds are donated to non-profits in the Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. That charitable aspect, plus the tournament’s reputation for drawing big names from the sports, entertainment and business worlds, is what makes the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am “part sporting event and part Northern California social event,” according to the tournament’s own website.
Will Arnett and Jason Bateman of “Arrested Development” (and podcast “SmartLess”) are headlining this year’s celebrity field, which includes Josh Duhamel (“Shotgun Wedding,” 2023), Scott Eastwood (“Gran Torino,” 2008), Alfonso Ribeiro (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”), recording artist Macklemore (“Thrift Shop”) and more.
On the player side, Seamus Power, Taylor Montgomery, Andrew Putnam and Kurt Kitayama are among the PGA Tour members who will be participating, but the tournament’s strength of field has attracted a lot of attention, as the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf continues to divide the golf community. Some players — including PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Cameron Smith and former PGA Championship winner Jason Duffner – have opted to play in the Asian Tour’s Saudi International instead, which is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and runs concurrent to Pebble Beach.
But the lore and lure of Pebble Beach makes it one of the most storied events, and last year’s tournament winner, Tom Hoge, shot a final-round 68 on his way to being handed the title and crystal trophy (and $1.566-million payout).
Tune in to CBS Sunday, Feb. 5, to catch the final round action from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament.