A Pro-Am unlike any other set to tee off
COVID-19 precautions to keep celebrities, sports luminaries away from annual event
SAN FRANCISCO — Alfonso Ribeiro, beyond his snappy, signature dance, remains true to another time-honored ritual: When the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am sets its dates, he quickly blocks the week on his calendar and eagerly plans his annual midwinter stint as a celebrity golfer.
“It’s a big deal in my life, a wonderful second reality,” Ribeiro said.
This year, his stay on the Monterey Peninsula will be much shorter than usual. The actor/entertainer played Cypress Point on Tuesday (nice consolation prize) and will participate in a scaleddown charity event Wednesday at Pebble Beach and return to Los Angeles before the tournament begins Thursday morning.
Bing Crosby probably did not envision a pandemic interfering with his treasured creation, a distinctive blend of the sports and entertainment worlds. But that’s the reality in February 2021, forcing Northern California’s annual PGA Tour stop, in its 75th edition, to unfold without celebrities, amateurs and spectators for the first time.
This barely counts as the Crosby-turned-AT&T without Bill Murray wading into the gallery, Ribeiro breaking into the Carlton and various high-profile musicians and athletes — from Justin Timberlake and Macklemore to Aaron Rodgers and Larry Fitzgerald — wandering the fairways and greens.
Ribeiro endorsed the decision to exclude amateur players from this year’s field, given coronavirus concerns. As a fan, he also knows the change temporarily strips the Pro-Am of its identity.
“It’s not the same event, right?” Ribeiro said in a phone interview. “Now it becomes a normal PGA Tour event — it no longer stands out as unique, different and special.”
Or, as former Miss America Kira K. Dixon said, noting the event’s customary air of casualness: “It’s not going to have the magic it normally does.”
Tournament director Steve John will offer no argument. He resolutely stood by the pro-am format through the years, even when the event — beset by sketchy weather and painfully long rounds — struggled to attract top tour pros. He helped lure new celebrities, chased big-name pros and pumped fresh life into the AT&T.
John understands the uncommon appeal of spectators seeing Murray’s antics up close, or fist bumping Peyton Manning. As the tournament’s tag line for selling tickets once put it, “You’ve got to be here!”
Well, not this time. Three tour pros who usually play Pebble decided to skip this year’s event, John said, given the absence of the pro-am format. No. 1-ranked Dustin Johnson, fresh off his victory in Saudi Arabia, announced Tuesday he is skipping the Pro-Am, and Padraig Harrington withdrew from the event after testing positive for COVID-19. That balanced a few pros who usually stay away but chose to come in 2021, including Rickie Fowler (making his first appearance since 2012) and Francesco Molinari (tournament debut).
As John walked around the picturesque 18th hole one morning last week, he found himself marveling at the pristine, mostly empty landscape. Only two structures stood near the green, separate studios for CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz and analyst Nick Faldo.
“It’s really bizarre,” John said.
“There’s no grandstands, no sky suites, no concessions. There are tee markers and signs and that’s it. It’s really a professional tournament — and that’s not what we do.”
Crosby hatched the pro-am idea in the mid-1930s, after he joined Lakeside Golf Club in Los Angeles. He wanted to give Lakeside members, and other lowhandicap amateurs, a chance to play with tour pros who were on the West Coast during the winter.
Sam Snead won the inaugural tournament in 1937. Ten years later, Crosby brought his bash to the Monterey Peninsula, where it soon became a fixture on the sports and social landscapes. Only one other PGA Tour event (in the Palm Springs area) includes amateurs during the actual competition, and that tournament has veered away from celebrities in recent years.
Dixon, crowned Miss America for 2015 as Kira Kazantsev, made her Pro-Am debut two years ago. She quickly came to understand the good-natured dynamic that distinguishes the AT&T from other golf tournaments.
In 2019, Dixon needed par on the final hole to make the cut with pro partner Ryan Armour. Yet she felt curiously relaxed strolling down the 18th fairway, as spectators shouted and tossed drinks toward her.
Then, last year, one little girl in the gallery took a liking to Dixon — one of the few women in the field — and followed her every day on every hole. They ultimately struck up a conversation and took photos together.
So, yes, Dixon sees why the celebrity format works.
“I think it’s very much intertwined with this deep, traditional history — the Rat Pack and all this legendary stuff that would happen in this tournament,” she said. “That legacy carries a lot of weight all the way into 2021, and will carry on for a very long time.
“I think they’ve created a trust and expectation with fans, people who love golf and also love their favorite athletes and celebrities. They feel a connection … not to mention, you’re in the most beautiful place in the world.”
Ribeiro, similarly, pointed to the impact entertainers such as Crosby and Bob Hope had in boosting golf’s popularity in the mid-20th century. Now, in some ways, Clint Eastwood — who, at age 90, remains a commanding presence on the Monterey Peninsula — keeps the celebrity vibe alive through the Pro-Am.
This year’s edition, then, will be utterly strange. AT&T and most of the 56 secondary sponsors honored their financial commitment, John said, despite the unprecedented circumstances. The tournament expects to donate more than $10 million to local charities this year, after giving away $13.2 million in 2020.
The absence of amateurs will affect the golf itself, most notably in the course rotation (only Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill this year), pace of play (way faster) and hole locations (way harder). Pro-Am rounds usually average about 5 hours and 15 minutes, but John expects that to fall between 4:15 and 4:30 with only pros in the field.
And, not incidentally, the volume will drop considerably without spectators — or traditions such as Murray’s roving comedy show and Ribeiro’s impromptu dancing. That’s a fundamental part of the AT&T fabric.
So, yes, John eyes a return to this offbeat normalcy next year.
“It’s the secret sauce we have,” he said. “Bing really created something special at Pebble, and we’ve continued to build on it. I’m an advocate and always will be.”