How amateurs secure a coveted invitation
PEBBLE BEACH >> Jason Bateman, Bill Murray, Buster Posey — these are the names, alongside about 30 others, that headline the celebrity field at the 77th AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year. But what about the other 123 amateurs paired off with pros for the tournament?
They're mostly corporate bigwigs, secondary sponsors or folks who share a relationship with Pro-Am organizers. The result is a blend of CEOs and celebrities, with a heavy hand on the former.
“The amateur selection process is a bit of a mixed bag,” said Steve John, CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, which stages the annual Pro-Am. “Some amateurs are chosen off of relationships they have with the Foundation or through secondary sponsorships of the tournament. Others are celebrities and athletes. We end up with a great combination.”
To land a place on the tournament's list of amateurs, guests have to be invited each year. And the invitation, whether you're a celebrity or not, is quite coveted.
John explained that selections are decided by a tournament committee. A year-round process, the Foundation receives requests asking the committee to consider them for an invitation. Those requests come in from anywhere in the world. Once the Foundation receives a request, John said he then assembles as much background information as he can on the candidate. In turn, those bios are used by the selection committee as it decides what's best for the tournament.
There's a slew of factors the committee takes into consideration when choosing an amateur, including whether a candidate is philanthropic and if they understand the weight of playing at Pebble Beach.
“We want the best of the best coming to Pebble,” John said.
But not all invitations are a product of request. Others are offered as part of sponsorship contracts. These are short-term arrangements that the tournament forms to gauge if a sponsor is a good fit for the Pro-Am. Sometimes they last, sometimes they don't.
“Every relationship needs to be a good fit,” John said. “We've had a few situations that weren't ideal, so we let the contract expire and elected not to renew. The goal is to have 156 likeminded individuals paired with 156 professionals from the PGA Tour. That makes for a so much more impactful event.”
And this year, John is confident the Foundation “really hit it right.”
Asked to what degree the amateur field changes from tournament to tournament, John said there's a rotational model in effect that allows everyone deserving of the opportunity a chance to play.
“We spread it around. ….It's important for the tournament committee to give someone the opportunity that really gets it and recognizes the value of what the Foundation does,” said John, speaking to the tournament's philanthropic mission and long history of donating to local charity.
“It's a bucket list (event) for every amateur golfer,” he went on.
Pat Battle still remembers receiving his invitation for the first time.
“I was totally shocked,” said Battle, managing partner of Georgia-based Stillwater Family Holdings. “I always dreamed of playing in the tournament (after) watching it on TV growing up. The invitation was this nice booklet. You open it up, and it's just beautiful. Clint Eastwood signed it — so, pretty cool.”
Playing in his seventh AT&T Pro-Am this week, Battle said he got involved with the tournament by just spending time out at Pebble Beach starting about a decade ago when he bought a house in the area. Though hailing from the South, Battle said he already knew a lot of people in California when he decided to purchase a more permanent reason to visit. Those standing relationships included ties to the Pebble Beach Company, which
operates the coastal spot's famed golf courses. From there, Battle was quickly introduced to John. He's been engrossed with the Foundation and in the Pro-Am sphere ever since.
“I'm just so honored to do it,” he said, walking off Spyglass Hill after his first day of tournament play Thursday.
Battle paired with proDylan Frittelli from South Africa this year. The other pairing in his group was Swedish professional Henrik Norlander and Dick Barrett, vice chairman for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Barrett, Battle said, is a close friend.
“When I opened the pairings (Tuesday) night and saw I was with Dick, that made me really happy,” Battle said. “Nothing else mattered because I knew we were going to have a great time.”
In fact, for the most part, Battle's time at the Pro-Am is akin to a reunion, with many of his friends filling the ranks of amateurs brought back by the Foundation again and again.
“I have so many friends here that are playing the tournament,” he said. “I was out at Pebble Tuesday practicing with three of my closest friends — it was amazing.”
Relationships born out of playing the Pro-Am aren't limited to fellow amateurs either. Battle said he shares a close friendship with American pro-Brendan Todd, with whom he's experienced three Pro-Ams with. While Battle remembers a few birdies here and there, he said his best memory dates back to his inaugural year at the Pro-Am, when he played the Pebble Beach Golf Links with Todd as his partner.
“That was a great first memory,” he said.
Relationships like Battle and Todd's are ones organizers strive for.
After laboring over initial invitations, John said the tournament selection committee “takes great pride” in making sure the right professionals are paired with the right amateurs.
“The goal of the tournament committee is to create a good pairing,” John explained. “Maybe that's (through) a location players have in common or a school they both went to. …The pairing process is really important.”
An amateur of 33 years Stu Francis knows the value in a great partner. And at the AT&T Pro-Am, Francis said, great is the standard.
“Every professional is supportive of all of the amateurs,” he said, rattling off pros he's paired with over the decades.
Francis, senior managing director of global investment banking firm Evercore, was first invited to play in the Pro-Am in 1987. Though his employment has shifted companies a few times since his initial invitation, he's been summoned back almost every year since. In recent years, Francis has attended as an executive member of the U.S. Golf Association. He just finished a three-year term as the USGA's 66th president.
“I'm part of the old guard of players. … I think I'm one of the longest-running people still playing from an amateur standpoint,” he said.
Francis is hoping the streak persists.
“I hope the invitation arrives in the mail next year,” he said. “But I never take anything for granted. I'm nervous about it each year until it arrives. I'd love to come back as long as they'll have me.”