BONUS DAY AT PEBBLE BEACH
PEBBLE BEACH >> No ticket, no problem — it was a bonus day at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
As play stretched on for the fifth day, the extended tournament welcomed spectators in to watch players take their final shots at the Pebble Beach Golf Links Monday free of charge.
A small crowd of fortunate fans took advantage.
“We saw on the news that they were continuing today, so we just drove down to watch the last few holes,” said Pete Dooley. A resident of Aptos, Dooley came out to the Pro-Am Monday with his friends and fellow locals Fernando Papiz and Richard Thomas.
Though previous ProAm attendees, the trio had no plans to see the tournament this time around. That is, until poor weather Saturday delayed play, pushing the event's pro-only final round past the weekend. With Monday an unexpected add-on, tournament officials allowed anyone willing to come the chance to view outstanding action in person. No tickets were required. Gate fees usually required to enter Pebble Beach were also waived for spectators attending the tournament.
It was an open invitation to take part in the Pro-Am.
“I think this is the best. It's just easy,” said Thomas. Dooley and Papiz nodded in agreement.
“It's more conducive to people that play every day (and) that really like the game, especially when you have a course like this,” Papiz added. “And on a day like today, you can't do this anywhere else. Up and down the coast, the Midwest, back East, even Hawaii — nothing beats this. No crowds make it even a little bit better.”
Blue skies and steady sun were the backdrop to final swings as the clouds, wind and rain that interrupted play two days earlier left with the weekend.
Though you wouldn't guess it from conditions Monday, which were just about as idyllic as Pebble Beach gets, the third round of the AT&T was suspended just after noon Saturday due to excessive winds. The round resumed Sunday morning, but play was eventually pushed back by half a day. The event's final round, featuring a field of 75 pro golfers, began at 12:20 p.m. Sunday and lasted as long as light allowed. Play was called at 5:33 p.m. for darkness, leaving a few hours of golf to finish up Monday.
Players, volunteers and fans dutifully returned, even outlasting the tournament itself. Though the fourth round picked up again at 8 a.m., structures and accommodations built for this year's Pro-Am were already starting to come down.
Merchandise tents stayed closed, normally packed spectator lounges sat empty and loading trucks joined golf carts on the roads.
The scene paled in comparison to the hustle and bustle the event boasted less than 24 hours beforehand. But for those lucky enough to come out, it was an intimate alternative. Sparse crowds left ample room at ropes to watch players closely, as whispered commentary could hardly be heard over crashing waves. Stripped down, the tournament's main attraction shone front and center.
“It's just so up and close and more personal when you can get within ten feet of them hitting a shot,” said Joe Krauss, walking along Pebble's 18th fairway.
Joined by his wife Susan Krauss and friend Michelle Sours, Krauss eagerly watched Monday's Pro-Am finale, which ultimately crowned longtime pro Justin Rose the winner. It was a sight Krauss didn't think he'd get the chance to see.
“It's a bonus that they're playing another day because we got here late in the afternoon (Sunday) and only got to see a little bit,” he said. “This is wonderful. … We have perfect weather and not as many crowds as you would expect on a regular day, so it couldn't be better. This is just gravy, these kinds of days.”
Rose, a two-shot leader after Sunday's partial fourth round, played his final nine holes Monday. Leading by at least one shot throughout the morning, crowds followed Rose through his back-nine to see if he would clinch the victory. He didn't disappoint.
Rose secured his first PGA Tour title in four years and his 11th in all with a three-shot triumph. Lingering fans, a couple hundred strong, crammed around Pebble's 18th hole to see the victory in real time.
“This is it!” a spectator whispered excitedly. Low whistles and building applause followed.
It was the loudest moment of the day.