On the TunneySide of Sports March 1, 2021 #837 Up next… Congratulations Are Due
After further review… The Coronavirus Pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our country and the world. While we must maintain our safety by wearing masks (which we all dislike) and maintaining physical distancing (will we ever get back to congratulatory hugs?), we all so desperately desire to resume a normal lifestyle. Those in the world of sports remain determined to schedule games and sporting events. While it is certainly challenging, we do what we can to maintain normalcy.
Such a challenge recently faced the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in that beach-town community. In order to follow state guidelines, the “AM” –meaning “amateur” had to be canceled. For more than 75 years this tournament – started by Bing Crosby and initially held in the southern California community of Rancho Santa Fe — had to be held without amateur partners of professional golfers and without the massive crowds that it usually draws.
The Monterey Peninsula Foundation along with its partner the Pebble Beach Company as well as its corporate sponsor, AT&T, successfully put on a “Celebrity Shootout” with six golfers participating: Bill Murray, a perennial favorite, teamed with Arizona Cardinals Wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald, competing against Alfonso Ribeiro who partnered with Macklemore (yes, just one name) and Kathryn Newton and Kira K. Dixon (former Miss America) with the latter two as winners for this AT&T “Every Shot Counts Charity” $1.6 million dollar event. Jim Nantz was M/C.
The 2021 Pro-Am champion was Daniel Berger who stood on the 18h tee box tied for the lead needing a birdie on this iconic Par 5 finishing hole. Going through his mind had to be that on Saturday (the day before), Berger had hit his tee-shot out-of-bounds for a double-bogey. Berger not only won that hole and the tournament but sank a 31-foot eagle putt for 65 – 7 under par!
The tournament for the pro golfers and their caddies had good weather. The “Crosby” as it was called for years traditionally drew rainy weather with everything from sprinkles to stormy to blizzard conditions. For the most part, golfers don’t mind what the conditions are –“just get me on the course and I’ll play”. Spectators who are golf-enthusiasts don’t seem to have a concern about weather conditions either. Mostly, they just want to follow their favorite golfer wanting to learn how and which club to use for each shot.
Playing both the Pebble Beach golf links and Spyglass Hill courses this field of 156 pro golfers played four days of challenging golf. The pre-tournament favorite Jordan Spieth, while not the winner this time, had a 62 on the first day (tying the course record at Pebble), but sadly finished in a tie for third. Maverick McNealy, a Stanford graduate who once lived on Pebble’s 16th fairway finished second.
Will you join me in congratulating the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the PBC and AT&T?
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Jim’s books “On the TunneySide of Sports” as well as “Chicken Soup for the Sports Fans Soul” are full of baseball stories. Each sells for $20. However, as a 2021-year special if two are bought, a third is included free of charge. All autographed with no tax and free shipping. Mail to: Jim Tunney Youth Foundation (501c3) P.O. Box 1440 Pebble Beach, Ca. 93953 Be well!
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