Week 6 Approach Shots: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

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ALL THAT RAIN ENDS DROUGHTS: Steve Lowery, a three-time PGA TOUR winner, who endured six years between his first and second TOUR titles, waited another eight years before he picked up his third victory. That came last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Lowery entered the final round three strokes behind the leader, forced a playoff with Vijay Singh and then outdueled the Big Fijian with a birdie on the first playoff hole -- the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Quick Facts

WHAT: Sixth of 37 regular-season PGA TOUR events WHEN: Feb. 12-15 WHERE: Pebble Beach, Calif. COURSE: Pebble Beach GL, Poppy Hills GC, Spyglass Hill GC TV: 3 p.m. ET, Thursday-Friday on GOLF CHANNEL; 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday on CBS RADIO: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET, Thursday-Friday PGA TOUR Network (XM 146/SIRIUS 209) WHAT'S AT STAKE: $6,100,000 purse ($1,080,000 for winner) FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner KEY LINKS: Tee times | Leaderboard SHOT TRACKER | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

This venerable tournament, which welcomes celebrities from the sports and entertainment worlds who play alongside PGA TOUR professionals, will be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Club and Poppy Hills Golf Club. Singh, who won the event in 2004, returns to the TOUR after undergoing arthroscopic right-knee surgery in mid-January to repair a torn meniscus. It will be his second start of 2009.

Meanwhile, Lowery, who qualified for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup a year ago, comes into the week 86th in FedExCup points standings with a tie for 24th at the Mercedes-Benz Championship -- the TOUR's season-opener -- his best finish.

Prior to his victory last year, Lowery was playing in 2008 on a Minor Medical Extension after suffering a wrist injury in 2007. With his win, he is now exempt through 2010. Lowery is seeking to become the sixth player to successfully defend a title at the tournament. Those who have won in back-to-back seasons are Mark O'Meara (1989-90), Tom Watson (1977-78), Jack Nicklaus (1972-73), Cary Middlecoff (1955-56) and Sam Snead (1937-38).

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem is playing in the tournament this week, with partner Davis Love III. Also in the foursome is AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, playing with Hunter Mahan.

PLAYER NOTES: Jim Furyk, a 13-time winner on the PGA TOUR, returns after a 2008 season in which he led the TOUR with nine top-10 finishes but failed to get a win for the first time since the 2004 season. Furyk will be making his 13th appearance at this event, having missed the cut just once. The best of his four top-10 finishes was a third-place showing in 1998.

Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, has enjoyed great success at this event, with five top-three finishes in 13 appearances. Mickelson had eight top-10 performances in 2008, including victories at the Northern Trust Open and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Mickelson is trying to become the second player to win the event four or more times (O'Meara has five wins).

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is one of four TOUR events Mickelson has won three or more times. The list includes the BellSouth Classic (2000, 2005-06), Buick Invitational (1993, 2000-01), Chrysler Classic of Tucson (1991, 1995-96) and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (1998, 2005, 2007). Mickelson's five-stroke victory in 2007 equaled a tournament record for victory margin, matching Lloyd Mangrum (1948), Cary Middlecoff (1956), Nicklaus (1967), Fuzzy Zoeller (1986) and Arron Oberholser (2006).

After losing to Lowery in a playoff last year, Singh bounced back with a stellar season that included victories at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship. His consecutive victories in the first two events of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup helped him win the 2008 FedExCup. Singh has seven top-10 finishes in 14 appearances at Pebble Beach, including his 2004 victory and runner-up finishes in 2000, 2001 and 2008.

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers is on the scene at Pebble Beach for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Albers:

This may be the one week out of the entire year where the stars of the week are the courses being played in addition to the players and the celebrities. It really is special to come out to the Monterey Peninsula and walk these courses.

No matter how many times you are here, to walk the stretch of holes at Pebble Beach -- Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, 17 and 18 -- it's just a wonderful experience. In fact, you'll see players pause on the seventh and look back across Stillwater Cove at 18 just to take in the view before playing their shots.

Weather might be a huge story before the end of the week. Rain is expected each of the tournament days but what would Pebble Beach be without a rain suit? In the days of the Bing Crosby Clambake, they used to say "the clams never minded the weather, why should we?"

Maybe the forgotten course this week is Spyglass Hill. As much attention as Pebble Beach gets, Spgylass is absolutely a harder golf course, is almost as scenic and, with wet conditions, will play very, very long.

Weather forecast for AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Partly cloudy Temp: 55 high/40 low Slight chance of morning showers Winds 7-12 mph from west Mostly cloudy Temp: 53 high/43 low Morning rain, scattered showers in afternoon Winds 10-20 mph SSW Cloudy Temp: 51 high/39 low Chance of showers Winds 10-20 mph S   Mostly cloudy Temp: 52 high/41 low Rain likely Winds 10-15 mph NW

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

Pebble Beach snippets

Under-30 Alert: A young gun to look for this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is John Mallinger. The California native has finished third and tied for third in his first two seasons on the PGA TOUR at Pebble Beach. Homegrown: When Nick Watney won last week's Buick Invitational, he became the seventh consecutive California native to win the event and the 11th in the last 12 years. Only Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain has been able to win in San Diego during that span of time while being born outside the state. Talent in the field: This week's field includes five of the top seven players in the current FedExCup points standings -- Watney (No. 2), Kenny Perry (No. 3), Pat Perez (No. 5), Charley Hoffman (No. 6) and David Toms (No. 7). Winners worth watching: No less than 17 World Golf Hall of Fame members have won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

In the spotlight

This week: Davis Love III

Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM will spotlight one key player in the field. For this week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, it's Davis Love III, a two-time champion here who has played full force since earning his 20th win last fall. Learn more about Davis

KODAK CHALLENGE: The first-of-its-kind competition for PGA TOUR players continues at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

The Kodak Challenge celebrates beautiful holes and memorable moments on the PGA TOUR. The Kodak Challenge offers $1 million to the winner. There will be one designated Kodak Challenge Hole at 24 different PGA TOUR tournaments in 2009, with this week's featured hole the 543-yard 18th hole.

Players, who must play at least 18 of the holes during the season to be eligible, will count their lowest score relative to par on the Kodak Challenge Hole made during an official competition round. The player, with the lowest cumulative score in relation to par at the end of the challenge, wins.

For more on the Kodak Challenge, click here.