The Daily Wrap-up, Round 1: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Sunshine and tranquil conditions turned the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am into paradise Thursday, and it was particularly ideal for big hitters Robert Garrigus and Dustin Johnson.
Garrigus reached the uphill, 529-yard seventh hole at Spyglass Hill with a 5-iron and holed a 50-foot eagle putt, then closed out his first round with consecutive birdies for a 7-under 65.
Johnson, another natural athlete with height and power, holed out a 9-iron from 151 yards for eagle on the first hole at Pebble Beach and played bogey-free for a 65.
Such scores are rare at Spyglass and Pebble except when the wind and rain go on hiatus, which was the case on a gorgeous afternoon on the Monterey Peninsula. And there's a big advantage with length on soft courses in chilly weather.
"I look forward to golf courses playing long. That's my game," said Garrigus, who is making his 90th start on the PGA TOUR and found his name atop the leaderboard for the first time after any round.
Rich Beem isn't particularly long, but he did practically nothing wrong.
The former PGA champion hasn't been back to the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am since 2000, and he had no intention of returning until he lost his card last year and could no longer choose where he wanted to play. But he was loving it Thursday, opening with three birdies and finishing with two more.
• To read the remainder of this story, click here.
LONG ROUNDS, LONGER RELATIONSHIPS
By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM Managing Editor
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Your round will last six hours - guaranteed. Your amateur partner may discover new areas of the course that you never knew existed. The weather will be unpredictable, you'll have to play three different courses, and the galleries will squeal with delight to see the celebrity who can't break 90 but just opened his latest movie at $25 million on the first weekend.
The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is not your average PGA TOUR stop. Things are different here. The days are longer, patience is tested. It's not for every pro. But for the ones who are here, who do accept the fact that 180 pros and 180 amateurs will spend at least three rounds together, it can be a blast.
After all, it's still Pebble Beach, a national golf treasure. You just have to accept the rest. All of it.
"If you're going to come to this event, you must know what it's about," said defending champion Steve Lowery. "You've got to embrace that before you get here. You've got to understand that it's a fun event, it's a unique event, it's not like every other event we play.
"You've got to be prepared mentally before you get here."
The pros here this week have serious business to attend to. Money -- livelihoods, in other words -- is at stake. FedExCup points are on the line. A win here has the same benefits as a win anywhere else on TOUR.
• To read the remainder of this story, click here.
| Thursday's Best |
|
The par-5 18th at Poppy Hills was the easiest with a Thursday scoring average of 4.533.
The par-4 sixth hole at Spyglass Hill was toughest with a Thursday scoring average of 4.300.
|
Davis Love III rolled in a 45-foot putt on the 16th hole at Pebble Beach on his way to an opening-round 69. 
Robert Garrigus closed with an eagle and two birdies on his way to a 7-under 65 at Spyglass Hill. | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||
|
INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens offers these observations from Thursday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.com.
Ever play golf with your "boss"? Davis Love III handled his first competitive round with Commissioner Tim Finchem with aplomb, saying all the right things and seeming to truly enjoy his day at Pebble Beach with a guy who's juggling lots of plates these days. Finchem, for his part, didn't have any trouble with the "employee" playing better and, in fact, seemed to wish Davis would have done better than his opening 69.
One thing the commissioner did that should be held up to all amateurs playing in pro-ams, and all of us amateurs in general, is play quickly. Finchem picked up when his ball wasn't critical to the team and did his best to make the often long pro-am rounds go as quickly as possible.
It hasn't been easy for a lot of the CEO's who are here this week to be happy about it, given the country's current economic issues. Many of them, in fact, have paid their own way and are low-keying the appearance, as many Buick dealers did last week in San Diego. You'll hear and see a lot more of the athletes and actors this week than in past years. Hopefully, a chance to see the lighter side of our business leaders will come again soon enough.
| What the top finishers said... | ||||||||||||||||
|
| Read full interview transcripts | ||||
|
| Live Essentials | ||||
|
FIRST-ROUND NOTEBOOK: AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM
By Mark Stevens, PGA TOUR Staff
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The first three rounds of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am will be played with preferred lies.
• First-round co-leaders Dustin Johnson (PB/65) and Robert Garrigus (SP/65) have played a combined 392 rounds on the PGA TOUR. Prior to today, they have never led following a round.
• Johnson tied for seventh last year in his first appearance at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
• Johnson got off to a great start with an eagle on the par-4 first hole on the Pebble Beach course. He holed out from 151-yards with a 9-iron.
• To read the remainder of this story, click here.
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
FAN ZONE
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network