Instead of the weather spoiling the AT&T Pro-AM as it usually does, Sunday’s threatening weather that was supposed to come, stayed far enough away for the players to compete without donning seven layers of clothing on Sunday.  On top of that, Monterrey County had a nice injection of rain on Wednesday that softened the greens at Spyglass and Pebble Beach.  The players would be playing these courses that would be uttlerly defenseless–soft greens, tepid temperatures, ineffective wind–it was going to be a birdie fest.  These courses are not easy.  Spyglass Hill is rated as one of the most difficult tracks on the PGA Tour, but this week its scoring record fell to a record low average of 69.7.  The players were able to attack the pins with impunity and they did.  The weather eventually turned a bit ugly by Sunday’s end (without rain) but the players kept up their scoring spree.

At least 20 players were in contention throughout the tournament making this event the most competitive situation I have seen in a very long time.  .  It was so exciting that the TV commentators didn’t have to say very much, the players were simply “lighting” up these difficult golf courses.  The 18th hole at Pebble is 561 yards and is usually a three shot hole.  With nothing to stop them, the players consistently drove the ball over 300 yards past the tree in the fairway and attacked the green.  I’ll wager that the number of eagles recorded on 18 this week had to be a record not only for this event but for any PGA Tour event.  Scottie Scheffler hit an absolute perfect drive on 18 past the tree and had a six iron to the green for second shot.  He knocked the 6 iron to five feet to record his third eagle of his Sunday round.

Scottie Scheffler was 89th after Round 1 with an even par round at Pebble Beach.  He was nonplussed in his press conference, and remarked that he didn’t have his best stuff and would be playing Spyglass in Round 2.  The Pro-AM is a no cut tournament event so Scheffler responded with a 66 at Spyglass.  By Sunday, with a flurry of eagles and birdies, Scheffler would actually take the lead in the tournament.  It would have been the biggest comeback of all time in a PGA event.  Enter Colin Morakawa.  Morakawa has been struggling for a while with his game and has been winless for quite a long time.  He was far back in the pack but then fired a 62 in the third round to close leader Bhatia’s lead to 2 shots.  On Sunday, with benign conditions still intact for a good part of the day, Morakawa lurked and finally grabbed the lead on the back nine. With four players tied for the lead at 20 under, Morakawa laced a 6 iron from 179 on the 15th hole to a position where he holed the putt to take the lead and would move on to birdie the 16th to take a two shot lead as he approached the 17th tee.   After his brilliant birdie on 16, Morakawa had a quizzical look on his face as he took the 17th tee.  The Sunday pin placement at 17 is deep at the back of the hole playing at least 175-180 yards–at this point the wind was howling and the temperature was dropping.  It seemed that the two shot lead had Morakawa thinking about playing conservatively or going at the flag.  His indecision almost cost him dearly as he seemed to take a half hearted pass at the ball depositing it in the deep rough to the left of the green.  He would make bogey there and Min Woo Lee would birdie 17 and 18 to tie for the lead at 21 under.  After the bogey at 17, Morakawa somehow looked refreshed and ready and he laced a great tee shot into a great position on 18.    His playing partner Jacob Bridgeman knocked his second shot onto the beach and spent at least 10 minutes figuring out what to do and he eventually moved back to the point of entry after dropping one ball in the ocean.  Morakawa had to endure a long wait, and  could only think about the approach shot to the green with Bridgeman clearly threatening pace of play and Morakawa’s preparation.  Eventually, Morakawa laced a four iron with his patented fade over the ocean on the left onto to the green finishing in the collared rough.  He would chip it to a foot and declare victory.  It was an amazing turnabout from what had happened on the 17th tee, and credit Morakawa for having the grit to stay focused at the task to make birdie to win the tournament.

Love on the Rocks

It was a sweet victory for Morakawa as he finally broke through again after a multiple year lapse on tour.  He made the shots under pressure especially the 4 iron on 18.  I also had to admire the play of Sepp Straka, who struggled with a balky putter but persevered.  When he bogeyed 15 with another three putt, he muttered, “I stink at golf.”  It was a classic as he proceeded to birdie the next few holes to finish third in the event.  It was a great finishing performance especially after bashing himself on 15.  He struggled all week with the putter and he’ll be back in the winner’s circle soon.

It was a great event for the Tour as scoring records fell at Spyglass as the conditions enabled the players to execute their considerable skills.  These guys executed the opportunities that presented themselves as compared to easy course setups with little rough.  The “AM” part of this event is not much of a draw anymore as the Bill Murrays and the Larry the Cable guy crowd are no longer there.  The tradeoff between having celebrities play and having the best players on the PGA Tour play four rounds of golf is a nod to the game of golf and I believe that’s the best for the game.