Golf tournaments are always fun watches, but they don’t tend to be glitzy and glamorous fairs. Typically, they are intense and muted showdowns between the best golfers in the world, with big money on the line. But every tournament is different, and if you are coming to California, you know you’re going to have a celebrity-filled event. At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, you’ll find a Professional Golfer’s Association Tour tournament unlike any other.
Set in the stunning community of Pebble Beach along the Monterey Peninsula, this Northern California tournament is a favorite of golf fans and celebrity lovers alike. That is because of the tournament’s unique format, which pairs a professional golfer with an amateur golfer in a 72-hole event. This tournament draws many celebrities to play as the amateur golfer alongside the best golfers in the world.
The tournament format is 156 two-person teams competing to make a 60-team cut, with a better ball format. That means whoever has hit the best-placed ball between the two teammates, that is where the next swing is from. This is a big tournament for a big prize, with a $7 million purse. In 2021, the winner, Daniel Berger, took home $1,404,000, a major payday that ensures the efforts of all involved.
The tournament is a PGA Tour event, meaning it is an important golf occasion that will draw in some serious crowds, but this tournament is about more than that. The tournament also has a charitable spirit. All the tournament’s proceeds will benefit local nonprofits in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. This tournament is a significant driver of charitable dollars.
The Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be played at three different golf courses along the Monterey Peninsula, of which all three are considered premier destinations. The three courses are the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
Pebble Beach Golf Links has been the host of some iteration of the tournament since it formally began in 1947. It is a historic and gorgeous course along the Northern California waters. It is the site of the final round of the tournament, a stunning beach-side course that Golf Digest consistently ranks as the best public golf course in the country. Spyglass Hill Golf Course has been one of the tournament’s venues since the end of the 1960s, while the Monterey Peninsula Shore Course only became a permanent fixture in 2010.
The history of the tournament is an intriguing one that dates back decades. It wasn’t always known as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. At first, it was called the Crosby Clam Bake. This is because it was named after its founder, legendary musician, actor, and entertainer Bing Crosby who started the tournament. It began as a competition at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in San Diego, between Crosby and some Hollywood friends, a tournament with a charitable donation at the end. It rapidly grew and expanded to become a pro-amateur tournament, changing its location to Northern California following World War 2. Since then, it has continued to grow to become one of the best-known Pro-Am tournaments globally and one of the most celebrated stops of the PGA Tour.
The tournament has a lively and festive atmosphere. With a beautiful Northern California setting, it draws in golf lovers and tourists alike, who want to catch a glimpse of famous golfers or take in one of the many celebrities set to play.
There are certain to be famous golfers, with big names like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, and Vijay Singh all competing in this tournament in the past. And there are certain to be celebrities. The list of A-listers to have competed in this event is extensive. Bill Murray and his partner have won the tournament in the past, and Justin Timberlake, Tom Brady, Kevin Costner, and Carson Daly have all competed.
The tournament will begin on January 31st and run until February 6th, with tickets available online now. It will bring a crowd of tourists to the Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Monterey areas. It is sure to be a glitzy, Hollywood occasion, with some of the best golfers in the world joined with some of the biggest actors, musicians, and business leaders, all within a beautiful Northern California backdrop.
