Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Glenn Spencer on June 28, 2006, 12:19:18 PM
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Jack Nicklaus won 3 clambakes and a US Open here, plus a second in the Open.
Tom Watson won back-to-back clambakes and a US Open here.
Tom Kite a clambake and an Open.
Tiger a clambake and an Open and he is just getting started.
Johnny Miller won three clambakes in a 20-year span. One at 47.
O'Meara 5 clambakes, Love 2, Mickelson 2, Snead 3.
Is there any reason for this? Every guy that won the Open had already won at Pebble. Is the USGA able to do what they want to it? Is it a course that somehow identifies the best except for Kite? Does the course favor a certain strategy? Are the greens tough enough that only the greats can 'will' them in on Sunday? Does Pebble Beach scare the less great?
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Kite was the best that week and pretty damned good most of the time.
I can't help but think that his travails at Oak Hill in '89 allowed him to keep it together at Pebble in '92.
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Jack's winning history at Pebble extends back beyond the clambake. He won the Amateur there in 1961.
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Glenn,
Therefore we can look forward to Matt Gogel or Aaron Oberholser winning the upcoming Open at Pebble!
Also Clambake winners Payne Stewart, Hale Irwin and Steve Jones went on to win Opens, albeit elsewhere.
I just think that most US Open courses tend to bring out the best in the best golfers but mostly rewards those who are patient.
One explanation would be that Pebble also happens to be a tour course and an Open course, unlike the vast majority of other tour courses. Most Open courses do not hold a regular tour event. Congressional temporarily, Torrey Pines in the future. Also, having won at Pebble gives one more confidence which is clearly a huge factor.
Regards,