[JNC Lyon]

Watching the Pebble Beach Tournament today has been a very frustrated experience.  In the hour and a half worth of coverage, I've seen one shot hit by a professional--Phil's tee shot on 12.  Dustin Johnson, who is one shot out of the lead and who made an eagle on 13 at Pebble Beach, holing his second shot, has not yet been mentioned.  Do people really want to see movie clips, interviews with C-List celebrities, and bad golf swings over serious golf? Club 15 is a disgrace to the game of golf.  It's hard to believe Bing Crosby would have wanted the tournament to be conducted in a such a way.  What does everyone here think?

[RSLivingston_III]

I never viewed PB as a serious event. It being refered to as a Clam Bake should be a clue....

[JNC Lyon]

I suppose, but it usually draws a good field--Tiger played in it his first few years on tour--and there is good golf out there on a great course.

[Bart Bradley]

Agreed.  Phil had an 11 and all we saw was his putting.  They easily could show both....

Bart

[Kyle Henderson]

They never show the first  6 holes Pebble, or anything from Spyglass or Poppy Hills. Even during regular tourney stops, they show putts 80% of the time. Few full shots and no one who isn't within a shot of the lead.

[jeffwarne]

awful.

Does anyone think George Lopez is funny?

ever?

[Craig Sweet]

A total waste of an afternoon.

[JohnH]

It is what it is.  Entertainment.  I sometimes get a good laugh and take solace in the fact that some star duffers are worse than me.

Get the Hope and Clam Bake out of the way early, then on to the good stuff the rest of the year.

[Bill_McBride]

Only suitable for Sunday viewing.

What's up with that mowing pattern on #18 at Pebble?

(Okay, you got me, the tv was on in the men's grill after today's round). 

[Dean Stokes]

It is what it is.  Entertainment.  I sometimes get a good laugh and take solace in the fact that some star duffers are worse than me.

Get the Hope and Clam Bake out of the way early, then on to the good stuff the rest of the year.

I totally agree. And as I wrote in a thread last week, as sad as this may sound, I rarely watch golf anymore unless Tiger is playing. I hate to write that, but watching golf and listening to the same old boring generic interviews with players that have nothing interesting to say has got old.
If only Tiger would play some more......... I even watched the European Tour last week!!!!

[Dan Herrmann]

There will be real golf shown today (Sunday)

[JBergan]

It's tournaments like this that make me appreciate Tivo.  I can watch a 3 hour broadcast in less than 30 minutes by fast forwarding past all of the celebrity crap.

[CJ Carder]

Agreed.  Phil had an 11 and all we saw was his putting.  They easily could show both....

Bart

Does anyone know how exactly he made an 11?  I mean, outside of some incredibly bad luck, I simply can't imagine a professional of Phil's level making double par + 1 on a par 5, I don't care how hard the hole is ranked year in and year out. 

[Kalen Braley]

Agreed.  Phil had an 11 and all we saw was his putting.  They easily could show both....

Bart

Does anyone know how exactly he made an 11?  I mean, outside of some incredibly bad luck, I simply can't imagine a professional of Phil's level making double par + 1 on a par 5, I don't care how hard the hole is ranked year in and year out. 

I know it involved going OB at least twice when he was having a go at 14 green....which doesn't make much sense anyways.  It can hardly be held with a short iron much less a long iron or wood.

[Andy Troeger]

I read it this morning but admittedly forgot some of the details. He was trying to get down in front of the green in two I think to give himself some kind of pitch and hit the two out of bounds. Then he hit 5-iron into the fairway, hit it short and right, took two to get it up the hill and missed the putt for a 10.

[Kalen Braley]

But on the up side, seeing how Phil carries a plus handicap, doesn't this mean he gets to post his score with a 6 and no worse?      

[Art Roselle]

As long as they are going to waste time with Kevin Costner and George Lopez, someone in the booth ought to have mentioned the sandbagging that went on with the winning amateur team.  I know that the handicaps at that event are all over the place and some are probably very understated due to the many big egos, and others are clearly managed up to try to win.  However, Bill Walters takes the cake.  He and Fredrik Jacobson won the pro-am by 10 shots.  They shot -38, while Jacobson only managed -4 on his own ball.  So Walters, the supposed 11 handicap, managed to cut him 34 shots over the course of the weekend.  Today, Jacobson shot 74, while his team miraculously shot 61.  By my math, the 11 handicap must have been pretty close to even today and could not have been more than a few over par for the week.  What do you think a real 11 handicap would shoot on those three courses in that environment?

That is tough stuff, in what is supposed to be a friendly event, but sort of amusing.  It gets even better, when you realize that Walters is the same Bill Walters of Walters Golf in Las Vegas that has developed several golf courses (Bali Hai, Royal Links, etc.)  If you Google his name, you will find several articles where he refers to himself as a scratch golfer, but admits that he made much of his early fortune hustling golf matches with a fake handicap.  Gotta love Vegas. 

I am surprised that a big time TV event would let him enter with an 11 and lap everyone.

Here is one typical article

[Andy Troeger]

As long as they are going to waste time with Kevin Costner and George Lopez, someone in the booth ought to have mentioned the sandbagging that went on with the winning amateur team.  I know that the handicaps at that event are all over the place and some are probably very understated due to the many big egos, and others are clearly managed up to try to win.  However, Bill Walters takes the cake.  He and Fredrik Jacobson won the pro-am by 10 shots.  They shot -38, while Jacobson only managed -4 on his own ball.  So Walters, the supposed 11 handicap, managed to cut him 34 shots over the course of the weekend.  Today, Jacobson shot 74, while his team miraculously shot 61.  By my math, the 11 handicap must have been pretty close to even today and could not have been more than a few over par for the week.  What do you think a real 11 handicap would shoot on those three courses in that environment?

That is tough stuff, in what is supposed to be a friendly event, but sort of amusing.  It gets even better, when you realize that Walters is the same Bill Walters of Walters Golf in Las Vegas that has developed several golf courses (Bali Hai, Royal Links, etc.)  If you Google his name, you will find several articles where he refers to himself as a scratch golfer, but admits that he made much of his early fortune hustling golf matches with a fake handicap.  Gotta love Vegas. 

I am surprised that a big time TV event would let him enter with an 11 and lap everyone.

Here is one typical article

Art,
They showed Mr. Walters on TV today making a BIRDIE on #9 for a net eagle. Interesting to hear about his past dealings, I know I've read other articles about him that were less than flattering.

[Ed Oden]

Art:

When I was in Dallas in the early 90s, I remember that a guy won the pro-am at the Byron Nelson by shooting under par and beating his playing partner (I'm pretty sure it was Ben Crenshaw) straight up on his own ball despite carrying a double digit handicap.  When asked afterwards how he could beat his handicap by a dozen strokes, he said he got a lesson the day before that really helped him out.  Anyone know where I can get a lesson like that?

Ed

[Wayne_Freedman]

Countless years, now, my bosses have sent me to cover the Wednesday celebrity shootout. "Give us the stars," they say.

Problem is, they use  public address announcer and keep players in front of the ropes. Your only long interview opportunities are on the putting green.

So, one year I convinced Kevin Costner's caddy to wear a mic. He's a much better player than his friend and boss. That guy, with that mic, got sound from everybody, but my bosses hated it. "We didn't want a story about Kevin Costner's caddy! We wanted the stars!"

Love it or not, that's the tournament. Celebs  pay their $10,000 or so entry, and get the investment back in terms of exposure. How many people would know Danny Gans if not for this tournament? I seriously doubt that many of these celebrities are there for the golf.

I will say this. Costner is a fairly cool guy who ACTS unimpressed, and Bill Murray works hard to make his good golf game look flooky. But anyone who can clown, perform, and then hit tough shots in public under pressure has some talent. 

[Mike McGuire]

What more annoying is the hours of flomax, viagra and "The Villages" commercials.

[Mark Smolens]

But on the up side, seeing how Phil carries a plus handicap, doesn't this mean he gets to post his score with a 6 and no worse?      

I thought you could still post doubles if you're a plus?  Would that I ever get that low (high?)

[JSlonis]

What more annoying is the hours of flomax, viagra and "The Villages" commercials.

It's called target marketing.   From the looks of "The Villages" commercials...flomax and viagra are probably a hot item at the local pharmacy.

...Afterall, it is America's friendliest hometown.

[Tom Yost]

Agreed.  Phil had an 11 and all we saw was his putting.  They easily could show both....

Bart

Does anyone know how exactly he made an 11? 

Missed the putt for a 10   

[Jason McNamara]

That is tough stuff, in what is supposed to be a friendly event, but sort of amusing.  It gets even better, when you realize that Walters is the same Bill Walters of Walters Golf in Las Vegas that has developed several golf courses (Bali Hai, Royal Links, etc.)  If you Google his name, you will find several articles where he refers to himself as a scratch golfer, but admits that he made much of his early fortune hustling golf matches with a fake handicap.  Gotta love Vegas. 

Walters was in that Dewey Tomko / Doyle Brunson golf deal on ESPN a few months back (hell, I think he hosted it), and if Pebble was foolish enough to invite -anyone- from that event, they get what they deserve.

I am surprised that a big time TV event would let him enter with an 11 and lap everyone.

Doesn't Pebble sometimes give lower cappers (or maybe all am's?) a couple extra strokes for this event?

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