One of the most fun and looked forward to tourney every year is the AT&T Pro-Am in Pebble Beach because of its breathtaking setting, celebrities, and some of golf’s most memorable moments.
This year, on the brink of COVID-19’s one-year anniversary, we got to enjoy four spectacular days of golf, but unfortunately, we aren’t quite “back to normal.” There were no fans, no celebrities or amateurs - but that doesn’t mean we were left disappointed….quite the contrary as we share some our best take-aways from the weekend.
Daniel Berger’s Not One, Not Two, BUT FOUR Eagles During the Tournament
Not only was his final eagle on the 72nd hole of the tournament, to clinch his fourth PGA victory, but it was his second of the day. He needed a birdie to win or a par to force a shoutout, but instead, he used a 3-wood to sink a 30-foot putt for an eagle. This had him finish 7-under par 65, and 18 under; as well as two shots clear of Maverick McNealy (66), three clear of Patrick Cantlay (68) and 54-hole leader Jordan Spieth (70). Paul Casey (68) and Nate Lashley (69) tied for fifth.
Berger earned 30 Official World Golf Ranking points with the win and he also earned 500 FedEx Cup points, which gets his year off to a great start and gives him a good chance of getting to the Tour Championship. He is now ranked 13th in the world.
Daniel Berger’s Fight To Come Back After Injury
Just a little more than a year ago, Berger was ranked 152nd in the world and a lingering wrist injury threatened his career, but thanks to his amazing team of doctors he was able to make a full recovery. Fortunately, the issues with his wrist are a thing of the past.
Berger won the Charles Schwab Challenge last June when the PGA Tour returned after a 13-week break due to COVID-19.
Spieth Comes Short - Again, BUT Played Some of His Best Golf
Similar to last week at the Waste Management tourney, Spieth finished in the top four, and his back-to-back good finishes are a strong sign that his game is coming back after a drought that dates back to his 2017 Open Championship victory at Royal Birkdale.
Even though last week he had a share of the 54-hole lead, he shot 72 in the final round, to fall back for a tie for fourth.
Spieth said, “I’m as confident as I’ve been in a long time….I made some really, really good swings this week under pressure and I made some not so good swings under pressure and there were more good ones than there were last week.”
This weekend Spieth is playing at his favorite golf course in the world (Riviera at the Genesis Invitational). We look forward to seeing him out there and hope he continues to play good golf, and maybe the third time is the charm for him to bring home the trophy.
Nate Lashley Cringeworthy Moment at 16
It was like a bad car accident, you wanted to look away, but you couldn’t just make yourself do it. Lashley was the co-leader with three holes to play, but then a meltdown ensued that most of us won’t forget for a long time. 4 putts from 13 feet. He TRIPLED bogeyed the par-4 16th, falling out of contention. After a fairway-splitting drive, Lashley's approach shot from 152 yards flew the green, he then pitched to 13 feet to give himself a solid chance to make par.
But then the wheels really fell off, he overshot the hole 4 feet, next the ball lipped the hole on his bogey putt, and then also missed a 3-footer for double bogey, ultimately escaping with a triple bogey. OUCH!!
But for Berger, this Valentine’s Day will always be a special memory for him as he got to leave the grounds with the championship hardware.
