The AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was known firstly as the Bing Crosby Amateur, or just the Crosby Clambake however after Crosby’s death in 1977, the tournament was hosted by his family for eight years. The Crosby name was dropped after the 1985 event, and AT&T became the title sponsor in 1986.
It makes AT&T the longest running continuous title sponsor on the PGA Tour (since 1986) and is this year is celebrating its 40th year as title sponsor of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Okay, what you may not know about Pebble Beach – the location, how many movies have been filmed there, why is Spyglass Hill named as such and many more highlighted in 10 facts hereunder ……
1 – 1897 – Del Monte Golf Course opens as a 9-hole golf course, making it the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi still on its original site. In 1903, it was made into an 18-hole golf course.
Image Pebble Beach.com
2. 1930s – During the 1930’s more than 30 major film productions were made in Monterey!
To date, over 150 titles have been shot in Monterey County. Some examples are: Treasure Island(1934), The Caddy(1953), Vertigo(1958), The Sandpiper(1965), The Graduate(1967), Turner & Hooch(1989), Basic Instinct(1992), and We Were Soldiers(2002).
3 – 1935 – In the heart of the Depression, Pebble Beach Golf Links hosts the California State Open after a long hiatus. Pebble Beach head professional Cam Puget wins the event on his home course, pocketing the $300 first place money. Pebble Beach hosts the event again in 1936 and 1948.
4 – 1947 – Originally called the Bing Crosby Pro-Amateur, or just the Crosby Clambake, 1947 was the first year this tournament, which began 10 years prior in Southern California, was held at Pebble Beach and played on its three courses. After Crosby’s death in 1977, his family continued to host the tournament until 1985.
For the first time, television covers the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Bing Crosby hosts the broadcast of the final round live from the 18th green. Image Julian P Graham
5 – 1958 – For the first time, television covers the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Bing Crosby hosts the broadcast of the final round live from the 18th green.
6 – 1966 – Spyglass Hill Golf Course opens. The names given to most of the holes are derived from Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island.
Spyglass Hill is again co-hosting the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
7- 1986 – AT&T became the sponsor. As the popularity of golf grew in the area, thanks to events like the Clambake, 3 new golf courses were constructed at Pebble Beach in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Peter Hay (now The Hay), a small 9 hole course, opened in 1957.
The second course – Spyglass Hill – was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., and opened 59 years ago on March 11, 1966, after six years of planning, design, and construction. Since 1967, it has been in the rotation of the multi-course AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a February tournament on the West Coast Swing of the PGA Tour. It will host a senior women’s major professional golf tournament, the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in 2030.
Image – PGAT
8 – 2000 – The U.S. Open returns for the 100th playing of the championship. Tiger Woods captures the trophy, besting his nearest competitor by 15 strokes and tying the lowest 72-hole score ever in the national championship.
Earlier that same year Woods had come from seven shots back heading into the final round of the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, sensationally holing his second shot at the 15th, and produced his now famed right-hand victory punch (see photograph), to win the tournament by two shots.
It was Woods only victory in the tournament while Mark O’Meara and Phil Mickelson each have five victories apiece.
9 – 2001 – Golf Digest ranks Pebble Beach Golf Links as the No. 1 Golf Course in America—the first time a public course has been so honoured.
10 – 2018 – The U.S. Amateur returned to Pebble Beach, where Norwegian Viktor Hovland claimed victory. Pebble Beach previously hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1929, 1947, 1961 and 1999, and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1940 and 1948.
The current World No. 9 ranked Hovland is teeing-up this week.
- Thank you to Pebble Beach.com
