Phil wins, with a little help from Amy

Phil Mickelson was moping around the Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course, posting a ho-hum even par on his first nine (the back) in the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Then, the sunny skies from the morning turned to overcast skies and eventually rain, which hadn’t been in the forecast, started to fall steadily (and annoyingly) on his second nine.

About the same time the weather rolled in, Mickelson, who hasn’t been known for his prowess in wet and windy conditions, experienced a change in his mood and game, which eventually led to his splendid eight-under 64 in Sunday’s final round to cruise to the winner’s circle for the fourth time at Pebble Beach.

Amy Mickelson, his wife, flew in on Friday morning and lifted her husband’s spirits — and his game — with her bright smile and positive energy, along with a few words of support when she showed up on the 3rd tee at MPCC. (continue reading…)

Ugh: These greens are so bumpy!

Actually, it sounds like Tiger Woods may have gotten a better grip on his outbursts as he matured into an adult. AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am 36-hole leader Charlie Wi, who is 12-under after firing 61-69, shared an amusing memory from a round he played with Tiger in junior golf — they played quite a bit together when they were younger because they’re both from California. (continue reading…)

Danny Lee didn't need a belly putter to shoot 63 on Thursday.

As the competitors wind their way around a second of Monterey’s three venues, the leaderboard should begin to reflect the state of play a little more accurately. In the driving seat at the moment, though, are 21-year-old Danny Lee (once the youngest ever winner on the European Tour), Charlie Wi and big-hitting, slow-talking Dustin Johnson.

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Ah, those were the days...

TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! (continue reading…)

Romo with his bestest friend ever.

I may have spent a good portion of the afternoon sitting in a darkened room in a drizzle-soaked and recession-ravaged city, but Stephanie’s been out gallavanting around Monterey, where, among other things, she got some face-time with Tiger’s pro-am partner, Tony Romo. (continue reading…)

Levin tied for 4th at last year's Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The award for the day’s most unintentionally amusing headline probably goes the way of the Sacramento Bee, whose interview with this week’s PGA Tour hard-luck story is titled “Levin hopes he learns from Phoenix collapse”.

You can’t beat that note of uncertainty. (continue reading…)

Tebowing possible at Pebble Beach

With Tiger Woods opening his 2012 PGA Tour season at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the event was already going to be a zoo. Now there’s chatter of the possibility of Tim Tebow playing alongside Tiger in the tournament, according to a report from Brian Hewitt of GlobalGolfPost.com: (continue reading…)

Jessica Simpson, Tiger and Romo = cute threesome!

Thanks to Shoshana for keeping me posted on the news while I was busy sunning myself on the beach — including the chatter about Tiger Woods kicking off his 2012 PGA Tour schedule at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which the AP’s Doug Ferguson insinuated in November. On New Year’s Day a tweet from Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel triggered rumors that Tiger and Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo will play together at Pebble Beach, where the pros team up with celebs to compete in a tournament within the tournament.

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DA Points and Bill Murray shot a team total of 35-under to win the pro-am

“Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become The Masters champion…” I bet you haven’t heard that line enough times since Sunday evening! But thing is, it actually was a Cinderella story. Paired with actor and entertainer Bill Murray, D.A. Points shot a five-under 67 in the final round to capture his first-career PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. To top it off, Points and Murray combined to post 35-under and won the pro-am portion of the event.

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Welcome to Balls in the Air, where I size up my Fantasy Golf picks of the week, featuring guys to watch (or not) and interesting story lines. Disclaimer: My picks may suck, but I do think through the factors that may weigh in.

Keegan Bradley really likes playing in pro-ams

Apologies for not posting the column at the usual time, but I was too busy icing my ankle. I did make my picks before the deadline. With hindsight, they’re not the best, except my Group C players are lighting it up. Pebble Beach is one of my favorite places in the world and I’ve actually played all three of the courses in the rotation. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite, though! I wish I were in beautiful Monterey instead of nursing my ankle in icy NYC (which is a terrible place to navigate in crutches — I keep worrying I’m going to slip and hurt my good foot).

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