2012 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am Discussion Thread

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

I've noticed for this event each year, Golf Channel treats this event like an exhibition since so many celebrities play it. It's as if they forget that an acutal PGA tournament is going on.

I am going to watch this event for the first time in my life tomorrow because Charlie is leading. Normally I skip this event as I cannot stand watching Bill Murray and the rest of them ruining the spectacle.

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings [quote name="PuttNut15" url="/t/55577/2012-at-t-pebble-beach-national-pro-am-discussion-thread#post_678487"] Does anybody know where I can find the purse breakdown for this weekend? (and all of the tournaments in 2012) I'm interested to see what the guys at the bottom make compared to those at the top. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!  [/quote] To PuttNut15 -- Each week I post the purse for the current PGA Tour event being contested at [url=http://frankosport.com/golf/This-Weeks-Action.htm][b]This Week's PGA Tour Action[/b][/url]. Please note that some purses, such as those for the US Open, British Open or World Golf Championships, do not use a standard distribution formula, so I may not be able to post figures for those events. Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[WWBDD]

I'm kind of enjoying watching some of the amateurs hack it up out there.

Can you say schadenfreude boys and girls? I knew you could.

[brocks]

They just showed Tiger and Phil's back nines all at once, because they haven't actually been showing the shots live.

Even though the event is being shown on the Golf Channel, it's the big networks that call the shots --- in this case, CBS. They supply most of the cameras and high profile announcers, and they decide where to concentrate the coverage. CBS decided to have live coverage only for the Pebble Beach course, so we should see a lot of Tiger and Phil this weekend, but we only got brief highlights Thursday and Friday. I have no explanation for why they might think golf fans are more interested in seeing Chris Berman than Charlie Wi or Padraig Harrington.

[brocks]

Speaking of Harrington, he shot a great 66 today, but his amateur partner is at least -17 net for two days. I haven't been able to find his scorecard, so all I can go by is the team score (-25) compared to Harrington's score (-8). If he got birdies on the same holes as Harrington, he could be a full -25 for two days. Does anybody check these guys' handicaps?

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ... For me , the best Pebble Beach amateur participant story involves the late actor Jack Lemmon, who tried many times - including several with Peter Jacobson - to make the Final 25 Pro-Am cut, but never did. Back in the 1970s when ABC-TV covered the event (then called the Bing Crosby Clambake), color commentator Byron Nelson was asked to analyze a video replay of Jack Lemmon's swing. Nelson carefully looked at the video and then announced to the world that Mr. Lemmon's golf swing contained "11 major flaws!!!!" Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[jamo]

I have no explanation for why they might think golf fans are more interested in seeing Chris Berman than Charlie Wi or Padraig Harrington.

Especially since Berman is from ESPN/ABC/Disney, and Golf Channel is owned by Comcast/NBC.

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by jamo

Especially since Berman is from ESPN/ABC/Disney, and Golf Channel is owned by Comcast/NBC.

Pending merger?

[brocks]

[quote name="brocks" url="/t/55577/2012-at-t-pebble-beach-national-pro-am-discussion-thread/18#post_678697"] I have no explanation for why they might think golf fans are more interested in seeing Chris Berman than Charlie Wi or Padraig Harrington.

Especially since Berman is from ESPN/ABC/Disney, and Golf Channel is owned by Comcast/NBC. [/quote] Well, there you go. They enjoy showing what a crappy golfer he is. :-)

[jamo]

Pending merger?

I thought the merger was done? They've already replaced Versus with NBC Sports, and they use Golf Channel branding on NBC broadcasts.

[jhwmusic]

Originally Posted by jamo

This is one of the reasons The Masters has been so great lately. It could still be better, but it's miles past everyone else.

Yup. Tons of commercials today as well, which is already Golf Channel's M.O. on Thursday and Friday rounds.

They just showed Tiger and Phil's back nines all at once, because they haven't actually been showing the shots live.

it is so frustrating!   They are playing three great courses, and you don't even get to see them play it.   And i love how all the promos for coverage talk about Tiger's big debut but they don't even cover his round...except for those little highlight reals.  I like the guy, but watching Chris Berman, Charles Schwab and some of these other executives that they are showing play golf is painful.   If you are going to show celebs, at least show more Bill Murray shenanigans.  I actually couldn't even watch it today because they weren't even showing the pros play.  but they definitely showed interviews of Anthony Anderson making gay jokes and eating a plate of ribs in the middle of play....seriously, if you didn't see it he brought out a giant plate of ribs onto the putting green and they showed him eating instead of showing golf...it was a weak attempt at humor.   He even handed the plate to Chris Riley when he was getting ready to putt, and Riley looked at him like "are you kidding?"  And they have been pushing this Tony Romo and Tiger Woods pairing all week and I don't even think that I have seen Tony Romo hit a shot yet.  I have seen a couple putts but that is about it.  After all that promo, we are only going to see them play together for one day.  Cuz it doesn't look like he is making the cut.

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by jhwmusic

but they definitely showed interviews of Anthony Anderson making gay jokes and eating a plate of ribs in the middle of play....seriously, if you didn't see it he brought out a giant plate of ribs onto the putting green and they showed him eating instead of showing golf...it was a weak attempt at humor.   He even handed the plate to Chris Riley when he was getting ready to putt, and Riley looked at him like "are you kidding?"

The idiot in the clown pants ... no?

I agree ... that was weak.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

I am going to watch this event for the first time in my life tomorrow because Charlie is leading. Normally I skip this event as I cannot stand watching Bill Murray and the rest of them ruining the spectacle.

What!!!!!!!????
You aren't rolling around the floor laughing at Bill Murray's one hilarious joke which we see every year. The one where he pretends to be unsurprised when he holes a putt or tosses his club to his caddy and strides off in an imperious manner with a pker face? So funny!!!!!!!! Every year we see it it seems more and more original.

Almost as amazing as watching Kenny G hit it on to the green from 100 yards and the commentators marveling at how good he is. Then we see him putt like a 30 marker and there's no comment.

What hasn't been shown or mentioned is that in the first round, Steven Bowditch hit his tee shot into an unplayble lie on a par 3 , returned to the tee and hole out for a par.

Serious question. Is Chris Berman the worst player you've ever seen?

A person with average coordination would be better than him after a fortnight.

[BallStriker]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Is Chris Berman the worst player you've ever seen?

He is bad......and sadly, Berman is a better golfer than he is a golf announcer.

[Chilli Dipper]

As far as the actual tournament goes, it would appear that Dustin Johnson, Danny Lee, and Vijay Singh are in the driver's seat going into the weekend. Charlie Wi has a three-shot lead, but he has yet to play a round at Spyglass Hill, the toughest of the three courses on the Pro-Am rotation. Johnson, Lee, and Singh, on the other hand, all held their ground at Spyglass during the second round, and will have an opportunity to go low at Monterey Peninsula, the easiest of the three courses, on Saturday. Any of those three can shoot 62 or 63 tomorrow and put this tournament out of reach.

If that doesn't happen, though, it will be interesting to see if any of the players who put themselves into contention with a good round at Monterey Peninsula on Friday keep it going at Pebble tomorrow. Assuming that Johnson at 9-under is the virtual leader of the tournament, Brian Gay (65 at MPCC during the second round) is one shot back, Phil Mickelson (65) is two behind, and Ryan Moore (64) is three adrift. Of course, a certain Mr. Woods is also back there at 6-under.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by WWBDD

I'm kind of enjoying watching some of the amateurs hack it up out there.

If I want to watch amateurs hacking it up, I'll pop over to my local club for the day. I don't need it brought to me in my living room.

Originally Posted by Shorty

What!!!!!!!????

You aren't rolling around the floor laughing at Bill Murray's one hilarious joke which we see every year. The one where he pretends to be unsurprised when he holes a putt or tosses his club to his caddy and strides off in an imperious manner with a pker face? So funny!!!!!!!! Every year we see it it seems more and more original.

Uff, when you put it that way it does sound awfully tempting...

[nevets88]

I'm really tired of complaining about golf telecasts. I wish there were some way all the networks could be subverted and circumvented, a la Netflix Streaming. No disrespect to all the announcers and crew, but the format is just bone dry dead boring. I wish the whole lot could be replaced. Announcers should be rotated every 3 years or so to keep fresh. What these guys have is tenure.

[HarryVardon09]

I would be surprised if Dustin Johnson is not leading by 2 at the end of the day. I'm a Tiger fan so of course I hope he goes low at Pebble today but I would be alright if he sneaks into the top 10 before the day's up. I hope Phil plays well also.