D.A. Points wins AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
D.A. Points played an excellent final round of 67 to beat Hunter Mahan by two strokes at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and claim his first PGA Tour victory.
D.A. Points played an excellent final round of 67 to beat Hunter Mahan by two strokes at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and claim his first PGA Tour victory.
Partnered with comedian Bill Murray in the Pro-Am, Points began the final day two strokes back from Steve Marino. He started the final round steadily but it wasn't until the par-5 14th that he looked a likely winner.
It's one of the toughest holes on the course but Points made a fantastic eagle, holing a wedge shot from some 100 yards out. He then consolidated by holing a snaking birdie putt across the 15th green. Points closed out with pars from there to post a 15-under-par total that nobody following could match.
It was a double victory as, together with Murray, Points also won the Pro-Am.
"It's a dream come true," Points said. "To win on the PGA Tour, and especially at Pebble Beach, and especially with Bill Murray ... I don't think I could dream this up."
Points fed off the energy generated by Murray during the tournament and clearly benefited from the distraction provided by the "Caddyshack" star. On the 16th hole, Points faced a tough par putt and he took his mind off it by shouting to the crowd that they needed Murray to make his birdie effort.
"It totally took me out of the moment for just enough to kind of help bring me back to life a little bit," he said.
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Hunter Mahan looked a possible winner of the event when he raced to the turn in 31 but he struggled to replicate it on the back nine. He made a birdie at the tricky par-3 17th to climb to 13-under-par. He then found the green at the par-5 last in two but three-putted for par.
Steve Marino was still in contention coming to the final hole but he fired his third shot into the Pacific Ocean en-route to a closing eight. The error dropped him from a share of second to a share of fourth. It cost him over $300,000.
Bill Murray and D.A. Points were the Pro-Am winners by two strokes. It was the first time Murray has won the event in 20 appearances at Pebble Beach.
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Pebble Beach Golf Links, California Feb 10-13, purse $6,300,000, par 72
1 D.A. Points (USA) 63 70 71 67 271 $1,134,000 2 Hunter Mahan (USA) 70 67 70 66 273 $680,400 3 Tom Gillis (USA) 67 68 70 70 275 $428,400 T4 Spencer Levin (USA) 71 68 67 70 276 $277,200 T4 Steve Marino (USA) 65 66 71 74 276 $277,200 T6 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 68 71 67 71 277 $211,050 T6 Bryce Molder (USA) 69 66 68 74 277 $211,050 T6 Nick Watney (USA) 68 67 75 67 277 $211,050
Note: Player in bold signifies Titleist ball usage only
Where Next? European Tour: Quiros wins in Dubai
Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.
He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.
Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?
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