Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/253120
A golf tournament is largely defined by which pros it attracts…even the 2014 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Yes, the famous golf courses are in many ways the stars of the show, and celebrities from Hollywood and the sports world are enough to keep cer- tain casual fans entertained, but part of what has always made the Pro-Am a great sporting event is its champions. From Ben Hogan to Byron Nelson to Jack Nicklaus to Johnny Miller to Tom Watson to Phil Mickelson to Tiger Woods, the best of the best have produced victories that highlighted their careers, and their eras. To keep the top players coming back, Tournament Director Steve John has focused much of his efforts on improving the pros' expe- rience. No tourney is more logistically compli- cated, a situation exacerbated by a lack of infra- structure. Two new changes for 2014 will make Actor Andy Garcia is a frequent player in the Pro-Am tournament. Garcia has set records at the tournament with his playing partner, Paul Stankowski. They won the 1997 tournament. The AT&T Pro-Am is a 72-hole PGA Tour golf championship that began in the 1930s through Bing Crosby, known as the Crosby Clambake. Pro golfers pair with celebrities for a $6.5 million purse and to raise money for charity. 94 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 Photo: Marc Howard/Monterey Peninsula Foundation Photo: Ruben Cota 092-100 2014 AT&T story_152-161 Garcia story 1/26/14 2:42 PM Page 3