Carmel Magazine

Winter 2017

Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/784242

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 135 of 243

said of Taylor, "I'm happy for him." The f ine play at Pebble Beach helped propel the 46 year-old Mickelson to another memo- rable season. At the British Open, he lost an instantly classic duel to Henrik Stenson and then at the Ryder Cup he was the emotional leader of Team USA's victory, capping his week with 10 birdies in a thrilling singles match versus Sergio Garcia. After a pair of spor ts hernia sur- geries in the off-season, Mickelson will use Pebble Beach as an impor tant measuring stick of his fitness. Though Phil the Thrill still remains dangerous, and his contemporary Tiger Woods is attempt- ing yet another comeback, the Tour has been reinvigorated by a new era of youthful super- stars. Of the so-called Big Four, three of these young guns will be teeing it up at the Pro-Am: world number one Jason Day, 27; reigning U.S. , Open champ Dustin Johnson, 32; and two-time major championship winner Jordan Spieth, 22. The only absentee is Rory McIlroy, and Steve John thinks the tournament has a good chance of attracting him in 2018. Day, an amiable Aussie, won three big-time tournaments in 2016 and spent the final nine months of the year at number one, despite his season ending early due to a lingering back injury. He will be rested and motivated to recap- ture the lost momentum. Day also knows it will take superlative play to keep the ascendant Johnson from summiting the World Ranking. In 2016, Johnson finally began to realize his awesome potential, overpowering the scariest course in golf—Oakmont—en route to his U.S. Open breakthrough. Johnson has a long history of playing well on the Tour's West Coast swing, including two previous victories at Pebble Beach. If you're looking to anoint a favorite to win the 2017 Pro-Am, he is it. With a nod to how hard Johnson has worked this off-season, his agent David Winkle recently 134 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 2012, 2007, 2005, and 1998 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Phil Mickelson is a golfing legend. The golf course designer, along with wife Amy, founded several nonprofits to help military families and youth and family initiatives. 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am cham- pion Vaughn Taylor was a surprise winner. Photo: Marc Howard/Reproduced by Permission of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Photo: Marc Howard/Reproduced by Permission of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Carmel Magazine - Winter 2017