SIDELINES : O’Meara Set to Defend Title

In a week when repeats and three-peats have become the prevailing topic in pro sports, golfer Mark O’Meara will take his shot at deja vu.

O’Meara is the defending champion at this week’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which begins Thursday over the Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Spyglass courses.

O’Meara, who had his best season on the tour last year with earnings of $615,804, sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Pebble Beach last year to edge Tom Kite.

One of the leading money winners on the tour the past six years, O’Meara said today beating Kite and the other 178 pros in this week’s field is a tougher assignment than what Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers faced in New Orleans.

“The 49ers can do it, but it’s a little tougher out here,” he said. There’s a hundred and eighty guys trying to win this tournament. The competition is getting tougher every year.”

The challengers this year include Paul Azinger, Peter Jacobsen and Tommy Armour III, winners of three of the four tour events so far this season. Azinger won the Tournament of Champions, Jacobsen ended a six-year drought with a win at the Bob Hope Classic and Armour scored a five-shot win last week at the Phoenix Open.