Just Add Water

The AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am begins today, and you know what that means.

Yes, rain. Welcome to the only golf tournament that is played under water, where they use rafts as golf carts and the players wear hip waders instead of spikes.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful so far this week on the Monterey Peninsula, with lots of bright sunshine, plenty of blue skies, full of promise. But since the golf tournament begins today, you can forget all that stuff. Wet weather is forecast, and that’s hardly a bulletin around here.

In 1996, the tournament was scrubbed when they were able to play only 36 holes. It was the first time that happened in the 50 years of the tournament. Last year, it rained so much, the tournament was held an extra day to try to finish even 54 holes, but when it rained even harder on Monday, the last round was postponed--until Aug. 17.

Anyway, that’s all water under the bridge for this $2.8-million tournament, where Phil Mickelson is the defending champion and still manages to be somewhat ignored, basically because the top three golfers in the world are in the field.

They would be Tiger Woods, David Duval and Mark O’Meara, who have been the dominant players in golf the last 24 months.

Woods was third last week at the Phoenix Open and has played well at Pebble in the past. He tied for second with Duval in 1997, when O’Meara won. Duval also finished second in 1996, when Peter Jacobsen won. O’Meara is a five-time winner at Pebble Beach, which must mean he doesn’t care anything about bad weather.

“I don’t think I can ever be too depressed about coming here,” O’Meara said. “Even if I shoot 80 for the rest of my life. I have so many fond memories.

“What makes this tournament so unique, you have the beauty the Monterey Peninsula possesses and you have some of the greatest players in the game playing, and some of the most famous actors and sports celebrities.”

Yeah, so what if it’s raining? Even if it’s dumping, the celebrities are going to get just as wet as the players. The celebrity list includes Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, Bill Murray, Andy Garcia, Samuel L. Jackson, Jack Lemmon and Michael Bolton.

What all the players are going to see at Pebble Beach is a new fifth hole, designed by Jack Nicklaus at a cost of $3 million--the most expensive hole in golf.

The hole plays 187 yards along the cliffs with the ocean on the right and measures about 25 yards longer than the old No. 5, which was an uphill blind tee shot through a chute of trees. If the prevailing wind is blowing right to left, players may have to aim out over the ocean and bring the ball back.

As it turned out, designer Samuel Morse wanted this new layout when he drew the course, but it was too costly. That wasn’t a problem when investment broker Charles Schwab and car dealer Don Lucas made it happen in a partnership with the Pebble Beach Co. In return for their investment, Schwab and Lucas received real estate lots from the original parcel while Pebble got the new No. 5.

“It’s a much more difficult hole than it was before,” O’Meara said. “You are talking about added length, you are talking about a little bit more intimidating shot. The green doesn’t look big standing back on that tee. If the wind comes up, it’s going to be a difficult hole.”

As for degrees of difficulty, there is also the fledgling Woods-Duval rivalry, which is currently tilting in Duval’s favor. Duval is closing in on Woods’ top spot in the official world ranking, and that might not mean much to Duval, but it does to Woods. He is scheduled to play five straight weeks to try to stay ahead in the rankings.

O’Meara thinks Woods is actually slightly relieved to have somebody else for the media to pound on.

“Tiger, you know, he is always going to have these expectations placed on him,” O’Meara said. “I think he knows that. But the way David has performed, some of the expectations are now placed on him. So it takes a little burden off Tiger.

“Deep inside, Tiger likes being No. 1. I don’t see him backing off.”

Barring any weather disruptions, that is. It’s time for the usual tournament rallying call: Gentlemen, start your umbrellas.

Tournament Facts

* What: AT&T; National Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

* When: Today through Sunday.

* Purse: $2.8 million, $504,000 to the winner.

* Top celebrities: Bill Murray, Clint Eastwood, Andy Garcia, Samuel L. Jackson, Jack Lemmon. Celebrities play with a professional partner each day; the field is cut after 54 holes.