As Sponsors Change, Pebble Beach Rolls On

It has been 20 years since Mark O’Meara won the last tournament here that had Bing Crosby’s name, the 1985 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, which has been known as the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am since

Anybody for the SBC Pebble Beach National Pro-Am?

It may be only a switch of initials and the loss of an ampersand, but AT&T; could get disconnected at this tournament, once SBC’s $16-billion acquisition of AT&T; is completed, probably in mid-2006.

Change is not a new thing around here, though. The Crosby has had more names than Bing had pipes. In 1937, it was the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, then in 1953 the Bing Crosby Pro-Am Invitational. In 1956, it was the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Championship, in 1959 the Bing Crosby National and in 1964 the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am.

Of course, the key words, Bing and Crosby, were always part of the equation, before giving way to corporate times, and unofficially, the tournament was known as the Crosby clambake.

O’Meara, who won the Crosby once and the AT&T; four times, says he is neither wary nor sentimental about another name change.

“It would still be the same tournament,” he said. “It would be the same as moving from the Crosby to the AT&T; to something else. Golf is always about keeping things the same, even if the names change. Look, the only reason we’re playing for so much money on this tour now is because of the sponsors, and AT&T; has been a great sponsor.”

Prize money at the AT&T;, the largest of the six full-field events on the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing, is $5.3 million.

This is the 19th time AT&T; has been the title sponsor for the tournament here at Pebble Beach Golf Links and two other courses on the edge of the water and the Del Monte Forest. The corporate communications giant has a deal to continue as title sponsor through 2010.

But that agreement was reached before SBC made its move to acquire AT&T;, its former parent company. SBC was separated in the 1984 breakup of the AT&T; monopoly known as Ma Bell.

In sports, SBC has already made its presence known, especially in its San Antonio headquarters, where the company has its name on the arena used by the NBA’s Spurs. In San Francisco, after an SBC buyout of another of the Baby Bells, SBC Park has replaced what was built as Pac Bell Park for the Giants.

Whether SBC will be proactive in men’s professional golf remains to be seen, but key officials of the tournament aren’t sure that the event is going to change its name anytime soon, if ever.

“My understanding is that AT&T; plans to retain the name,” said Ollie Nutt, executive vice president of the tournament. “Maybe they sense that since they have 100 years or whatever of equity in it, they should keep it. I know what the newspapers have reported about the SBC takeover, but we feel we’re probably in the plus column. I feel like we’re a tremendous asset and that AT&T; sees it that way.”

How SBC sees it, however, will make the difference. So far, there has been no indication a name change is imminent, but then neither is the SBC takeover, which isn’t projected to happen for at least 16 months.

If SBC’s first act is to wipe the “AT&T;” off the Pebble Beach tournament, it probably won’t show up in the tournament title until 2007.

Cathy Scherzer, the tournament’s director of marketing, said so many corporate ownership lines had been blurred in so many other areas, the AT&T-SBC; issue was simply another example.

She pointed out that CBS carries the tournament, but that NBC broadcast the First Tee Open last year at Pebble Beach, when amateurs teamed with Champions Tour players. Also, NBC/Universal bought the USA Network, which also broadcast the early rounds of the AT&T; ... or make that the SBC, or maybe not.

Even it does happen, Scherzer isn’t sure a name change is that significant.

“When Pac Bell Park changed, it wasn’t a big deal, although I’m sure it was to the sign painter downtown,” she said.

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This Week

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

* When: Thursday-Sunday.

* Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links (6,816 yards, par 72), Spyglass Hill Golf Course (6,862 yards, par 72) and Poppy Hills Golf Course (6,833 yards, par 72).

* Purse: $5.3 million. Winner’s share: $954,000.

* TV: USA (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m.) and Channel 2 (Saturday, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3:30 p.m.).

* 2004 winner: Vijay Singh.

* Next week: Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club.