From the US Amateur: Day One Recap

There’s nothing like waking up Pebble Beach to get it ready to test the strongest amateur field in the world. As it always does, the day starts at sun-up with course set-up. I felt the sense of pride after speaking with several on the Golf Course Maintenance Staff as they prepped the Golf Course for the day. Their normal day of prepping for 300 resort guests took on a whole new meaning when preparing it for the US Amateur. Even the Border Collies were excited!

I accompanied Rob Doone from the USGA for a bit as he set front nine tee markers and hole locations for rounds one and two. They use the same set-up procedure for the US Amateur Championship as we will do for your Mayacama Club Championships this weekend!

On to the golf…for the Amateur, Pebble is being played at Par 71. The second hole, normally a Par 5 is being played as a 516 yard Par 4.

With 312 players in the field, our biggest concern was the fog. Forecast called for it to be fairly heavy at times during the day. With so many players in the field and a television schedule to meet, we couldn’t afford a lengthy fog delay. Luckily the fog hung high enough over Carmel Bay and did not present a problem for the Championship. Half the field played at Pebble Beach and the other half at Spyglass. Players then switch courses on Tuesday. Hole Locations remain the same for both days so that players are playing the same conditions as much as possible (excluding the weather). They are re-painted and hand trimmed with scissors to make them appear fresh for the second rounds at both courses. For the two days of Stroke Play, the USGA uses “Zone Officials” rather than walking referees. My zone was the 9th and 13th at Pebble. Two parallel fairways and two challenging par 4’s…especially the 9th at 525 yards!

Officiating can be moments of pure terror…especially at this level! You have to be focused on everything around you all the time and ready to jump at a moment’s notice when called for by a player. Fortunately for me (and the players), rulings were minimal. Typical stuff…abnormal ground conditions (burrowing animal holes along the cliff’s edge of the 9th), lateral water hazard relief (several of those), and the occasional obstruction and embedded ball. Although in the morning wave we had to put about six groups on the clock, players heeded the warnings and regained their position quickly. No penalties were issued. It’s intense playing in the strongest field in the world and so much at stake, but players played quickly and without too much delay.

Scores were pretty low. New Zealander Daniel Hillier (Spyglass) and University of Georgia’s Trevor Phillips (Pebble Beach) share the lead with -4. Ten players are tied for the lead at -2, including Mayacama Wyndham Cupper Cole Hammer, Stanford’s Isaiah Salinda who just won the Pacific Coast Amateur at Olympic Club, and Auburn’s Jacob Solomon of Dublin California and good friend of Mayacama’s.

On Tuesday I leave the scenic views of Pebble Beach and head to the forest of Spyglass Hill, where I cover the 7th & 8th.

Click on the link below for some fast facts about the US Amateur Championship, and stay tuned for daily reports from Ted from Pebble Beach.

And click here for the Home Page for the US Amateur:

More player information:

Mayacama Golf Club
1240 Mayacama Club Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707.569.2906