The weather could not have been better Thursday for the first day of the AT&T Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach. In between periods of rain, the sun was shining on the green hills and blue water to show off one of the best courses in the world. “It’s always crystal clear skies and a light cap out here in Stillwater cove,” said tournament director Steve John. “If you can bring a tournament of this magnitude to this property, and raise this much money, that is why it is here.”This year’s tournament comes during a strange time in professional golf. Although Pebble Beach is continuing into its 80th year of competition, it is the only Northern California stop on the PGA Tour in 2026. The Procore Tournament in Napa is not happening after the title sponsor pulled out.“I was kind of sad to see Napa go,” said Matt McCarty, who has played at both tournaments. “It was a lot of fun playing there this last fall. I mean, there are so many great courses up here, so it’s kind of a no-brainer. Especially with the weather. It’s great.” This comes during a time when the PGA Tour is considering big changes to its schedule in the coming years that might shorten the season. Plus, Pebble Beach officials say ticket sales declined over the last three years. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they are up 19% this year, and John says they want to make sure this tournament stays a part of the major cycle. “I believe in raising the bar every single year,” John said. “Our staff, that’s our mindset, is that we have to constantly improve the greatest experience for our fans specifically. So they want to come back every single year.”One big change was increasing the prize money from $9 million to $20 million, attracting bigger stars in professional golf. Northern California is home to some of the nicest courses around. John hopes others can follow Pebble Beach’s model and that more tournaments can come back to Northern California. “The Northern California Golf Association is one of the most powerful in the world,” John said. “See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
DEL MONTE FOREST, Calif. —
The weather could not have been better Thursday for the first day of the AT&T Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach.
In between periods of rain, the sun was shining on the green hills and blue water to show off one of the best courses in the world.
“It’s always crystal clear skies and a light cap out here in Stillwater cove,” said tournament director Steve John. “If you can bring a tournament of this magnitude to this property, and raise this much money, that is why it is here.”
This year’s tournament comes during a strange time in professional golf. Although Pebble Beach is continuing into its 80th year of competition, it is the only Northern California stop on the PGA Tour in 2026. The Procore Tournament in Napa is not happening after the title sponsor pulled out.
“I was kind of sad to see Napa go,” said Matt McCarty, who has played at both tournaments. “It was a lot of fun playing there this last fall. I mean, there are so many great courses up here, so it’s kind of a no-brainer. Especially with the weather. It’s great.”
This comes during a time when the PGA Tour is considering big changes to its schedule in the coming years that might shorten the season. Plus, Pebble Beach officials say ticket sales declined over the last three years. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they are up 19% this year, and John says they want to make sure this tournament stays a part of the major cycle.
“I believe in raising the bar every single year,” John said. “Our staff, that’s our mindset, is that we have to constantly improve the greatest experience for our fans specifically. So they want to come back every single year.”
One big change was increasing the prize money from $9 million to $20 million, attracting bigger stars in professional golf.
Northern California is home to some of the nicest courses around. John hopes others can follow Pebble Beach’s model and that more tournaments can come back to Northern California.
“The Northern California Golf Association is one of the most powerful in the world,” John said. “
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel