The PGA Tour announced overnight that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is suspending its traditional amateur competition for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The professional portion of the tournament, featuring a 156-player field, will continue as scheduled, beginning play on February 11. However, without the amateur component, the tournament will be held on just two courses rather than its historical three-venue rotation, with Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill serving as hosts and Monterey Peninsula Country Club sidelined for this year’s competition.
“This was a very difficult decision, but the right one given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases,” said Bill Perocchi, chief executive of Pebble Beach Company. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have put the health and safety of our guests, employees and community first. We know this will create challenges for many local charities this year, but we are confident that the incredible giving associated with this event will continue well into the future.”
Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021, the Pebble Beach pro-am – originated by Bing Crosby and called the “Crosby Clambake” – is known for attracting celebrities from the world of entertainment, sports and business. Some of the prominent names in last year’s field included Peyton and Eli Manning, Jake Owen, Tony Romo, Chris Harrison and Wayne Gretzky, along with Bill Murray, who has become the de facto face of the tournament. Amateur participants are teamed with the pros competing in the event, all 156 pairings playing the first three days of the event. The leading 24 teams then also play on Sunday at Pebble Beach to determine an amateur champion.
Amateurs in the field have been invited to still participate in a one-day charity event held on the Wednesday before tournament play. Tournament organisers said in a statement they plan on resuming the pro-am competition in 2022.
The state of California registered more than 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Earlier in the week the Genesis Invitational, held after the AT&T Pebble Beach beginning on February 18, announced no spectators would be allowed at Riviera for this year’s event. The decision also comes a week after the American Express cancelled the pro-am portion of its tournament for 2021 due to rising COVID-19 figures and California travel restrictions.
Pebble Beach had already announced there would be no spectators at the 2021 tournament.
