To tee off on Pebble Beach’s sprawling 18th hole, Rickie Fowler’s shoulder-length hair sat beneath a traditionally cocked, bill-forward black hat.
Then the bill turned 180 degrees.
Finally, after Fowler took off his hat after sinking a 2-footer, the wind picked up his hair and sent it skyward,” the youngster gave the 5-foot-9 Fowler the height to start at small forward.
Fowler’s hair, indeed, told the story of the final 40 minutes of Saturday’s third round. AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Things were everywhere.
In one of the most unusual endings you’ll ever see, those in the skies controlling the wind broke their numbers, those playing below fought and those watching everywhere watched in fascination. It started around 3:25 local time.
With Jacob Bridgeman on the rocks. AND Min Woo Lee in the bush.
Jacob Bridgeman on the rocks. And Min Woo Lee in the bush
Those players, along with Sam Burnswere in the penultimate group, and their shots went as far in opposite directions as you can go on the 18th. Bridgeman’s tee shot sailed left and into the rocky area that separates the venerable course from the Pacific, though it found a piece of playable ground and Bridgeman, after a climb down the rocks, was cleared.
Lee, however, was not so lucky, as his ball went straight and into the vegetation growing between Pebble and out of bounds protecting some expensive neighboring houses. From there, over about six minutes, Lee:
– Got it an immovable lie fall on the concrete cart path to his left
– I have a yard
– He grabbed an iron
– He said to those around him: “Don’t try this at home, guys.”
– Then he hit
At that point, Fowler, Akshay Bhatia AND Ryo Hisatsune faded away. The last group had been waiting in the 18th box for 11 minutes.
“I was just frozen at that point, yeah,” said Bhatia, who was two shots ahead. “My hands were warm, but when it’s 35 to the left, off the ocean, it’s brutal.”
(Analysis? That was theatrical.)
Sam Burns scalps the bunker, opens for birdie, then gets up
At 3:33, Burns almost caught the ball out of a bunker to the right, and his third shot nearly hit an electronic scoreboard positioned behind the green and facing the ocean. The crowd groaned.
At 3:34, Burns four threw the ball in per bird. The crowd cheered. CBS anchor Jim Nantz said, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Burns exhaled and his lips puckered.
At 3:35, Burns turned to his left and dunked the ball into the water. (It’s the picture at the top of this article.)
(Analysis? That was hilarious.)
Min Woo Lee’s ball swings, then swims too
The 18th green is one of the most exposed parts of the course to ocean winds, and it came as Lee settled into the highs amid 35 mph gusts. Here’s a rough description of what came before contact on his 25-footer.
He read the free throw. He moved to softball. He stood up. He took a practice putt. He withdrew. His ball had swung. He read it again. He took a practice putt. He stood over it. He stood up. His caddy came. His ball had swung again. He stood behind her. He spoke to a regulation officer. He read it again. He stood over it. He stood up. His ball had swung once more. He stood over it. He put Missed it long and to the right.
He sank the rebound.
Lee, like Burns, then dropped the ball into the Pacific.
(Analysis? That was painful. And should you be interested, here is what the rules say about a ball moving onto the green because of the wind.)
More swinging golf balls
However, three other players had to shoot shots.
After Fowler missed a birdie putt at 3:53, Hisatsune stayed on an 18-footer for birdie – and hit it two minutes later, missing long and left. There were more swings. More fixes. More uncertainty.
At 3:56, Bhatia sat on his putt to line up a 6-footer for birdie — and putt three minutes later, missing out. More swings. More fixes. More uncertainty. Another call for a rules official. From there, Bhatia walked in and he nodded in the direction of the caddy Joe Greiner.
“The ball swings back and forth and this putt is a very simple 7-, 8-foot putt up the hill,” Bhatia said, “but you’re just trying to get the putter straight — you’re trying to get a good shot and then you’re trying to make sure you hopefully get the ball to launch somewhere close to the hole.
“So again, I was happy to make 5 there and move on to tomorrow.”
(Analysis? After Bhatia shot a front-nine 30, you wonder what he might have done on the back nine on a smoother day. Still, he leads by two heading into Sunday’s final round.)
Ryo Hisatsune’s ball almost goes in
Really.
After some late swings, Hisatsune missed a long shot at 4:02 – ahead of the winds almost threw the ball back in. Nantz said, “In your life, have you ever seen anything like this?” It’s absolutely worth a look, which you can do below:
Finally, at 4:03, Fowler decided, his hair stood up, and the day was over. But not the tournament. They go again on Sunday.
When the forecast predicts, you’ll see more of what you saw during the last 40 minutes on Saturday.
(Analysis? I can’t wait.)
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