Oberholser looks to defend his title at the AT
&
amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Palo Alto – If Arron Oberholser had to choose the place for his first PGA Tour win, it would have been the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
And why not. After all, Oberholser grew up in the Bay Area, attending San Mateo High School and San Jose State University. He could hear the chants, “Go Spartans! and Go Bearcats!” as he made his way up the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach.
“To get my first win at Pebble Beach was very special,” Oberholser said by teleconference call Monday. “I will always remember it.”
Oberholser, 31, did not make it to the press conference at Stanford Golf Course because he was at home in Scottsdale, Ariz., rehabilitating a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the Mercedes-Benz Championship and miss the Sony Open this past weekend. He said he would like to be ready to play next weekend at the Buick Invitational in San Diego and is obviously targeting defending his title Feb. 8-11 at Pebble Beach.
Of course, the tournament is as much about celebrities as it was during the old Bing Crosby clambake days. And actor Craig T. Nelson, of “Coach” fame, was on hand for the press conference, reliving his “golly-gee” days when he met the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Nelson is also a serious golfer who professes to a 5-handicap. But like Oberholser, he is having some back problems. That led to a comical exchange when Nelson suggested that he and Oberholser might “share a bed in rehab,” a direct reference to Nelson’s next acting project when he plays a gay ice skating coach in a movie he says is set for release in August.
“This tournament for me is the major event every year,” Nelson said. “My dad went to Stanford as a pre-med student and had to quit because of the Depression. He became drummer in Bing Crosby’s band. Bing introduced my mom and dad.
“Meeting Arnold Palmer to me was like meeting Laurence Olivier. I introduced myself to him and called him Mr. Palmer. He said, ‘Call me Arnie.’ This always such great fun and the amateurs keep getting better and better every year.”
Bob Murphy, the former San Jose State University athletic director, has been affiliated with the tournament since 1978. He proudly pointed out that no two schools had sent more players to Pebble Beach Pro-Am than SJSU and Stanford.
Of course, Oberholser is at the top of his list of ex-Spartans, but he also named Ken Venturi, Roger Maltbie, Peter Ueberroth, and Mark Wiebe. Among Stanford, any list has to start with Woods but includes Tom Watson, John Brodie, Casey Martin and Charles Schwab.
“There’s a rich tradition of Bay area golfers,” Oberholser said, naming Tony Lema, Johnny Miller and Gilroy’s George Archer. “It’s an honor to have my name included to those who won AT&T in what I call my back yard.
“I have been playing down there ever since I could drive. I had a lot of (Northern California Golf Association) events there. There is no place that gives me the same feeling that AT&T gives me.”
In fact, Oberholser fondly remembers the days when he received sponsor exemptions to compete in the tournament. His second PGA event was through an exemption into AT&T. One of his most disappointing occurrences, he said, was in 2002 when he got an exemption but couldn’t play because of injury.
Of course, last year’s event was the springboard to a successful year that got him into The Masters and set the stage for finishing ranked 23rd in the world money rankings.
With the Fed Ex Cup standings now in existence, tournament officials are predicting the best field ever.
Whether that’s the case or not, the tournament will always attract the top celebrities, many of whom are there for some good, serious fun.
