The PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Party Has Something Saudi Arabia Can't Match

The difference this week between the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and the Saudi International is more than just money, writes Morning Read's Dan O'Neill.

Big names will be in the field this week at the Saudi International. Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and 20 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking are teeing it up.

And just to be perfectly clear, no politicians will be playing at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia. In fact, “not a politician” might be a logo on each player’s shirt, embroidered onto their bag, or tagged on their courtesy car to ward off questions about their participation in the controversial event.

“So, not a politician, first off,” DeChambeau told a media Zoom call earlier this month. "I’m a golfer, first and foremost, and I want to play where the best golfers in the world are going to play. And that is the end of the story for me."

Another Saudi participant, Shane Lowry, added: “I earn a living for myself and my family and try and take care of those, and this is just a part of that, and I need to go there. I’m not a politician, I’ll let everyone else take care of that, and I’ll go and do my job.”

So, again, for the sake of clarity, politics will not be in play when the ball goes in the air in Saudi Arabia. A few other things might be missing as well, things like friendship, respect and character.

That’s because when the swinging starts on Thursday in Saudi, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am also takes flight on the Monterey Peninsula. Bing Crosby’s “Clambake” — as it was known in the days of yore — will have 13 of the top 50 in the OWGR, including Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth.

The event also will feature the galleries and glitterati missing from last year’s pandemic-pinched edition, including the unofficial Master of Celebrity Silliness, Bill Murray. What’s more, Pebble will be packed with the history of 78 previous editions, played over 85 years of securing volunteers, seeking sponsorships, selling tickets, providing players a first-class experience and chance to ply their trade on treasured property.

If things go well this time, the championship will surpass the $200 million mark in charitable giving. Last year, without the fans and the famous, the event raised more than 12 million charitable dollars as Daniel Berger joined the likes of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on the list of Pebble Beach champions.

To the point, lost in all this discussion about players choosing to play in Saudi Arabia is what they are choosing not to do — that is, to support one of the building blocks of their industry, a chunk that has done so much for so long to support it, an American standard.

For instance, five-time winner Phil Mickelson has made nearly $8 million in his career at the AT&T Pebble Beach alone. With his 2021 PGA Championship win, Mickelson’s billboard has never been bigger. But he is passing on Pebble this week to play in Saudi Arabia.

That’s not to single out Mickelson, who has played at Pebble 24 times, or to point fingers at any of the ship jumpers. Look, golf is not like the major sports. Yes, players make bones with endorsements, corporate outings and the like. But the game itself has no guaranteed contracts.

You miss the cut, you go home, thanks for coming. You play four days and tie for 63rd, you make $16,492 at the American Express, not the $1.3 million Hudson Swafford made. You miss too many cuts, don’t make enough money, you lose your playing privileges … and you lose the endorsements.

In golf, you have to earn it, each week, each year, all over again. Can it be rewarding, absolutely, But it also can be a stressful, unstable place. At the Saudi, where appearance fees are in play, it’s money for nuthin' and the checks are free.

When you don't know where the next deposit is coming from, or what size it might be, a sure thing is hard to ignore. One of golf’s great characters and storytellers, Bob Goalby, passed away on Jan. 19 at the age of 92. Goalby was quick to remind that he got $20,000 for winning the Masters in 1968 and, “Now, I get $10,000 to go there and eat a free steak.” In short, appearance fees are a heckuva thing.

Moreover, the PGA Tour’s answer is hardly discouraging. In order to get the Tour’s Saudi International blessing, a player who has competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at least once in the past five years must commit to play at least once in the next two years (2023-2024). Those who have not competed at Pebble Beach in the last five years need to do so twice in the three years until 2025. That’s right, buster. In order to get guaranteed money in Saudi Arabia this week, you’re going to have to play golf on one of the most breath-taking properties in the world once or twice over the next five years.

Oh, the humanity.

Politically, pundits point out, Saudi is a bad look. The checks they write, and the Super Golf League with which they flirt, are trips through the sports wash, a way for the Kingdom to photoshop its heinous human rights record. Critics insist players who accept the handouts and participate in the tournament are accepting the ugliness, essentially looking the other way.

Still others point to a hypocritical rabbit hole. When you go down it, when you play politics with sports, other stops on the schedule deserve equal scrutiny and equal condemnation. Olympic golf in China comes to mind.

But again, to reiterate, no politicians are in the Saudi International field this week, only laborers on a job site. They will see no evil, speak no evil and sign the back of all checks. Let he who is without bills to pay cast the first stone.

Yet, the truly disappointing part of the predicament is not about politics. How players view — or choose not to view — Saudi Arabia is one thing. How they turn their back on Pebble Beach is another. If there is a legitimate ax to grind in this international tiff, it belongs to the faithful in Monterey.

A $8.7 million purse is in play for this year’s AT&T, as is a return to a three-course rotation — Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. A number of upgrades and special activities are in the mix, as well, including Wednesday’s Hole-In-One challenge on Pebble's iconic No. 17, which could award $1 million to charity.

At the same time, not everything is in place. Former Pebble Beach co-chairman and co-owner Richard Ferris died on Jan. 16 after battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). A longtime participant in the pro-am, Ferris’ many contributions to golf included serving on the PGA Tour board and supporting The First Tee.

Upon Ferris’ death, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan issued a statement: “Looking back, the growth and acceleration of our business, thanks to his leadership, is simply staggering,” Monahan said. “Dick was a great friend and mentor to so many, and we will all miss his passion for how he attacked life.”

The make-hay-while-the-sun-shines appeal of the Saudi International is understandable. Given the same opportunity, you can’t help but wonder how many of the holier than thou would grab it. After all, in case you missed it, the players are not politicians, They play golf.

And for so many years, Pebble Beach has set that table for them. And for so many years, people like Dick Ferris have worked to support them.

Shouldn’t that count for something?