What Would Be Better at Pebble Beach: a Pro-Am or a 'Designated Event'?

The annual PGA Tour stop at the picturesque course has stalled out in purse and prestige, begging the question of whether amateurs are still important.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Since the beginning of time, there is one indisputable truth on the PGA Tour: the purse is the most important part of a tournament.

Yes, fans matter, the course matters and format matters, but the real differentiator is the purse, or more specifically, the size of the winner’s check.

In 1941, an entrepreneur from Chicago named George S. May started the All American Open to bring the best of professional golf to Niles, Ill.,  a suburb outside of the Windy City.

By 1946, the purse for the All American Open was $45,000 and the field included 54 of the best players of the era including Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Ralph Guldahl, Sam Snead, Jimmy Demaret, Tony Penna and Ed Oliver, to name a few.

Herman Barron took home the winner prize of $10,500, which pales in comparison to the millions of today, but when the winner of the Masters made $2,500, the U.S. Open $1,500 and the PGA Championship $3,500, Barron’s payday was significant.

Eventually, the purses started to decrease and when Roberto De Vicenzo won in 1957, he only earned $3,500, making the event less of a go-to and more of a run-of-the-mill-and-done, as that was the last All American Open.

So, when Jordan Spieth on Wednesday, in response to a question if the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am should look at becoming a "designated event" on Tour, with a $20 million purse versus this week's $9 million, the question became: what happens to the amateurs?

“I would fight for an opportunity for this to be an elevated event in future years,” Spieth said. “I'm not sure if the format would have to change or what would have to happen … but I really think the opportunity to get the top 50, 60, 70 players in the world playing Pebble Beach and that being a PGA Tour event would be as successful as when the U.S. Open's held here.”

Spieth believes getting the world’s best golfers on arguably the world’s best course would be advantageous and something he would fight for.

Back in the day the amateurs were just important as the professionals with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Ed Lowery, Randolph Scott, Gen. Omar Bradley, Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward, James Garner, John Brodie, Mark McCormack, Andy Williams and Glen Campbell playing over the years.

While many of those are likely unknown today, they were A-listers back in the day.

Which begs the question, is it the amateurs or the professionals that make this event so special?

Spieth didn’t have an answer of what could, should or would happen with the amateurs if it became a designated event.

But think if you really spent the money to get the absolute best celebrities as well as professional and amateur athletes together, would this create as much buzz as the $20 million purse?

“You can make it a U.S. Open in February,” Spieth said. “I mean, you could grow the rough up, make it tough and just have it be—if Saturday, Sunday were just professionals and you kind of get both. I don't know how it looks. I don't know what the possibilities are at all, none of this has been discussed anywhere outside of just my brain right now, so, please, take that with a grain of salt.”

Fair enough, Spieth was spitballing in a press conference, but it doesn’t take much for a casual conversation to turn into reality.

Spieth believes that AT&T—both the tournament sponsor and his sponsor—would be willing to pony up the money.

The process in regards to how designated events are determined, and if AT&T could become one in 2024 or 2025, is still unclear, but consider AT&T's long history with the PGA Tour, it’s been the title sponsor since 1986 and Randall Stevenson, its former CEO, has been on the PGA Tour policy board since 2012.

So, yes, if AT&T wants it, they can get designated status, but is it the right thing?

“For one a year I think it's enjoyable,” Matt Fitzpatrick said of playing in a pro-am. “I think it brings new fans. Whether it be celebrities, sports stars, businesspeople. I think it brings new fans to come and see the golf and come and see what's going on … I wouldn't necessarily want to see the pro-am format go, because obviously we have a U.S. Open at Pebble as well (in a rotation, next in 2027). So, for me I'm happy with kind of the format that there is now.”