Oberholser claims title in fun Pebble event
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- There is something about the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am that makes you want to not take golf so seriously -- and that's a good thing. Maybe it's the beautiful setting, maybe it's the antics of the celebrities or maybe it is the good nature of the galleries, but the atmosphere is very much, "Hey, let's just have fun and enjoy life." Now that I think of it, maybe that is just the mantra of Northern California.
One guy who has learned how to enjoy himself more on the golf course is Arron Oberholser, and his new attitude translated into his first PGA Tour victory Sunday. The triumph by the 31-year-old California native was extremely popular here, not just because Oberholser went to high school and college less than 100 miles away, but because he is a nice guy who can golf extremely well. On Sunday, he taught us an important lesson about succeeding when you are not playing your best.
In some ways, the worst thing that could have happened to Oberholser was the series of misfortunes that befell Mike Weir early in their final-round showdown at Pebble Beach. They started the day tied -- six shots clear of the nearest competitor -- and were locked in what appeared to be a classic match play format. Then, in the wink of an eye, Oberholser was getting strokes from the unlucky Canadian left-hander.
On the second hole, Weir hit a perfect drive only to find when he got to his ball that it was burdened by a big chunk of mud. Going for the green on the par-5 in two anyway, the ball curved wildly out of control and out of bounds, leading to a double bogey. On the next hole, another perfect drive landed in a sand divot and Weir's second shot, hit thin, sailed over the green. He made bogey. Meanwhile, Oberholser made birdies on both holes.
It was a stunning 5-stroke swing in two holes. Instead of the grind-it-out match play confrontation for which Oberholser had prepared, he now had to protect a 5-stroke lead. And as Greg Norman can attest to, that is much easier said that done. Five strokes is a large enough lead that in the back of your head a little voice is chirping, "Oh man, I'm going to get roasted if I blow a lead this big."
The cool thing was that while Oberholser bent, he never broke. He stumbled with bogeys at Nos. 9, 13 and 14, but just when it appeared he would provide a gag for the ages, he got a great break on No. 15. His drive had the misfortune to hit the cart path twice, but still ended up with a clear shot to the green, which he hit to 7-feet and made the birdie putt. That settled him down and propelled him to three closing pars and the final 5-stroke victory margin.
A year ago, Oberholser might not have been able to get the wheels backs on track after they had come off. In fact, in 2004 he went into the final round at the AT&T tied for the lead with Vijay Singh and shot a 76 to fall to a tie for fourth place. Oberholser has learned a lot since then, and including how to score well when he is not playing well. That is one trait almost all great champions in all sports have in common: They can get the job done when not at their best.
The rap on Oberholser was that he has a ton of talent, but you can get him rattled if something doesn't go his way. That almost happened Sunday when many in the bleachers behind the fifth green started moving after Weir putted out. Oberholser had a 4-footer for par, backed off the putt, admonished the gallery to stand still, then missed the putt. A year ago, Oberholser would have let that anger and disappointment carry over to the next shot, the next hole and the next series of holes. That did not happen Sunday.
"Within the last year, I really calmed down a bit," he said after the 5-stroke victory over Rory Sabbatini, with Weir and Jonathan Byrd finishing another stroke back. "Read some good books, which have given me some good perspective on things. And just have had a good time trying to figure all this stuff out. It's fun. It's actually fun. It's a lot of fun. Once you find it, it's really cool."
Seems as if Oberholser has learned the lesson that is at the heart of all great champions: Don't be afraid of the moment, embrace it.
As for the game-within-the-game at the AT&T, Oberholser cost his amateur partner, Michael McCallister, a chance to win the competition outright when -- while distracted on that fifth green -- he picked by McCallister's mark on the green. That meant the team had to play Oberholser's 4 instead of McCallister's 3, which he almost surely would have made from 2 feet. Nice guy that he is, Oberholser spent the rest of the day apologizing to McCallister.
The other bit of amateur adventure involved the whimsical decision to place actor Dennis Quaid and comedian Tom Dreesen in the same foursome. Quaid was recently ranked the best celebrity player by Golf Digest, which cited his 1.1 handicap at Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles. Dreesen, who was ranked tied for third with a 4.5 handicap at Lakeside Golf Club, also in L.A., went on "David Letterman" shortly after and challenged Quaid to a $500-a-hole match even up.
Quaid didn't bite on the bet, and it is probably just as well. The team of Robert Gamez and Dreesen shot 14-under, while Quaid and Mike Springer were only 4-under. Dreesen contributed 11 shots to his team's scores, while Quaid helped out six times. On Saturday, when they played Pebble Beach, it appeared Dreesen handled Quaid easily even up.
Now that's a made-for-TV match I'd pay to watch. And that's part of what makes the AT&T so much fun.
Ron Sirak is the executive editor of Golf World magazine. His book, Every Shot Must Have a Purpose: How GOLF54 Can Make You a Better Player, written with Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, is now available.
