The Tournament's Exciting Transformation
by Brett Wilbur
Photo: Marc Howard
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament Director and Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO Steve John has played as an amateur in the legendary golf tournament nine times, and each time, his excitement never waned.
“It was truly a treasured invitation,” he says. “It’s impossible to play center fi eld in a professional baseball game, but you can be part of something special with the Pro-Am.”
A mainstay of the Monterey Peninsula for almost 80 years, the tournament has been officially designated as one of eight Signature Events on the PGA TOUR in 2024.
“This adds another remarkable milestone to our 77-year history,” John says.
Funds raised by the event go to Monterey Peninsula Foundation, which had distributed more than $220 million to local charities at press time prior to the 2024 tournament. The foundation also recently received awards for philanthropy and sustainability.
“The tournament has been recognized by the PGA TOUR for its charitable impact and integration,” John says. “Most TOUR events are held in large metropolitan communities; we are a region of less than 500,000 residents, so to be able to give at this level speaks volumes to the makeup of this community which is committed to supporting nonprofits.”
John has been tournament director since 2012 and holds to the belief that, “the bott om line is it’s all about charity.” He ensures that the event frequently evolves and continues to be a high value draw to attendees.
“I don’t stand still,” he says. “We are always trying to raise the bar for our fans and players.”
One significant change for the 2024 tournament is the format.
“We are moving from the past format, which saw 156 professionals and 156 amateurs competing over three days on three golf courses with 25 of the best pro-am teams playing on Sunday,” John explains.
This year, the field has been reduced to 80 professionals and 80 amateurs playing on two courses: one round at Spyglass Hill Golf Course and one round at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Practice rounds begin January 31st, then pro-am teams compete on Thursday, February 1st and Friday, February 2nd, with a team crowned as champion at the conclusion of play on Friday.
Then, Saturday, February 3rd, and Sunday, February 4th, the tournament will be dedicated entirely to professional play at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
(left) Tournament newcomer and #1 player Scottie Scheffler, (Center) last year's tournament winner Justin Rose, (Right) Tour mainstay Rory McIlroy
“This is a big change,” John says. “For a true golf fan, this is a dream come true: to see the greatest players in the world compete Saturday and Sunday at Pebble Beach. We really focused our attention to make this the most fan-friendly event by adding additional grandstands. We removed the sky suites on 18 to have more availability for fans to get a little closer with more seats. It’s going to be great.”
The makeup of players has also shifted. Notable amateurs Aaron Rodgers (defending pro-am champion), Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, Pau Gasol, Buster Posey, and Alex Smith will be competing Thursday and Friday, but the central focus throughout tournament week will be on professional play.
With this model, John expects to meet or exceed the $18 million that Monterey Peninsula Foundation was able to distribute to charities in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties last year.
The significant increase in the purse is a huge draw for players, some of whom will be playing in the tournament for the first time.
“The purse is $20 million, up from $9.3 million, with AT&T shouldering the entire difference,” John explains.
Some first time Pro-Am competitors will be making the lineup interesting this year; Scottie Scheffler, who is the number one player in the world, will be making his tournament debut in 2024.
“Players haven’t been for a variety of reasons. There are 47 PGA TOUR events each year and they can’t play them all, and some golfers just love certain courses. But when you throw $20 million and 700 FedEx points out on the greatest course in the world, it’s significant and they will come,” John says.
Other players committed to the tournament at press time include Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
With so many enticements for players and the public to attend the tournament, it seems more than likely that local nonprofits will benefit in significant way. The impact of the funds raised is instrumental to supporting a vast array of organizations throughout the region.
Over 250 charities are supported annually through Monterey Peninsula Foundation, and of the $18 million distributed last year, $1 million went to emergency flood and storm relief. Severe storms battered the Central Coast last winter, with entire communities completely washed away by mud and flooding. The foundation was able to quickly provide relief.
Photo: Marc Howard
“It speaks to how nimble we can be,” John says. “There was a horrible tragedy and we reacted right away.”
A key initiative for Monterey Peninsula Foundation is youth mental health: one of the biggest benefactors is Montage Health and the new Ohana Center in Monterey.
“There has been an alarming rise in mental health issues in youth and we are supporting Montage Health, so kids and teens don’t fall through the cracks while waiting for care,” John explains.
Other beneficiaries include Loaves, Fishes & Computers, a group that helps make technology available to anyone who could benefit.
“The 2022 PGA TOUR announced this nonprofit was the charity of the year for all PGA TOUR tournaments, and we funded a local group in Salinas,” John says. “They empower low-income families with low- or no-cost computers, tech support, computer repair and instruction to address the growing digital divide across Monterey County.”
This year, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament is featuring the nonprofit Youth Alliance, which was founded in 1995 due to escalating gang violence affecting children and families. 20,000 youth and families were served in San Benito and Santa Clara Counties last year through afterschool programs, neighborhood centers, drop-in prevention programs, culturally based youth development, family programs and more. Programs are in over 35 schools, neighborhood centers and Youth Alliance Impact Centers.
