Pebble Beach

I don’t like the word iconic but I can see why it is used to describe Pebble Beach. With its breathtaking views over the Monterrey Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean it is one of the most beautiful courses in the world.

The 7th hole – no more than a wedge to the green from an elevated tee – is one of the holes in golf.

It’s the shortest course on the PGA but most demanding, with tricky sloping small greens that are hard to read, pitching accuracy is all, but like the best Scottish links courses if a wind gets up its tough going.

Strangely enough as he is such a bomber with the driver, Dustin Johnson likes this course which is testament to the improvement of his pitching under coach Butch Harman.

The problem with Dustin is the disconnect between natural ability and mental grit. He failed here 2 years ago to win the US Open when it was his to win and lose.

I still backed him to win at skinny odds and few would have fancied the winner Ted Potter Jr. Injury kept him out for 4 years and at one stage he missed the cuts seven time in a row on the web.com secondary tour.

He shot a 62 on Saturday and kept his nerve yesterday to win comfortably.

Each-way tickles on Phil Mickelson, who always does well on the west coastal swing, and back to form Jason Day salvaged the day.

As an event the ATT at Pebble Beach suffers from being played on 2 other courses, the Spyglass and Monterrey, and also the celebrities that slow play up.

DJ partnered his father-in-law Wayne Gretzky while Rory took his actual dad.

The best celebrity  pairing was Kevin Streelman and Bill Murray who looked a most capable golfer.

Sporting superstars who can master more than one sport always fascinate me. Ricky Ponting is a scratch golfer, Ted Dexter was too, which must be to do with hand eye co-ordination and swing.

However – this said – I prefer events with the top golfers alone.