Monterey Peninsula CC returns to Pebble rotation

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MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Monterey Peninsula Foundation announced on Wednesday that the Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course will return to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am rotation for the 2010 tournament. The event is slated for the week of February 8-14 and will mark the 25th anniversary of AT&T's title sponsorship.

MPCC's involvement in the Pro-Am dates back to the origins of the tournament when Bing Crosby first brought the event to the Monterey Peninsula. The event was last played on the Shore Course in 1977. MPCC will take the place of Poppy Hills Golf Course in the three-course rotation which also includes Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach Golf Links, the tournament's host course.

"The PGA TOUR and its players have enjoyed and valued the relationship with Poppy Hills over the past 19 years," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. "The Northern California Golf Association does great things for golf, especially with their youth programs and we look forward to continuing our support of its efforts.

"Adding the Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Shore Course to the rotation allows the tournament to return to its roots, when the club was part of the rotation from the beginning. I have spoken to many players about this and they are excited that the Shore Course is being added to this stellar rotation."

"We, too, are looking forward to MPCC's return," states Monterey Peninsula Foundation board chairman Clint Eastwood. "We feel it will have a tremendous impact on the strategic charitable goals the Foundation has set for the future."

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is one of the longest running golf tournaments on the PGA TOUR dating back to the 1930s and is one of the largest charitable events in Northern California. To date the tournament has generated in excess of $79 million for charity.

"The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am combines great golf with a strong tradition of giving back to the Monterey community," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T Inc. "We're proud of our long history together, and we look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary supporting a tournament that shares AT&T's commitment to advance education, strengthen communities and improve lives."

"This is great for the tournament, I know the pros will be excited," says Davis Love III, winner of the 2001 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and current chairman of the PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council. "I have enjoyed my role as player/host of Golf for Kids, benefitting the Boys & Girls Club, for the past 21 years at MPCC and am a big fan of Mike Strantz' work."

When Bing Crosby brought the tournament to the Monterey Peninsula in 1947, the field of 75 professionals and their amateur partners played Cypress Point on Friday, moved to Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Saturday and played the final round on Sunday at Pebble Beach.

The tournament was played at Monterey Peninsula Country Club for the first 20 years. The Dunes Course was used for 18 years and for the final two years, 1965 and 1966, the tournament was held on the Shore Course.

Spyglass Hill joined the rotation in 1967, a year in which Jack Nicklaus won with a final round 68. In 1977 Spyglass underwent repairs and MPCC's Shore Course was utilized for one year. It was the year President Gerald Ford joined the field after leaving Jimmy Carter's inauguration in Washington, D.C., and flying directly to the Monterey Peninsula. Tom Watson won that year and took home $40,000.

Poppy Hills joined the AT&T course rotation in 1991, replacing Cypress Point Club. Paul Azinger won the tournament that year and John Cook teamed with TV star Jack Wagner to win the pro-am portion.

Monterey Peninsula Country Club opened in July 1926, a vision of Pebble Beach founder, Samuel F. B. Morse. The club properties comprised over four hundred acres of land. Seth Raynor, designer of the Yale University golf course (Morse's alma mater) was the original golf architect and Robert Hunter completed the work following Raynor's death.

The original course was the Dunes and the Shore Course was built in 1959 after the members purchased the club from Del Monte Properties. Rees Jones was selected to reconstruct the Dunes Course in 1997 and in 2003 the Shore Course underwent reconstruction. Golf course architect for that project, Michael Strantz, created a truly spectacular links-type golf course on the Club's pristine ocean side property.

"We're excited for this unique opportunity to host the tournament for AT&T's 25th anniversary," states Monterey Peninsula Country Club General Manager, Michael Bowhay. "MPCC is where it began and where our members feel it should be played for this historic tournament. We believe the players will be impressed with our newly renovated Shore Course. "

MPCC's Shore Course is currently ranked ninth in California and 72nd in the U.S. in Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Nationally Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are ranked sixth and 51st, respectively.

Tickets for the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am will go on sale after Labor Day.

Further information is available on the tournament Web site, www.attpbgolf.com