Today we get another chance to see where Tiger is on the comeback trail. He’s playing a familiar course—one he destroyed at the 2000 US Open—and is coming off a good week in the desert. Still, as Kyle Stanley and Spencer Levin can tell you from the past couple of weeks: its very difficult to close the deal on Sunday on the PGA Tour. Whatever Tiger does the next couple of days will need to be validated on Sunday before anyone can say “He’s Back!”

Too bad this wasn’t on the weekend:

Daniel Chopra had two holes in one in Monday’s practice round. His first came at the yard par 3 seventh, which he hit with a 50 degree wedge. Later, he aced the seventeenth from 176 with a seven iron.

I was not surprised to find that bettors had Tiger Woods as the favorite to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. I was surprised, however, to see that he was as good as 5/1, and that the next guys on the list are sitting at 20/1. The “smart money” seems to think that Tiger is a pretty good bet to win, and everyone else—not so much.

In the group at 20/1 are Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Nick Watney and Dustin Johnson. Mickelson is a three time winner; Johnson has two feathers in his cap.

At 25/1, there’s Brandt Snedeker and Rickie Fowler. 30/1 finds Zach Johnson and Bryce Moulder.

I have to confess that the Pebble Beach is not exactly one of my favorite events—mostly due to the insipid television coverage. I really don’t care to see Ray Romano, et. al. mugging for the camera, or care to hear the endless promos for CBS’ latest “hit comedy.” I can hear it now: “Lets go to the fourteenth green for a look at [fill in name], star of the hit [comedy, drama], [fill in name of show here] showing on CBS at [date, time].”

At least we won’t hear that from the Golf Channel.

Complete odds are below:

A week ago, Kyle Stanley suffered one of the most ignominious collapses in golf history. With a seven shot lead going into the final round, he lost to Brandt Snedeker in a playoff at the end.

This week was different. Stanley went into the final round eight shots behind, and carded a brilliant 65, including three straight birdies to finish. That, combined with overnight leader Spencer Levin’s collapse was enough for a win. Stanley also fought off a terrific run by Golf Boy Ben Crane.

One near-run-thing and a win in two consecutive weeks. In four starts this year, he has a win, a second, two top tens and three top 25s. That’s quite a record.

Another star in the making is John Huh. In three starts to his rookie season, he has two Top 25s and one top Ten. Huh is a graduate of the soon-to-be-eliminated Q School.

So far, it’s shaping up to be a good pro golf season. Next week, Tiger rolls into town for the Pebble Beach Pro Am.

The tournament currently known as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am has been a fixture on tour since it began in 1937 as the National Pro-Amateur Golf Championship. The Pro Am was founded and hosted by crooner Bing Crosby, who thought it would be a nice idea to pair some skilled amateurs with the pros where were on the West Coast leg of their travelling road show. For the first tournament, Bing donated $3,000 for the purse, of which the winner, Sam Snead took home $700. Snead reportedly asked for cash.

Crosby’s Clambake, as the event came to be known, was interrupted for World War II but returned in 1947 on the Monterey Peninsula at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Cypress Point Club and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The change of venue was the work of Monterey civic leaders, who thought the event would help boost tourism. Crosby was named an honorary police chief for the event.

Bing’s star power, and the Hollywood crowd that gravitated to the tournament turned it into a media event. The Crosby Clambake was broadcast on television for the first time in 1958, making it one of the longest running sports events on television.

The importance of the Clambake to the popularization of golf cannot be understated. Bing was a music superstar, and in 1948 it was estimated that half of all radio airtime was dedicated to his music. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he was routinely listed in polls as the man most admired. He won an Academy Award in 1948 for his role in Going My Way, and has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That fame, and his great interest made him at least as responsible as Arnold Palmer and President Eisenhower for the game’s growth.

Unlike his pal Bob Hope, Bing was no hacker on the links. He sported a 2 handicap and competed in both the British and US Amateurs. He won the Bob Jones Award in 1978 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Bing died, appropriately, on a golf course in Spain in 1977.

In 1959, the event became known as the Bing Crosby National Pro Am, and remained so until 1985. Spyglass Hill entered the rotation in 1967, replacing the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Cypress Point was dropped in 1991 for its failure to accept a black member, and was replaced by the Poppy Hills Golf Course. This year (2010), Monterey Peninsula Country Club will replace Poppy Hills.

In spite of being in California, the tournament has been famous for its bad weather. Rain, fog, and even snow (1962) have delayed, shortened or even cancelled the event (1996). In 1998, the final round actually was held in August. Crosby once quipped “Where else can you have the greatest golfers play on the greatest courses in the worst conditions?” The tournament also takes some heat for its six hour rounds.

In 1986, AT&T became the event’s title sponsor, and Bing’s widow withdrew his name from the event.

The Crosby Clambake is one of just three Pro-Ams on the Tour, and the only one where amateurs play on the final day. The format consists of two man teams—one professional and one amateur. Each of the first three days, the teams play on a different course. On the final day, the professionals and pro-am teams making the 54 hole cut play at Pebble Beach. The individual cut is the low 60 players, plus ties. However, players between 61st and 70th (and ties) will receive both official money and FedEx Cup points, as the cut for this tournament ensures the field is smaller than a standard tournament cut of 70. On the Pro-Am side, the low 25 teams, plus ties make the cut.

Past Winners are on the table below

Two of the Golf Boys gave an impromptu performance today during the third round of the Phoenix Open. Ben Crane even donned the helmet. Great stuff.

The Tour seriously needs more excitement like that generated on the 16th in Phoenix.

I’d guess that there’s potential at every tour stop. The Colonial’s par 3 thirteenth, for example, had that sort of vibe—to a much lesser degree of course, but it was there: lots of food and drink, side bets going on, etc.

Phil Mickelson has initiated a lawsuit against a Canadian Internet Service Provider to find the identity of an internet troll who has been making defamatory comments. From Fox News:

Phil Mickelson filed a lawsuit against an Internet service provider in Canada to learn the identity of a person who has been posting “vexatious statements” that the four-time major champion says is a deliberate attack on his reputation.
“I’m all for freedom of speech, but I won’t tolerate defamation,” Mickelson said Thursday after his opening round in the Phoenix Open.

The person or persons involved apparently have said that Mickelson’s wife had an affair and the he has fathered a child out of wedlock.

That’s not good. But it leads me to wonder about how the law works in Canada. Assuming Mickelson does obtain the name of the troll, what then? I’m no lawyer, but in the US, it seems to be fairly difficult for a public figure to obtain satisfaction. As I understand it, actual malice has to be proven. And while making such accusations may seem obviously malicious, it surely will be difficult to prove what’s in a person’s mind. The defense could argue that the suspect believed it to be true. And who is to say otherwise?

Good luck to Phil, though.