SF Examiner: Stage set for more Pebble magic

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

PEBBLE BEACH — It’s a place of myth, magic and great champions. It’s a name, Pebble Beach, that evokes other names, those such as Nicklaus, Watson, Kite and Woods.

A golf course can be equated to a battlefield. It’s what happened there that makes it unforgettable. Through the years at Pebble Beach, what’s happened is four times the U.S. Open was played and four times top players won.

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Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Reacquainting with Tiger, the Golfer

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The sense of determination was heavy. Tiger Woods allowed that, yes, golf is supposed to be fun. "It's a game,'' he reminded. But a game with a purpose. To be a winner.

He sat there Tuesday, fielding questions two days before this 110th U.S. Open as he does before every major, smiling occasionally, snapping once. Whatever has gone on the last several months, and it's been a great deal, we are about to become reacquainted with Tiger the Golfer.

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© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: 10 years later, it's a different Tiger at Pebble

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

PEBBLE BEACH — The man has changed. At least to our way of thinking. It’s a different Tiger Woods.

The course has changed. The Pebble Beach that Woods and the rest of the field will challenge starting Thursday in the U.S. Open is not the Pebble on which Woods won the Open 10 years ago.

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Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

SF Examiner: Pebble's 18th a tough beast to tame

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s the beast that’s the best; water on the left, out-of-bounds on the right and possibly success dead ahead. It’s the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, a last stop on the road to glory or to oblivion.

Someone will come parading up 18 Sunday, the scheduled last round of this 110th U.S Open, surf crackling, crowd cheering, headed for America’s golfing championship.

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Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

Global Golf Post: Pebble's Past, Present Point to the Near Future

By Art Spander
For GlobalGolfPost.com

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. -- It was the tournament linking distant past with immediate future, calling back days Bing Crosby crooned and Phil Harris joked, and also reaching toward the summer when the laughter stops and the struggle begins.

It will be different this June at Pebble Beach. Different from the event that started as a lark 70 years ago by Crosby. Diffferent when the U.S. Open settles down along a coastline so famous and familiar.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 Global Golf Post