The Starter: Round 1, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

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Feb. 11, 2010

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is set to begin. Here's a look at Thursday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
11:11 a.m. ET, Monterey Peninsula, No. 1		Phil Mickelson, Brian Gay Phil has started slowly this year, but he chews up short courses with his scrambling ability. Looking for his third win here since 2005.
11:33 a.m. ET, Monterey Peninsula, No. 1		Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa This is a probable preview of a Presidents Cup singles match. At 20, Fowler is the elder member of this group.
12:50 p.m. ET, Pebble Beach, No. 1		Dustin Johnson, D.J. Trahan Over the course of the past year, Johnson has shown that his two wins were no fluke. Would you want to play him in the Ryder Cup?

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Mark Carnevale previews Thursday's first round:

Many changes to this year's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The field has been lowered to 156 players, and a new golf course has been put into the rotation. Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Shore Course will join Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill for the 2010 tournament. The Shore Course will be played at a par 70. I had the opportunity of the playing the course last year, and it is absolutely beautiful.

Thursday's forecast

Partly cloudy
Temp: 60 high/48 low
Partly cloudy with light winds.

A large number of holes at Monterey look out onto the Pacific Ocean. It is more of a links course, where Poppy Hills meandered thru the large pine trees. Expect many great reviews from players. Davis Love III thinks players will really enjoy it. Davis also said he likes where his golf game is, and the former winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is someone you need to watch this week.

There has been a great deal of rain on the Monterey Peninsula the last few weeks. Conditions will be soggy, but frankly, when you are in a place as beautiful as Pebble Beach, you have a tendency to forget about the weather.

Look for players who are long off the tee to make their way to the top of the leaderboard this week. It is a huge advantage if you are a long hitter on these courses. Also, don't be surprised to see defending champion Dustin Johnson contend again week. He is playing awfully well, coming off a tie for third last week at the Northern Trust Open.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Steve Voguit, head instructor at the TOUR Academy at World Golf Village, analyzes the playing conditions this week.

The weather conditions for this week's tournament look to be significantly improved from last week at the Riviera Country Club. With sunny skies, comfortable temperatures and winds remaining below 10 mph each day, the conditions should be near perfect. This year's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am is being played on three courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Spyglass Hill. Each course is playing less than 7,000 yards, meaning the challenge is placed more on intelligence rather than brute force.

The first hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links is a perfect example. This short 381-yard dogleg right par-4 requires some thought. The dogleg is severe enough to the point where we cannot overpower it with a monster drive. In addition, the green is very difficult to hold, so striking our approach shot from a clean lie in the fairway is imperative. A driver is not always the club of choice on a par 4 or a par 5. Watch this week, as the players opt for the long iron, adding accuracy to a hole that does not require distance. Next time you play, try thinking your way around the golf course like a PGA TOUR player, and I promise you'll cut a few strokes off your score.

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR TODAY John Swantek previews the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia headline a star-studded field of PGA TOUR players and celebrity amateurs from the sports and entertainment world. Watch it
	Interview: Adam Scott Adam Scott discusses his reasons for playing the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Scott went on to recap his last professional victory, the 2009 Australian Open and the reasons he had trouble with his game prior to that win. Watch it
	Welcome back, Shore Course John In 2010 Monterey Peninsula Country Club was reinstated into the rotation for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The general manager of the course explains the connections and history of the club to the tournamen. Watch it