2011 PGA TOUR Week 6: Bill Murray Helps D.A. Points to Pro-Am Victory at Pebble Beach

The Cinderella Story! Photo Credit: Golf.com

The Cinderella Story! Photo Credit: Golf.com

Golf writer Andy Reistetter was on site at Pebble Beach to witness the modern Cinderella story of D.A. Points’ first victory on the PGA Tour and the triumph of Bill Murray, a.k.a. Carl Spackler, a.k.a. the regular golfer like all of us, in the granddaddy of all Pro-Ams at America’s home course Pebble Beach.

“Da Bears” didn’t win this year, but D.A. Points and another guy from Illinois, a comedian-turned-dramatic-actor who kept him loose, surely did win.

Two guys from the Prairie State dressed in blue and orange walked the fairways and putted the greens of famed Pebble Beach Golf Links on another glorious day on the Monterey Peninsula.

These were the same fairways where Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and last year Graeme McDowell won U.S. Opens.

It was fate, pure and simple.

The stage was the difficult, slightly uphill dogleg right 573-yard par-5 14th hole.

The stage of a tilted, tiny and tempest of a green where last year from the fairway Paul Goydos watched Bryce Molder made a quadruple bogey 9 and then did the same thing.

Points holed the improbable shot—a gap wedge from 107 yards—and then for added measure, made a putt of nearly 30 feet on the next.

The golf gods kept his tee shot in bounds on the 16th, and then the “Murray Magic” kicked in on the green to save the victory for self and team.

Though this time, the roles were reversed, and it was Points using Murray’s tactics to urge his partner on.

“Go ahead and make the putt, the crowd will enjoy that.”

Of course, Murray didn’t make his putt, though the still loose Points did.

Points got the point and made the knee knocker from six feet to seal the victories for the kid from central Illinois, and the no longer young in age man from the chick is in the car and the car won’t go “Chicago.”

As Murray would say, “Done, it was over after 14, 15 and 16.”

All that was left to do was throw ice cream bars to the galleries as the forever now joined partner twosome of fate made the final march to the awards ceremony on the 18th green.

Was it Carl Spackler and the Bishop playing in near picture-perfect weather?

There was a bigger story here for those of us who think two things usually go together—having the most fun and winning.

The world needs to take a less serious attitude. Maybe golf can lead the way in that regard?

Maybe “Murray’s Magic” was to have so much fun that it distracted Points from trying too hard?

As Points would say afterwards…”yes, I need to (change), I absolutely need to.”

Maybe, as Points said.

“Instead of boringly walking down the fairway, minding my own business and not saying anything,” other PGA TOUR players will do the same thing, and we will have the Rocco Mediates, Peter Jacobsen and Mr. Palmers of today and tomorrow out there on tour.

Maybe Jacobsen’s legendary pro-am partner Jack Lemmon finally made the cut?

“If you make the other person look good, then you don’t have to worry about yourself,” is how Murray put it in perspective afterwards, drinking a glass of red wine while addressing the media.

Maybe there is something in it for us heading into Monday morning at the office.

Winning at Pebble Beach with his childhood idol Bill Murray wasn’t just a “dream come true” for Points.

“I don’t think I could even dream it up.”

Dreams turn into reality at magical places like Pebble Beach.

As sponsor AT&T’s slogan urges, maybe we should “rethink possible.”

After all, two kids from Illinois showed the world today that it is possible…to have the most fun and win!

Maybe Ty’s advice to Danny is more than funny…

“There’s a force in the universe that makes things happen; all you have to do is get in touch with it. Stop thinking…let things happen…and be…”

…like Bill Murray and D.A. Points were this week at Pebble Beach.

 

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer covering all four major American golf tours- the PGA TOUR, Champions, Nationwide and LPGA Tours.

Reistetter resides in Pont Vedra Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

A lifetime golfer, Andy enjoys volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida and pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it.

Please comment directly on this article or email him at AndyReistetter@gmail.com