To celebrate and honor Phil Mickelson’s five victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, including a three-stroke win in 2019, the tournament’s host organization – Monterey Peninsula Foundation – has worked with a Carmel-by-the-Sea artist to create a genuine silver dollar coin that will be presented to each member of the 2020 tournament’s amateur field.
According to Steve John, CEO of Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the coin pays tribute to Mickelson as well as a legion of caddies who have played a key role in the past 100 years of golf at Pebble Beach.
“Al Santos, Phil’s grandfather, was an original caddie at Pebble Beach from the time he was about 10 years old, earning 35 cents a loop,” John said. “He was once tipped with a silver dollar which he kept in his pocket, occasionally rubbing it between his fingers to feel a little richer and better off than he was at the time. The same coin was eventually given to Phil, who today uses the original as a ball mark only when playing here at Pebble Beach.”
Mickelson will return to defend his title against a star-studded professional field that includes two-time tournament winners Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, as well as 2017 champion Jordan Spieth. The 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be held on Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Practice rounds are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 4-5) with the four official tournament rounds set for Thursday-Sunday (Feb. 6-9).
The Monterey Peninsula Foundation commissioned local artist, Ashley Bennett-Stoddard of Bennett Sculpture Gallery, to create the coin. The tribute coin was modeled to the exact size and weight of the Morgan Silver Dollar that Santos presented to his grandson.
Bennett’s father, Bob, crafted the tournament’s original “Most Valuable Amateur Award” trophy, a stunning bronze cypress tree that from 1987 to 1997 was presented to the amateur who aided his or her professional the most in strokes gained.
“Working on this project brought me back to my roots and the legacy that my father left behind,” Bennett said. “He was a world-renowned sculptor who loved golf and created works for many tournaments and legends of the game. May this little token be a reminder of Phil’s grandfather and the sentiment that hard work, passion, and determination afford us a life to do what we love.”
Bennett and her mother, Debi, own and operate the family gallery in downtown Carmel on San Carlos Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Daily tickets, special hospitality suite tickets, and more information are available at www.attpbgolf.com.
About Monterey Peninsula Foundation
Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.
www.montereypeninsulafoundation.org
www.attpbgolf.com
www.pureinsurancechampionship.org
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