PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — A strong wind was more than just a menace Saturday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
It brought the tournament's third round to a halt because of two holes on one of the courses being used in the PGA Tour event — and set up a Monday finish without the amateurs involved.
Chattanooga native Keith Mitchell made it through the worst stretch of wind at Pebble Beach Golf Links, so strong that he hit an 8-iron on the 106-yard seventh hole. And just when he thought he was off the hook by getting through the ocean holes, the horn blew to stop play.
"We knew going into today that those were going to be the tough holes. That was going to be the hardest stretch potentially all week," said Mitchell, a former Baylor School and University of Georgia standout who is seeking a second career win to go with his victory at the 2019 Honda Classic. "If we could make it through that stretch in a relatively good score, I would be set up for the weekend."
He made it through, and after a big drive on No. 11 with the wind at his back, he suddenly had the rest of the day off.
Peter Malnati was atop the leaderboard at 12 under with six holes left in his round at Pebble Beach. He started on the back nine along the ocean in benign conditions, and he was on the fourth green, coming off three straight birdies, when play stopped.
Mitchell, playing alongside Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, and Joseph Bramlett, playing with Welsh soccer star Gareth Bale, were at 10 under. This is just the third start of the calendar year for Mitchell, who missed the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii in mid-January, then finished tied for 22nd two weeks ago at The American Express in La Quinta.
Kurt Kitayama, the 36-hole leader, and Hank Lebioda were three shots behind. They were playing at Spyglass Hill.
The culprit was the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula, particularly the stretch that runs along the ocean. Gary Young, the PGA Tour's chief referee, began getting reports that balls were moving on the greens. He said one amateur hit a putt and the wind began to blow it back toward the player.
With a three-course rotation, play has to stop at all three courses. The PGA Tour was hopeful of restarting later in the afternoon, except the wind was relentless and the forecast didn't provide any optimism.
The third round was to resume Sunday morning, and the amateurs had the option to return and complete a pro-am that will be only 54 holes.
Mitchell was asked if he expected Allen to be among the amateurs to finish and said he hadn't spoken with the NFL player about his golf plans.
"But the guy was out practicing in the rain and the wind this afternoon when everybody was inside," Mitchell said. "I can't imagine him not showing up. The weather's better tomorrow morning than in Buffalo right now, I can promise you that."
Another NFL player, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, was on top of the amateur leaderboard. His partner is Ben Silverman of Canada, and they were at 25. That would point to some amazing golf by Rodgers, who plays off a 10 handicap and is getting limited help from Silverman, who was 2 over for the tournament.
The 54-hole cut typically is top 60 to account for the 25 amateurs. Now it will revert to top 65 and ties, and it will be professionals only for the final round. Young anticipates the lead group getting in nine holes.
The Monday finish will be the second time the Pebble Beach Pro-Am wasn't decided on a Sunday since Tiger Woods came from five shots behind to win in 2000. Phil Mickelson had to play two holes Monday morning to win in 2019, and Dustin Johnson was declared the 54-hole winner in 2009 when the final round couldn't be played on Monday.
The wind had been expected later Saturday, one reason for moving up the starting times by an hour. Weather at Pebble, however, is rarely predictable.
It arrived about three hours after the round began, and it was ferocious.
Mitchell smashed a drive on the par-5 sixth and had 235 yards up the hill, and he came up some 30 yards short of the green. Then came the chip 8-iron down the hill at the picturesque par-3 seventh.
With the wind and their backs on the eighth, in which the second shot is over a corner of the ocean, Allen hit a 6-iron off the tee, and then he hit another 6-iron to 12 feet on the fringe. Mitchell and Allen were six shots behind Rodgers.
For others, it was tough to hang on. Jordan Spieth figured he needed to be 3 or 4 under through the opening stretch at Pebble Beach. The wind showed up on the par-3 fifth, where Spieth pulled it left into a bunker and made a bogey. He finished the front nine with a bogey and a double bogey for a 39, leaving him on the cut line.
Mitchell had the toughest stretch of Pebble Beach in the wind, but it was tough all over. Bramlett, who played college golf about an hour away at Stanford, had 136 yards into the wind on No. 9 and hit 8-iron short of the green. On the par-5 14th, with the wind at his back, he had 210 yards up the hill and hit 8-iron over the green.
"It's a guessing game," Bramlett said. "We're just doing our best."