Gove returns to action at Pebble

For many PGA Tour pros, Pebble Beach serves as a reminder of all that is right with the game of golf. From the famed short par-3 7th pointed directly at the ocean, to the memorable 18th with the ocean hugging the left side of the entire fairway, there is no shortage of memorable scenes and moments.

An occasional U.S. Open track, Pebble welcomes the PGA Tour contingency every February for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which gets underway tomorrow. The event always draws a memorable field, and this year is no exception, led by last week's wire-to-wire winner Phil Mickelson.

Jeff Gove may not have enjoyed the scenery as much as he would have liked as he played his practice rounds. After failing to make it into last week's field, Gove is back, albeit on the heels of three straight missed cuts to open the season. Gove talked over the winter about the importance of starting the season on the right foot, and he has been far from that to this point.

With a full 156-man field at Pebble, the task doesn't get much easier. The event utilizes an unique three-course rotation system, with Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Golf Links joining Pebble in the three-day rota before a cut is made on Saturday night. All courses play less than 7,000 yards, but the damp winter air, selection of tight doglegs and traditionally wet conditions keep bombers from having a heyday.

The good news for Gove is that he will have at least three days to test his game, as opposed to the usual two before the cut. But if he continues to struggle, he won't be around for Sunday, and the wait for his first check of the season will continue.

Gove gets Pebble first, teeing off at 8:11 on Thursday morning with Matt Every.