Defending champion Gogel offers his insights on PGA Tour.
PALO ALTO – Matt Gogel may not be as well known a name as Tiger Woods and Ty Tryon when it comes to the PGA Tour – but the 31-year-old pro golfer has emerged from a middle-of-the-pack no-name to a major tournament champion.
After all, Gogel – now heading into his fourth year on the Tour – is the reigning AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Champion whose name can be categorized with other champions of one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments.
With this year’s competition nearing ever closer – Feb. 3-9 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey – Gogel made a brief pit stop at the Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto for a pre-event press conference.
“It’s more than just a golf tournament and I think all the pros view it that way as well. It’s more than just a professional tour event,” said Gogel, sitting in-between PGA legend Bob Murphy and former San Francisco 49er Harris Barton. “(It’s) playing with celebrities and playing with business leaders of the world and just having a day of golf.”
Gogel’s first PGA Tour win – which warranted a $720,000 purse and pushed his career earnings to more than $2 million – did not conclude in typical nor dramatic fashion. But PGA golfer Pat Perez might be remembered more for his 18th hole disaster than Gogel for his 35-foot birdie on the final hole that won him the tournament.
Holding a one-stroke lead at the 18th, Perez went out of bounds – driving the ball over the gallery. On his fourth shot, Perez put the ball into the ocean – finishing with a triple bogey and a 76 on the day. Perez’s four-stroke lead to begin the final round shrunk to one by the 18th and then transformed into a three-stroke victory for Gogel.
Gogel – who became the third player in a row to come from four shots or more back to win Pebble Beach – closed the final day with a 69 for a three-day tournament-low of 274.
And he’ll take it whatever way it comes.
“It’s a process. It’s still a process. Sometimes it’s frustrating and slow because you watch the Ty Tryons, Aaron Baddeleys and of course Tiger Woods of the world come out – and Charles Howell – and have immediate success,” Gogel said. “But you have to understand these guys are very rare in our business and very rare in any kind of business to have success and be that polished at such a young age.”
Gogel has steadily paid his dues, sat back and watched while others have jumped past him, but never stopped believing that his time would come. He’s realistic about what he wants to accomplish on the Tour.
“For me, I’m putting my goals much more along the lines of a David Toms. I think over time I will represent our national teams and win golf tournaments, but to do that I have to be patient with the process,” said Gogel, who finished up last season with three top 10s to establish himself as a major player. “I’m pleased with the way things are going and I look at each year as a stepping stone.”
It was only two years prior at the AT&T Pro-Am that Gogel was surpassed by the great Tiger Woods – who stormed back from seven strokes behind to win the top prize while Gogel settled for second.
Gogel – who resides in Kansas with his family – plays most of his golf on the West Coast. This year, he comes in with a 35th finish at the Mercedes Championship and Gogel also plans on playing in the Phoenix Open before defending his AT&T title.
“I start off playing a lot of the West Coast because I enjoy it out here,” said Gogel, who grew up idolizing fellow Kansas boy Tom Watson. “He was a guy I looked at as a role model.”
In 1992, Gogel met Tom Watson before he came out for the U.S. Open and got a chance to play with Fred Couples. It was then that Gogel realized golf was what he wanted to do for a living. Now, Gogel soaks up any chance he gets to play with some of the all-time PGA greats.
“I really enjoy playing with the veterans,” Gogel said. “I enjoy playing with Peter Jacobs. I enjoy playing with Paul Azinger. Any of the guys who have been out there, have paid their dues, won a lot of championships, and have a nice perspective. That’s the kind of guys I want to model myself after.”
PEBBLE PURSE INFLATED: The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, governing body of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, announced last month that the tournament purse has been increased from $5,000,000 for the 2003 tournament. This is an increase of $1,000,000 with first place pulling in $900,000.
CELEBRITY TURNOUT UPPED: More top celebrities have commited to this year’s event. Newcombers include boxer Oscar De La Hoya and football greats Emmitt Smith, Bob Griese and Lynn Swann. They will be joined by returning celebrities Michael Bolton, Glen Campbell, Carson Daly, Kevin Costner, Samuel Jackson, Huey Lewis, Rush Limbaugh, Clay Walker, James Woods, Andy Garcia, Chris O’Donnel, Ray Romano and Bill Murray. The celebrities will be paired with leading money winners on the PGA Tour, including returning champion Gogel.
SPECIAL EVENT: One of the highlights of tournament week in 2003 will be the Payne Stewart Youth Clinic, presented by AT&T. A special exhibition will be conducted by golf trick shot artist Dennis Walters on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 3:30 p.m. at the Pebble Beach driving range.
TICKETS: Tickets for the 2003 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am are now on sale through the tournament office, 831-644-0333/800-541-9091, or Ticketmaster.com. Daily tickets are $40 each in advance and $50 at the gate. Additional information is available on the tournament website, www.attpbgolf.com.
