Multiple changes coming to this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, select pro athletes to play and purse increases to $20 million

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (KION-TV)- As the PGA Tour season kicks off this week in Maui, many local golf fans are looking forward to the first week in February at Pebble Beach.

However, there will be some changes being made ahead of the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

For this year, the tournament has become one of eight signature events on the PGA TOUR which means a limited field of 80 PGA Tour players and a no cut event.

This will be the second season that the Tour will have signature events which includes increased prize purses and limited fields.

The changes are a result of the threat from LIV Golf which is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The controversial tour recently added current Masters Champion Jon Rahm back in December.

Players who currently play LIV Golf Events are banned for life from playing on PGA Tour events.

The PGA TOUR is in negotiations to formalize a partnership with LIV Golf which has been extended into 2024.

For the first two days, the tournament will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The third and final rounds will only be played at Pebble Beach.

Also, the amateur field has also been cut down to 80 amateurs and the Pro-Am competition will only be 36 holes. However, there will be no Hollywood actors or entertainers playing in this year's event.

Steve John who is the tournament director and CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation told KION that there will only be a few pro athletes teeing it up as amateurs this year.

Those athletes include seven-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback Tom Brady, former 49ers quarterback and current ESPN analyst Alex Smith, former 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, three-time World Series Champion Buster Posey and Hall of Fame center Pau Gasol.

John also confirmed that there will be no traditional events taking place during the week such as the Celebrity Challenge.

The purse has increased from $9.3 million to $20 million.

"We can't wait to see the best pros from the PGA TOUR here and many for the very first time," John said in a statement.

The professional golf field will have star power led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, reigning U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark, 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, 2023 FedEx Cup Champion Viktor Hovland and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy.

The third and final rounds will be televised right here on KION. The tournament takes place from January 31 thru Feb. 4.