PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Former Long Beach State golfer John Mallinger is on top for the second year in a row at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, one of the most difficult and high profile events on the PGA Tour.
Mallinger finished his first round on Pebble Beach’s Poppy Hills Golf Course with a 5-under 67 to tie him for second with Brad Adamonis and Roland Thatcher. Mallinger’s 67 nearly duplicated his opening round score of 65 from last year, when he tied for first with Phil Mickelson, the game’s No. 2 player in the world.
“I hit a lot of good shots today,” Mallinger said. “I ended up birdieing the first hole and just kind of got some momentum going and just kept going.”
Six birdies and just one bogey helped Mallinger shake off pre-round jitters he was facing due to a recent shoulder injury. Mallinger hit no practice balls before his round and played no practice rounds earlier this week. Although he was considering withdrawing from the event, his past history at Pebble kept him in the game.
“I think if it was any other tournament I would have backed out,” Mallinger said. “I like coming up here. I like this place. I feel really comfortable and felt like I should have played.”
The AT&T is an event near and dear to Mallinger’s heart. Prior to coming here last year, he had been cut from two of three events he had played in since earning his Tour card. His best finish was two weeks before coming to Pebble Beach, a tie for 67th in his hometown tournament, the Buick Invitational in San Diego. Fighting off bitter cold, spitting rain and Mickelson, Mallinger battled through four rounds, contending for the lead all the while. His surprising finish at Pebble Beach got the momentum going for one of the Tour’s most successful rookie campaigns of 2007.
“This was one of the tournaments that kind of got me going,” Mallinger said. “It was a big leap, being a rookie and all.”
Mallinger went on to earn three more top-10 finishes, and earned a spot in the inaugural PGA Tour playoffs by jumping into the top-70 in the FedEx Cup standings just three weeks before the first playoff event.
“I think last year, going into the year if somebody would have asked who I was, they probably would have had like no idea,” Mallinger said. “And now it’s probably a little bit better.
Mallinger finished second to Brandt Snedeker, the 2007 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, in first-year earnings with $1,681,764 – 51st on the money list – which firmly cemented his spot on the Tour.
“I’m really recognized by a lot of the players, and I think it was a good year for me,” Mallinger said. “I wouldn’t say I overachieved, but I’d say it was a pretty solid year.”
Mallinger continues tomorrow on the front nine of Spyglass Hill Golf Course at 10:10 a.m.
