Justin Rose out to get 2016 campaign up and running

10 February 2016 04:23

Six of the world's top nine players will attempt to avoid being upstaged by their celebrity partners in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.

Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed are all contesting the £4.8million event, which sees the professionals paired with amateurs in a pro-am competition.

Each team plays one round at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterrey Peninsular Country Club over the first three days, with the leading 25 pro-am teams and top 60 professionals and ties returning for the final round at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

Johnson has teamed up with father-in-law and former ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky, while world number seven Rose at least has the edge over number one Spieth when it comes to their partners - Ryder Cup star Rose is alongside Justin Timberlake and Spieth partners country singer Jake Owen.

Rose, who is making his tournament debut, told the Golf Channel: "I t's a tournament I've been watching for years. It looks like a great place to be. I got my crystal ball out, realised the weather was going to be good and thought it would be a great addition to the schedule.

"I think the addition of Monterrey in the last few years has been fantastic, talking to all the players, and it's just a tournament I really wanted to support.

"I'm early in the season so am looking forward to getting the season up and running, hopefully feed off all the energy that's going to be around us in the group."

Rose missed the cut in his only other start of 2016 so far at the Farmers Insurance Open, a tournament won in amazing style by Brandt Snedeker, whose closing 69 was compiled in winds gusting to 50mph which forced play to be suspended and carried into Monday.

Snedeker is also the defending AT&T champion having set a record total of 22 under par in winning the event for the second time in three years in 2015.

Former world number one Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Irish trio Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne are also competing, with Lowry looking to build on his share of sixth place in last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Dunne missed the cut in Arizona, but was a highly-creditable 13th behind Snedeker on his PGA Tour debut in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Source: PA