'Defending Champ' Burger Injured, Zeller Tests Positive for COVID-19... "AT&T Attendance Warning"

Daniel Berger has withdrawn from defending his title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am due to injury.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "A red flag for the event."

Daniel Berger gave up on his bid for a 'second consecutive win' at the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (total prize money $8.7 million), which opens on the night of the 3rd (Korean time) at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, USA (par 72, 6,972 yards). The reason is a back injury. This comes at a time when he was fired up, saying, "I'm excited to defend my title." Will Zalatoris (USA), who finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open that ended on the 30th of last month, also tested positive for COVID-19.

The problem is that all the top-ranked players, including world No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain), No. 2 Collin Morikawa (USA), and No. 3 Viktor Hovland (Norway), are all absent. No. 5 Dustin Johnson, 'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson, and others have declared their participation in the PIF Saudi International (total prize money $5 million), held at the King Abdullah Economic City Royal Greens Golf Club (par 70, 7,048 yards) in Saudi Arabia during the same period.

'AT&T battleground' Pebble Beach Golf Links No. 7 hole, California, USA.

Among the 'Top 20,' only No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and No. 15 Jordan Spieth remain. The prestige of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a special match established in 1937 and loved by golf legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods (both USA), has diminished. Cantlay is at least the 'draw card.' He swept an impressive four wins last year: the Zozo Championship in October 2020 (counted in the 2021 season), the Memorial Tournament in June 2021, the BMW Championship (the second playoff event) in August, and the Tour Championship (the final third playoff event) in September.

The chances of winning have also increased. Spieth is challenging to reclaim the top spot for the first time in five years since 2017. His comeback attempt is fueled by last year's final day, where he faltered with a 2-under-par after starting as a co-leader, finishing tied for third. The pro-am format features the first three rounds played alongside amateurs across three courses: Spyglass Hill (par 72, 7,041 yards), Monterey Peninsula (par 71, 6,957 yards), and Pebble Beach Golf Links, where the winner is decided on the final day. South Korea is represented by Kang Sung-hoon (35), Noh Seung-yul (32), and Bae Sang-moon (36).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.