Lines? Heft? Oscillations? The last forty minutes of Pebble Beach were wild

To start Pebble Beach’s big 18th hole, Rickie Fowler’s nearly shoulder-length hair was tucked under a traditional black hat, beak in front.

Then the bill was turned 180 degrees.

Finally, after Fowler took off his hat after sinking a 20-foot boat, the wind took his hair and sent it skyward, the new ‘do giving the 6-foot-2 Fowler the height to start small forward.

Indeed, Fowler’s hair at the time told the story of the last 40 or so minutes of the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Saturday.

Things were everywhere.

In one of the more unusual finishes you’ll see, those in the heavens who controlled the wind broke their dials, those who played below, and those who looked everywhere watched mesmerizingly. It started at about 3:25 PM local time.

With Jacob Bridgeman in the rocks. And Min Woo Lee in the bushes.

Jacob Bridgeman in the rocks. And Min Woo Lee in the bushes

Those players, along with Sam Burns, were in the penultimate group, and their tee shots went as far in the opposite direction as you can on the 18th. Bridgeman’s ball sailed left and into the rocky area that separated the venerable course from the Pacific Ocean, although he found playable land and Bridgeman, after climbing into the rocks, found himself pinned down.

Lee wasn’t so lucky, however, after his tee ball went right and into the vegetation growing between Pebble and outside the course, defending some expensive neighboring houses. From there, for about six minutes, Lee said:

– Taken an unplayable lie drop to his left onto the concrete cart path

– I have a distance

– I grabbed an iron

– He said to the people around him, “Don’t try this at home, guys.”

– Then hit

About that time, Fowler, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune quit. The last group had been waiting for 11 minutes at the 18th tee box.

“I was just freezing at that moment, yeah,” said Bhatia, who led by two shots. “My hands were warm, but when the wind blows from the left, from the ocean, it is brutal.”

(Analysis? This was theatrical.)

Sam Burns makes a bunker shot, goes out for birdie and then takes a shot

At 3:33, Burns caught almost the entire ball from a right bunker on the green, and his third shot nearly hit an electronic leaderboard located behind the green and in front of the ocean. The crowd groaned.

At 3:34, Burns four his ball jumped in for bird. The crowd cheered. CBS announcer Jim Nantz said, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Burns exhaled, his lips raspberrying.

At 3:35, Burns turned to his left and threw his ball into the water. (It’s the image at the top of this article.)

(Analysis? This was comical.)

He read the putt. He moved to putt. He stood up. He took a practice putt. He backed away. His ball had wobbled. He read it again. He took a practice putt. He stood over it. He stood up. His caddy came by. His ball was wobbling again. He was behind it. He spoke to a rules official. He read it again. He stood over it. He stood up. His ball had wobbled again. He stood over it again. He put. He missed it long and to the right.

He sank the comebacker.

Lee then, like Burns, threw the ball into the Pacific Ocean.

(Analysis? This was painful. And if you’re interested, here is what the rules say about a ball moving over the green due to the wind.)

More oscillating golf balls

However, three players still had to putt.

After Fowler missed a birdie putt at 3:53, Hisatsune stood over an 18-footer for birdie — and putted two minutes later, missing long and to the left. There were more tremors. Even more adjustments. More uncertainty.

At 3:56, Bhatia crouched behind his ball to set up a six-foot birdie — and three minutes later putted wide. More oscillations. Even more adjustments. More uncertainty. Another call to a regulations official. From there, Bhatia tagged in and shook his head in the direction of caddy Joe Greiner.

“The ball is oscillating forward, back and that putt is a very simple 7-, 8-footer straight up the hill,” said Bhatia, “but you’re just trying to get the putter to go there – you’re trying to make a good stroke and then you’re trying to make sure you hopefully start the ball somewhere near the hole.

“So again, I was happy to make it five and continue tomorrow.”

(Analysis? After Bhatia shot a front-nine 30, you wondered what he could have done on the back nine on a quieter day. Still, he’s up by two heading into Sunday’s final round.)

Ryo Hisatsune’s ball almost blew in

Real.

After a few oscillation delays, Hisatsune missed a par putt long at 4:02 – before the wind almost blew his ball back. Nantz said, “Have you ever seen anything like this in your life?” It’s definitely worth checking out, which you can do below: