(This article was published originally in the Monterey County Herald on February 8, 2007.)

Mature but still unpredictable, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am — the Monterey Peninsula's reincarnation of Bing Crosby's dream — is 60 years old

It's had six official names. It's been played on five courses. And it has endured five decades of however nature and man have behaved.

Sam Snead to Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer to Jack Nicklaus, Mark O'Meara to Tiger Woods, the world's greatest golfers have discovered, cursed and embraced its endearing mysteries.

Celebrities Andy Garcia to Huey Lewis and Glenn Frey to Kevin Costner have collectively experienced enough tournament frustration to figuratively fill the Pacific Ocean.

But, of course, the errant shots, the unforgiving bunkers and the fickle weather have all been conquered by humor.

Phil Harris to Ray Romano, Tommy Smothers to Bill Murray, Jack Lemmon to George Lopez, the tournament by any of its names has offered the perfect golfing recipe — golf at its competitive best outdone only by humor and good karma.

The tournament's Monterey Peninsula tenure began a decade after the event's 1937 inception.

Crosby, who owned a southern California home, was member of the Lakeside Golf Club in Los Angeles. He fancied the idea of some of his club's skilled amateurs getting the opportunity to play with professionals traveling to the West Coast during winter months.

The debut event, held in Rancho Sante Fe Golf Club in San Diego, was both glorious and nearly disastrous, and it set the precedent for what has since been known as "Crosby Weather."

Three straight days of strong rain resulted in an 18-hole tournament. Sam  Snead claimed the $500 winner's check with a four-stroke win over George Von Elm. But Snead, known for his frugal ways, reportedly said as he was about to receive his check, "If you don't mind, Mr. Crosby, I'd rather have cash."

And with that, the tournament's lore — Great golf, ugly and nasty weather (often in the same day), humor and a wondrous interaction between golfers, celebrities and spectators — began.

War interfered for four years during the 1940s. But in 1947, the tournament resurfaced. Crosby had purchased property on the Monterey Peninsula and the event began again, just as if it had never stopped.

It's been the same, more or less, since — year after year, decade after decade, holes-in-one to missed tap-ins.

Here are some tournament highlights from its second tenure, revisited in condensed form, from the first through the 59th year:

* 1947 (Big Bucks And Tarzan Swings) — The Monterey Peninsula was being promoted with a new, unofficial name, "Golf Capital Of The World." By PGA Tour edict, the tournament purse was doubled to $10,000.

The 54-hole course rotation was, in order, Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Pebble Beach. Dick Metz (67) held the lead after the first round, Metz (73), George Fazio (68-70), Lloyd Mangrum (72-68) and Ed Oliver 70-70) were tied after the second round, and Fazio (75) and Ed Furgol (72-69-72) tied for the win and each earned $1,625 with  3-under 213 totals. Snead finished three shots back and Ben Hogan faltered with rounds of 78-77-76 and a 39th place tie.

But it was Crosby's wit that etched the tournament's second debut deeper in
to history.

After hitting an early round drive into the trees, Crosby noticed actor  Johnny Weismuller playing in the next fairway and yelled: "Hey, Tarzan, I've got a tree-climbing job for you."

* 1949 (Hogan Shines, Then Escapes Death) — He only won the tournament once, and he did so in rallying form and in cold weather.

With temperatures in the low 50s in all three rounds, Hogan had a third-round 70 — the best of the day — to defeat Jim Ferrier by one shot. The field included a variety of golf's legendary figures, pros Jimmy Demaret, Cary Middlecoff, Byron Nelson, Jackie Burke, Lawson Little, Jr., and Sam Snead. The amateurs included Lefty O'Doul and Forrest Tucker.

But the year would be remembered by Hogan's win and his brush with death two weeks later. The legendary player suffered near-fatal injuries after his car collided with a bus between Phoenix, Ariz., and Ft. Worth, Texas. Hogan recovered, returned to the tournament the following year and finished tied for 19th. He was nine shots back, but he played before the event's largest crowds.

* 1951 (Lord Nelson Returns) — Byron Nelson hadn't competed on the PGA Tour for four years, but he made a triumphant return. He began the second round with a four-stroke deficit and moved into a three-shot leader after a 67, equaling the tournament's best score.

Nelson faltered in the final round (71), but held off Cary Middlecoff, Ed Furgol and Julius Boros (who all shot in the 60s) to claim a three-shot win.

* 1952  (Peter Hay And The Big Blow) — The winds blew and blew, sometimes exceeding 45 mph. Jimmy Demaret shot an opening-round 74 at Cypress Point, the best round of the day. Rain forced cancellation of the second round and sunny, windy weather greeted the field for Sunday's final round.

It was also the year of another great tournament one-liner. In nasty weather, pros Cary Middlecoff and E.J. Harrison and their amateur partners marked their balls and prepared to exit the 16th green at Cypress Point.

They were intercepted by Peter Hay, then the Pebble Beach head pro, who inquired where the players were going.

"Peter, it's so windy out there you can't keep the ball on the tee," Middlecoff said. "Sure, and show me in the rule book where it says you have to tee up the ball," responded Hay. "Now, get back out there and play." The players did exactly that. Demaret won the tournament by two shots over Art Bell.

* 1958 (Four Rounds And TV Time) — The tournament moved into a new era and would change forever. The winner's prize was increased from $2,500 to $4,000 and the total purse increased from $15,000 to $50,000.

Billy Casper and Bob Rosburg were tied for the lead entering the final round, but Casper prevailed with a final-round 71 to beat Dave Marr and Ken Venturi by one shot. And for the first time, the tournament was televised.

In perhaps the oddest moment in event history, a retired military officer tried to rob the tournament office. A quick-thinking deputy sheriff feigned a heart attack and then captured the would-be thief.

* 1962 (Crosby Weather For Real) — The tournament withstood plenty of bad weather in its 21 previous editions. But none was close to the snow, hail and sleet that halted the final round.

After a one-day hiatus, Doug Ford edged Joe Campbell on the first "sudden death" hole. Campbell missed a seven-foot par putt, but Ford made his subsequent six-footer.  One tournament oddity: Art Doering, Gary Player and Al Geiberger all had holes in one.