Omar Rd 1 Pebble

Omar Uresti came into this week's event at Pebble Beach looking for a turnaround performance of sorts. After a promising T8 at his first event of the year in Hawaii, he struggled to make an impact in his first two mainland events, posting a T62 and a missed cut.

Pebble Beach is a thrill to play for anyone who loves the game of golf, even a tour player. Great moments in the sport have happened at Pebble; Tom Watson's chip on 17, Tiger's 15-shot romp, Miller's final tour win out of nowhere, just to name a few. The blend of seaside beauty and sport history that awaits each member of the 156-man field cannot be matched at most tour stops, as evidenced by the appearance of some Champions Tour players who have moved on with their careers, such as Sandy Lyle and Jerry Pate. For some, Pebble just cannot be passed up.

This week's challenge for Uresti looks to be the need to be handling the pressures of needing to post a solid performance while simultaneously enjoying the surroundings. The event got off to a seemingly solid start for the O-man, with seven straight pars, even though a couple birdie chances were to be had, notably a 9-foot bid on the short par-4 15th. The first mishap of the round would come at the scenic par-3 17th, where Uresti missed the green and then a 12-foot par putt. Par on 18, and O would make the turn at 1-over 37.

An errant drive at the first, through the fairway and into the bunker, led to a bogey, and Omar was not looking to be in great shape, being 2 over par in benign conditions. However, birdies on 2 and 6, offset by a bogey on 5, would keep Omar steady at one over, and a great tee shot on the par-3 seventh would end up less than 2 feet from the hole. The conversion would leave him right where he started the day at even par. Solid pars on 8 and 9, boosted by great iron shots into both greens, would leave Uresti with an even-par 72.

Going into Friday, Omar finds himself two shots outside of the cut line, so he has some work to do. Notable opportunities were missed during the round, especially the aforementioned putt on 15, as well as a 7-foot birdie bid on 3 and a 12-footer on 4. Those putts would have allowed for a sizable gain in momentum going into the last few holes of the round, and although Omar got a few shots back with the birdies on 6 and 7, there was much left on the table. As for round two, Omar will need to be near automatic inside of ten feet, and he must limit his mistakes, if he wishes to sneak back inside the cut line.

Best of luck, Omar.