Notebook: West Coast Swing went well despite lack of foreign stars

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Most of the international stars have stayed away from America so far this year. Rory McIlroy won't play on the PGA Tour until next week in the Honda Classic. Adam Scott just had a daughter and won't play until Doral in two weeks. Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer have yet to play in America this year. 

 

It doesn't help that the Match Play Championship has moved to the end of April in San Francisco, instead of being the anchor event on the West Coast Swing. 

 

Even so, the West Coast hasn't suffered as much as predicted. 

 

All six PGA Tour events have had a stronger field than the previous year, based on the ranking points awarded to the winner. Both Hawaii events had their strongest field ratings since 2011. Pebble Beach had its strongest rating since 2010, and that includes the year Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played in 2012. 

 

This week's Northern Trust Open is one event that was hurt by the move of Match Play because several players typically came over a week early before the first World Golf Championship of the year. Even without those players, Riviera is expected to be the strongest field of all West Coast events. 

 

EARNING HIS WAY: The Northern Trust Open added a wrinkle to qualifying this year. 

 

It added a Monday qualifying spot to a college player who competed at Riviera alongside an alum. Among the pairing was Jordan Spieth playing with Kramer Hickok, interesting because the 21-year-old Spieth said they used to be roommates. 

 

The start of the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase was Will Zalatoris of Wake Forest, the only player out of 14 in college to break par. The 18-year-old freshman shot a 67 to earn a spot in the field this week. 

 

Zalatoris finished five shots ahead of George Cunningham (Arizona). He will be making his first PGA Tour start. 

 

"I'm really not even nervous about it. I'm only 18 and I'm learning," Zalatoris said. I'm here to play golf, not think about winning the tournament. It's my first PGA Tour event, so I'll see how my game stands up and we'll go from there." 

 

Zalatoris won the U.S. Junior Amateur, the Texas State Amateur and the Trans-Miss Championship last year. 

 

"Will played as beautifully as I've seen any tour player play all year," said Haas, high praise considering Haas won the Humana Challenge. "He could have given me three a side and taken me. We were out there for fun, and he was all business, so it was great to see him get the job done." 

 

DIVOTS: Former Riviera winner Bill Haas is at the Northern Trust Open and hopeful of staying all four days -- not because of his game, but because his wife is in South Carolina expecting their second child. She is due Friday. ... Fred Couples is making his 33rd appearance at the Northern Trust Open. 

 

STAT OF THE WEEK: Americans have won the past 11 times at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the longest streak of any PGA Tour event. 

 

FINAL WORD: "It's when the game is the most fun." – Nick Watney on being in contention.