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TSN Senior Reporter

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Might this be the week that Dustin Johnson returns to form? It’s a good bet. Johnson, of course, returned from his self-imposed, six-month exile from the PGA Tour last week only to miss the cut. But at Pebble Beach, he has two wins and five Top-10 finishes in seven starts. That includes a tie for second last year. So obviously he likes the courses in the rotation. 

There’s also the fact that his playing partner this week will be none other than his future father-in-law, Wayne Gretzky. The Great One has reportedly been instrumental in guiding DJ through his “personal issues.”

Reports indicate that Johnson was hitting it well in practice rounds at Pebble and he’s stated that he feels he shook off the rust last week at Torrey Pines. 

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Speaking of Gretzky, he’s playing off a 10 handicap and should be able to help out his team at that number. The Great One started playing golf as a teenager in Brampton and once played a round with the legendary Moe Norman.

These days, he plays regularly at home in L.A., at Sherwood CC., and he used to team up with fellow Canuck Mike Weir in this tournament before his daughter teamed up with Johnson.

Other celebrities in the tournament this year and their handicaps: Musician Kenny G (2); politician and Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice (17); actor Andy Garcia (9); baseball player Buster Posey (14); and comedian Bill Murray (12).

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The pro-am portion of the tournament gets a lot of attention but it’s a rare occurrence for the overall tournament winner to also capture the pro-am portion of the event. Since 1987, just five golfers have pulled off the double. The last to do it was Brandt Snedeker in 2013. He also set the tournament scoring record that year with a mark of 267. Of course in 2011, remarkably, Murray was a pro-am champion along with partner D.A. Points who took the overall title too. 

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There are five Canadians in the field: Weir, Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan. Weir has the best record at this tournament, finishing runner-up in 2009 and ’05, and tied for third in 2006 and 2003.

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Winning Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley had to scramble to get new clubs after his sticks were stolen on Monday. McGinley had his clubs in the back seat of his rental car (they didn’t fit in the trunk) and while he was taking a walk on the beach with a friend, someone smashed in the back window and made off with his equipment.

The team in the TaylorMade tour van was able to put together new gear to his specs, but McGinley wasn’t comfortable with his new driver. He also hadn’t practiced much on the course. In addition to losing his clubs, McGinley’s passport, computer, iPad and a number of signed items from last year’s Ryder Cup that he was going to auction off for charity went missing. 

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So how is last week’s winner Jason Day preparing for this week’s tournament? By not playing any practice rounds. 

“I never play a practice round here,” said Day. “I just -- I don't know, it's just like I said, it's just so much ground to cover.  You've got three courses, you've got amateurs playing, and professionals trying to play on different golf courses.”

“And I feel like my game's pretty suited to these golf courses, but it's not the best preparation.  But we're out there for six-, six-and-a-half hours a day for a round.  It can be mentally tiring on yourself.  So, rest is very, very important this week and making sure that everything is a hundred percent.”

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If you’ve ever thought about teeing it up at Pebble Beach, bring your wallet. The cost for a round is $495. But there is a deal – if you stay at the resort, they’ll throw in the cart. Rooms at the Pebble Beach Lodge start at $765 a night. All those figures, of course, are in U.S. funds.