Herald headlines declared that 2024 was the year the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was “going to get serious” as the tournament created by Bing Crosby in 1937 changed formats. What got serious, really serious, was the Crosby weather.

Several months after the announcement that the AT&T would become a 2024 PGA Tour Signature Event featuring only about half its usual field, no cut, only two golf courses and a $20 million purse, the tournament detailed further changes. The previous pro-am division, which had featured celebrities such as Dean Martin, Jack Lemmon and Bill Murray through the years, was dispatched as part of the new format. Also eliminated were the popular exhibition events such as the Celebrity Challenge and the rowdy group that labeled itself Club 15.

Instead, the tournament featured more of the PGA Tour’s top players than in recent years. The 2024 field featured nine of the top 10 players and 18 of the top 30 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

“We never want to erase our history or forget about it,” said Steve John, the tournament director and CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. “It’s wonderful. But like anything, there are changes in the world, you have to embrace change. And we are embracing change.”

It’s hard to say how this played among fans as Mother Nature bellowed loudly. An atmospheric river swept through the area the day before the tournament began, keeping fans from being allowed to watch some of the top pros practice. The fans were, however, allowed back on course for Thursday’s opening round as golfers teed off at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Golf Course.

“We miss some of the celebrities, especially the ones that showed up every year like Bill Murray and Andy Garcia,” said Chris Molemphy from Portola Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula. “But now we get to see some of the best professionals in the world, so that’s pretty fun.”

What wasn’t fun was the next storm that swept in Saturday afternoon. As the wind and rain picked up, PGA Tour officials announced because of the risks associated with high winds forecast for Sunday, along with rain, spectators would not be allowed on course for the fourth round. They also declared play might be delayed or suspended for the day depending on conditions.

Conditions Sunday were, well, wild. High winds with gusts up to 60 mph were causing trees to topple, often taking down powerlines on the Monterey Peninsula, leaving thousands without electricity. Not only was the tournament delayed, but shelter-in-place orders were issued for Pebble Beach due to the downed power lines, fallen trees and road hazards.

In the coming days, Highway 1 near Big Sur was covered with debris after multiple landslides and would be closed.

As the storm raged Sunday, third round leader Wyndham Clark was ensconced inside, playing ping pong. That was when he was told the tournament wouldn’t be resumed and he was declared the winner.

“Obviously waking up and they canceled the day, your mind is just sitting there and you’re trying not to go too far into the future and you’re trying to get your mind right to play for the fourth round,” he said. “And then I get a call and they say hey, we’re going to cancel it and you’re the winner. It’s just been a whirlwind of emotions and feelings. Yeah, it’s pretty surreal right now.”

Saturday had been a special day for Wyndham as he shot a course record of 12-under-par 60.

“It was really weird because everyone was celebrating and congratulating me (Saturday) with obviously having an amazing round. I even said to myself and the people, man, I feel like I won the tournament with how much media I was doing, yet I had another round to play. That was a little unique and weird.”

As was the tournament.