PEBBLE BEACH >> Wyndham Clark doesn’t like watching himself on tournament television tapes. He didn’t revisit his first PGA title two years ago or the U.S. Open victory six weeks later that he dedicated to his deceased mother.

The exception is the third round of last year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Clark’s 12-under 60 set the course and tournament record. It also provided his one-stroke, 54-hole victory over Ludvig Åberg in the weathered shortened tournament’s Signature Event debut.

“I watched that 60; I think that’s a great highlight reel where you get into the zone,” Clark said Wednesday on the eve starting the defense of his victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links. “Everyone talks about ‘that’s something that I hope to get into each week.’”Clark’s round included two eagles, nine birdies and one bogey. He eclipsed the previous tournament record of 61 shared by Tom Kite, David Duval, Patrick Cantlay and Matthias Schwab. The tournament leader’s score also bested the previous overall competitive course record of 61 set by Texas Tech’s Hurly Long at the Carmel Cup, a collegiate event, in 2017.

“I remember those feelings,” said Clark, golf’s No.7-ranked player. “It’s amazing how I can watch that and I start reliving those feelings. Talk about sports psychology and mental stuff, you want to try to relive those feelings as much as possible and live in that space so that it sometimes becomes a reality when you play.”

Clark will be among the 80-player field in the fifth PGA Tour event of the season and the second year of the AT&T’s participation as a Signature Event.

Tee times are scheduled to begin at 8:35 a.m. at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill Golf. The pro and amateur field will rotate on two courses Thursday and Friday. Weekend play will be held only at Pebble Beach and without the amateur field.

Identical to last year, the event won’t have a cut and the field will play for a $20 million purse. The winner will earn $3.6 million. Weather for the opening round is forecast with moderate temperatures ranging between 43-53 degrees and partial sunny skies. Rain and overcast conditions are forecast Friday through Sunday.

“(The course) is a lot firmer than last year,” said Clark, describing his Tuesday practice round at Pebble Beach. “It’s in amazing shape. Last year we had tons of rain leading up to it and during the week and it played its traditional very soft and slow and bumpy.

“These last couple days we’ve been practicing here, the ball’s bouncing quite a bit, the greens are a lot faster, it’s firmer. So if the weather stays like this, I actually think it will be tougher this year. I think the scores won’t maybe be as low.”

The field will include 17 of the world’s top-20 players, including No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, No. 3 Rory McIlroy and No. 4 Collin Morikawa.

Xander Schauffele (No. 2) is recovering from a rib injury. Tyrrell Hatton (No. 8) and Bryson DeChambeau (No. 12) compete on the LIV Golf circuit and are banned from the PGA Tour.

Without the traditions of its long-standing celebrity player frivolity, the AT&T will still feature a handful of notable amateurs: former NBA player Pau Gasol, retired NFL quarterbacks Steve Young and Alex Smith, former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, former NFL lineman Harris Barton, former soccer player Mia Hamm, former WNBA commissioner Heidi Ueberroth and Condoleezza Rice, the former U.S. Secretary of State.

Scheffler, who won nine official events globally last year, is making his season debut after suffering a hand injury while preparing Christmas dinner for his family.

“The course is good,” said Scheffler following an early week practice round. “There’s a little bit less rough than there was last year. The greens are quite a bit firmer, so if the rain holds off this week I think it will continue to get firmer as the week goes on.

“(It) should be a lot of fun. These greens are small and when they’re firm, they can be really challenging. So hopefully the rain holds off and the golf course will get firm and fast. It should be a really fun test.”

Golf’s top-ranked player since May 21, 2023, Scheffler has 13 PGA Tour titles in his five-year career. He began the season with career earnings of $71,793,586, fifth on the all-time list. He trails Tiger Woods ($120,999,166), Phil Mickelson ($96,685,635), McIlroy ($90,989,348) and Dustin Johnson ($75,557,026).

Known for his consistency, Scheffler capitalized on his recovery time away from the PGA Tour to reflect. His season was the most successful in PGA Tour history.

“I did go back and watch a bit of the tournaments that I played in,” Scheffler said. “I wasn’t necessarily watching the finishes, but I was just kind of watching throughout the course of the event, you know, just thinking about what I was feeling at the time and how my brain was working.

“I was just kind of going over things to remind myself of the tournaments and stuff, because I really do have . . . my memory is not that great.”

Jordan’s back

Playing in the event for the 13th straight year, Jordan Spieth is also starting his season after recovering from wrist surgery last August.

The 13-time PGA Tour winner (including three majors) is optimistic and has set various goals.

“I think the shortest term is to feel like I get through these three weeks (his PGA Tour schedule) and I feel as good or better than I did when I started as far as physically.

“That’s not very exciting goal, but one that would mean a lot. And then I would love to work myself into contention before the Masters at least once. And then maybe a lofty goal this year would be to make the Ryder Cup team.”

New format, few titlists

With its 80-player field, several former event titlists didn’t qualify for the former 156-player field, including Daniel Berger (2021), Phil Mickelson (LIV Tour), Ted Potter Jr. (2018), Vaughn Taylor (2016), Brandt Snedeker (2015, 2013) and Jimmy Walker (2014).

Former AT&T winners in this year’s field include: Wyndham Clark (2024), Justin Rose (2023), Tom Hoge (2022), Nick Taylor (2020) and Jordan Spieth (2017).