The Loop

Ray Romano starring as Jack Lemmon

February 12, 2011

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- A lot of guys who have never won on the PGA Tour are going to have a shot at it on Sunday in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, led by third-round leader Steve Marino. The focus on Saturday, however, is always on the scenery and the celebrities. Ray Romano has taken up the Jack Lemmon torch for futility, having now played in 11 Pebble Beach Pro-Ams without making a cut.

When Romano finished on Saturday, it was clear he and teammate Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey, who came so close to winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open the week before, were going to be close to playing on Sunday. For a full 30 minutes after they came off the 18th at Pebble Beach, Romano crouched in front of the scoring computer behind the large board in back on the green, keeping track of the players still on the course with a chance to crush his dream.

"That stinks that we came that close because I gave so much away," Romano said. Twenty-five amateurs play on Sunday. Only one of eight teams advanced at 19-under. Among the unfortunate were Romano and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. It's the third time Romano has finished on the cut line and failed to make it through the tie-breaking gauntlet. Most disappointed, however, would have to be the team of Zach Miller and Scott McNealy, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, who bogeyed the 18th at Spyglass to drop into the tie, only to get whacked.

-- Jim Moriarty