‘I’m still teary eyed’: Two-time major winner retires in epic setting

Mark O’Meara took his final walk up No. 18 at the PURE Insurance Championship, closing out a 44-year pro career that included two major victories and 16 PGA Tour wins.

There couldn’t have been a more epic setting, as the 67-year-old capped his illustrious career from Pebble Beach, a place where he was victorious fives times on the PGA Tour and once as an amateur.

As one might expect, O’Meara couldn’t hold back his emotions. Not from this moment, nor from this place that means so much to him.

Following his final pro putt, O’Meara gracefully walked off the green waving his hat towards the applauding crowd, soaking in every ounce of energy and love from fans young and old.

Asked about what he felt during this final round, O’Meara referenced a laundry list of memories from Pebble Beach, and thanked the prestigious course for all it gave him throughout the years.

“It means everything. I mean, everything that’s transpired in my life here is, Pebble Beach has been the dream,” he said. “With that, coming here in ’78, playing the state amateur in ’79, winning the state amateur at Pebble Beach. My great lucky fortunes over the years to play well around this iconic place, the wins that I’ve had here, the memories of winning the last Crosby to playing with my father in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am and winning the championship alongside my dad.

“I mean, I owe everything to Pebble Beach, it’s just a blessing to be able to finish my career here.”

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As he made the slow walk around the final few holes, O’Meara said reality began to set in as he saw family and friends showing their support.

“The last couple holes, when I see my friends and family out here, they’re supporting me,” O’Meara added. “My daughter, Michelle, guys that have worked for me, my caddies of past years and my wife, other friends that have flown in to celebrate this occasion with me, I mean, how can you not be emotional? I’m emotional still right now.”

Once O’Meara made his way to No. 18, his emotions got the best of him, with tears beginning to swell in his eyes as his mind began embracing all the memories from over the years.

“Look, I’m still teary eyed, I’m still kind of somewhat crying. And do I think I’m an emotional guy? I am a little bit, but it’s a little overwhelming coming down the last hole, even on the 17th hole seeing a friend of mine who’s caddying for another player out here who caddied for me for a number of years, another — you know, Mitch Windsor who 3 caddies for Steve Flesch, and then Shane Joel who caddies for Doug Ghim on the regular tour who caddied for me for 10 years, to see that he would take the time to come up here and watch me go around.”

While there’s a bit of an unknown for O’Meara now that he’s done with competitive golf, he’s embracing the changes, and says “it’s OK to slow down a little bit” now that he’s in his late-60s. It’s now time for him to tap into some of his hobbies — while still keeping the game of golf within arm’s reach.

“I mean, I’ll still stay active in the game,” O’Meara proclaimed. “I won’t compete at this high level, but I feel a calling that I want to stay involved in the game.

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“And I have a lot of hobbies that I like outside the game — whether it’s in a river fly fishing somewhere or riding snowmobiles up in the backcountry — those are things that I love to do. Spend more time with my family and not feel like I’ve got to get on a plane and travel so much and sit in hotel rooms by myself.”

As O’Meara wrapped up, he couldn’t hold back his thanks for Pebble Beach — a place that saw some of his greatest successes as a player.

“I’m thankful for every moment that I have walking around this place,” he added. “It’s not like I’ll never come back to Pebble Beach again, but the fact to be able to end a competitive 44-year career at Pebble Beach, yeah, I couldn’t have picked a more special day and a more special place.”