NFL quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen, paired with golf pro Keith Mitchell to support the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County (Molly Gibbs – Monterey Herald).
PEBBLE BEACH — There was a buzz circling the putting green at Peter Hay, cell phones extended by outstretched arms to their limits in an attempt to get a photo of a star-studded field of quarterbacks and one future Hall of Fame catcher.
A vibrant atmosphere of anticipation Wednesday erased the chill of a slight breeze off the Pacific Ocean, as the largest crowd to witness the Chevron Challenge lined up along the ropes for a five-putt charitable exhibition.
The quarterback class of Aaron Rodgers, Alex Smith, Josh Allen and Steve Young had their names constantly being called out for an autograph or perhaps a photo, along with retired and future Giants Hall of Fame catcher Buster Posey.
What all five had in common was a California connection, with Posey having played his entire career with the Giants, Young and Smith having quarterbacked the 49ers, Allen raised in the Central Valley and Rodgers having played a Cal.
Rodgers played with PGA pro-Kelly Kraft. Smith was paired with Austin Smotherman, while Allen teamed up with Kevin Mitchell. Young played alongside Tom Hoge and Posey was joined by Harry Higgs.
Young didn’t miss a chance to sign a jersey for a child sporting the scarlet and gold No. 8. Neither did the Bills’ Allen, who talked about his time at Reedley College, facing Hartnell and MPC.
“I remember both games,” said Allen, who combined for over 800 yards in offense against both teams — but didn’t come out with a win. “Both games were over here I believe.”
While each of the five sports celebrities had a pro partner to putt alongside, golf was secondary. Playing for charities was the focal point of the event, as $300,000 was raised for all five charities.
“It’s an incredible event,” said Young, the last quarterback to take the 49ers to a Super Bowl title some 28 years ago.
While their personalities are polar opposites, Rodgers and Allen had a similar path in their careers, both honing their craft at the junior college level before becoming first-round draft picks and two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Watching the fab five mingling with the gallery, shaking hands, posing with kids for photos and signing jerseys gave all of them a mortal-like feel on a day when perhaps their golf game brought a sense of mortality.
“Ultimately you can’t take yourself too seriously,” said Posey, who was recently selected to the Bay Area Hall of Fame. “I’m not that good.”
It didn’t matter to the star-gazing spectators who went eight deep in some sections. While the Super Bowl is a week off, black and orange baseball gear flooded the crowd, with Posey jerseys being worn by all generations.
Young, Rodgers and Allen represented the past, present and future of NFL quarterbacks, with Young cemented in the Hall of Fame, Rodgers headed to Canton and Allen earning MVP consideration — forgoing the Pro Bowl for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Blessed with an infectious smile, the 26-year-old Allen, who threw for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, and rushed for 768 yards this past season for the Bills, was like a kid among a quartet of legends.
The golf was not half bad either, as evidenced by Allen coming within 2 feet of sinking a 45-foot putt on the first hole, and Posey coming within inches of doing the same on the second hole.
Gone are the gimmicks of leaving an assortment of items on the greens that resembled miniature golf. The challenge of the Hay is a smattering of rolling hills on the putting greens.
Last year’s Chevron Challenge champion and two-time Pro-Am winner and future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald — who will have an ambassador-like role at next week’s Super Bowl in Phoenix, played a similar role by hitting the ceremonial first shot a few feet from the hole to set the tone.
If there was frustration from watching a ball fail to reach the top of the hole at No. 5 and descend back down the slope, it was met with a smile or a laugh, and a gasp from an energetic crowd.
No one was worried about strokes. But they counted. At the end of five holes, there was a tie between the Allen-Mitchell team and the Smith-Smotherman tandem.
A closest-to-the-hole finale meant a few more minutes for spectators to take that last photo, make that final attempt to get a jersey signed.
Smith, who once helped the 49ers beat the Giants in a similar format at Pebble Beach after being traded to the Chiefs, couldn’t strike gold again, as Allen landed the closest to the pin, benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County.
Originally published at John Devine