Of Course O’Meara Is Favored : Golf: He has had tremendous success at Pebble Beach, winning three of the last four years.

PEBBLE BEACH â€”  Mark O’Meara reasons that if he never wins the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am again he won’t be disappointed.

“No matter what happens in the future, this place doesn’t owe me anything,� O’Meara said.

Certain courses can be humbling to the best of players, but the courses on the Monterey Peninsula bring out the best in O’Meara.

He has won the AT&T; four times and won the State amateur here in 1979.

The AT&T; begins today on three courses--Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills--and O’Meara likes his chances.

“The success I’ve had here has been tremendous,� he said. “When you look at the Monterey Peninsula and the natural beauty and you ask people what’s their favorite course, the majority will say Pebble Beach. Even on a bad day it’s beautiful out there.�

Other players might not agree, especially if some of their shots are sprayed onto the rocks in the ocean that borders the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach.

For O’Meara, though, Pebble Beach only reinforces a positive attitude.

His first victory here as a professional came in 1985 when he held off Curtis Strange, Larry Rinker and Kikuo Arai to win by a stroke.

In 1989, O’Meara made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Tom Kite.

In 1990, he won while playing with his father and amateur partner, Bob O’Meara. That was was a relatively easy victory for O’Meara, who had a three-stroke lead with three holes to play and won by two shots.

He was tested last year, when he trailed Jeff Sluman by four shots with nine holes to play.

O’Meara made a 35-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 18th green, the ball slamming into the back of the cup, and then watched as Sluman tied with a 20-foot birdie putt.

“As soon as I made that putt on 18 last year, I told my caddie that Jeff would make his putt,� O’Meara said. “So when he did make it I wasn’t shocked.

“I knew that my playoff record was 0-4. So I said to myself, ‘It’s my turn in the playoff.’ �

Sure enough, O’Meara made a curving, 20-foot putt on the first extra hole to beat Sluman.

Some pros are bothered by having to play with amateur partners. Not O’Meara. Five of his eight tour victories have come in pro-am events.

“If you’re out there so serious and so enthralled at what you’re doing personally, then you’re going to have a tough time,� he said.

“The key to this tournament is to go out there and try to enjoy yourself. It’s going to be a long day. There will be a lot of distractions. People will be yelling at Dan Quayle and Bill Murray. That’s OK.�

There have been some negatives for O’Meara here. He missed the cut in the 1991 tournament and in the U.S. Open last year.

“I’ve had highs and lows here, but one thing I know: I’ve won here four times and I’m thankful for that,� O’Meara said.

Kite also has played some of his best golf in the Pebble Beach tournament. He won it in 1983, shooting 62 for a course record at Pebble Beach. He was third in 1975 and 1990 and lost by a stroke to O’Meara in 1989.

Last year, he won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach under demanding conditions--narrow fairways, high rough and fast greens.

Asked if his success here bolsters his confidence, Kite said:

“You build your schedule around tournaments where you’ve had success, and you try to stay away from those where you’ve had little success. Pebble Beach has been wonderful to me over the years.�

Golf Notes

It was raining lightly Wednesday afternoon, and there is a possibility of rain today. . . . Celebrities in the field include Bill Murray, Jack Lemmon, Dennis Quaid, Clint Eastwood, Robert Loggia, Joe Montana, Orel Hershiser, O.J. Simpson, Mark McGwire and Glen Campbell. . . . Lemmon, in an ongoing ordeal, has missed the cut 21 times. . . . Strange pairing: comedian Murray and quiet Scott Simpson. . . . The lift, clean and place rule will be in effect for the first three rounds of the tournament.