Sips of Maginnes: Riviera handles Mother Nature's wrath

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PGA TOUR rookie Alex Prugh, who tied for 10th at Riviera, has bolted out of the gate at a fast pace this season.

Players competing in the Northern Trust Open raved about the condition of Riviera Country Club last week. According to the newly named Ryder Cup assistant Paul Goydos, "The greens keeper here should get a raise."

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Great conditions at Riviera have not always been the case, though. The grand old layout has been plagued by slow, lumpy greens in the past. Last week the best field of the year was greeted by perfect greens with nice texture. Amazingly, even with several inches of rain on Friday and Saturday, the greens held up beautifully.

The greens weren't the only thing that held up -- the entire golf course drained so well that the PGA TOUR field staff determined it was dry enough to play the ball as it lies for the final round after playing lift, clean and place for rounds two and three.

• There were 41 players left on the golf course on Friday night in the midst of their second round. After a sloppy, rainy, cold Friday, it was understandable that a few players who had no chance of making the cut opted not to return on Saturday morning. Hats off, though, to Nick Watney and the others who returned -- even though birdies to the house would do them no good. Angel Cabrera was rewarded for his wake-up call with a birdie on the final hole to make the cut. Davis Love III, who was playing by himself, birdied the 17th but was unable to make the necessary birdie on No. 18 to make the cut. Davis missed the cut by a shot.

• One of life's little ironies: Every year at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the equipment companies bring in a little extra. The reason is, there are a couple of things that you can count on at Pebble Beach in February. You will encounter sheer beauty, but you will probably be looking at it from under an umbrella. It is for that reason that Titleist sets up a trailer near the driving range and passes out rain suits to its players. Bet the boys wish that they had showed up a week earlier this year.

• Kudos to the golf fans of Los Angeles who braved the weather over the weekend and attended the Northern Trust Open. The galleries were far larger than anticipated given the heavy rain. Certainly it helped that two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson was a factor. The fact that he and Ernie Els played together on Saturday afternoon certainly helped, as well. Add the history at Riviera and it becomes even more understandable.

The final element -- and the reason that this tournament is poised to become one of the most important events of the year -- is tournament chairman and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, who has taken over as the leader of the Northern Trust Open. With that kind of star power stirring the pot, you can expect the tournament to continue to grow and prosper.

• Don't tell Alex Prugh they write checks on the PGA TOUR for less than six figures. After the way the last month has unfolded, the rookie certainly wouldn't know. He has three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a tie for 10th at the Northern Trust Open. As a PGA TOUR rookie, your first goal is to finish in the top 125. Alex is more than halfway there and it's not even Valentine's Day.

Former PGA TOUR player John Maginnes is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.