The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am got an unexpected ticket sales boost thanks to Taylor Swift—even though she never showed up.
Rumors swirled Friday morning that Swift might appear to watch her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who was playing in the PGA Tour’s celebrity-pro event. The speculation created a noticeable buzz around the already scenic Pebble Beach.
Tournament director Steve John revealed that when Kelce’s participation was announced, they sold more than $60,000 in tickets over just 12 hours. The Swift effect continued with another $21,000 in Friday tickets purchased between Thursday evening and early Friday morning—all before Kelce’s tee time.
Swift was rumored to be in town, but she wasn’t at Spyglass Hill for Kelce’s Thursday round with pro partner Keith Mitchell, Mackenzie Hughes, and retired NFL quarterback Alex Smith.
That didn’t stop more than 1,000 spectators from lining the left side of Pebble Beach’s first fairway on Friday. They watched as Kelce’s opening drive veered right, through the trees and along the cart path, though he managed to save par.
Chiefs gear was sprinkled throughout the gallery, including a young girl in a Kansas City sweatshirt. While the tournament has a long history of athlete participation—Ken Griffey Jr. once played alongside Tiger Woods, and Roger Clemens has made a hole-in-one—this clearly had a different energy.
Tournament organizers weren’t taking any chances. John had security plans in place, transportation arrangements across the course, and even a secure suite overlooking the 18th green—all while constantly fielding text messages asking if Swift would appear.
The crowd following Kelce’s group through the early holes wasn’t record-breaking but definitely larger than usual. With four hours of golf still ahead, Swift fans in attendance held onto hope they might catch a glimpse of the pop star.
