Official results from last week’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am show Chris Stroud wound up tying for 35th and winning $34,179. Stroud, however, insists the information is  all wrong, that he finished top five with an incalculable payoff.

Please explain yourself, Chris.

“Being paired for three days with Bill Murray, Darius Rucker and my best friend on the PGA Tour, D.A. Points, was an all-time top five for me,” said the Port Neches-Groves ex. “I have been blessed to have some truly memorable experiences through golf, but this was about as special as it gets.”

Murray, of course, earned an indelible spot in golf lore with his role as gopher-chasing Carl Spackler in the hilarious 1980 movie “Caddyshack.” He was just as funny in “Ghostbusters,” “Groundhog Day,” “What About Bob” and “Kingpin,” among other films. He has for years been the top celebrity attraction at Pebble Beach

Rucker, meanwhile, first made a name as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the group Hootie and the Blowfish. He has since won three Grammys, crossed over to the country and Western scene to become the first African-American since Charley Pride to reach No. 1 on the Hot Country Song Chart and, in 2009, became the first African-American to win the CMA’s New Artist Award.

Stroud fell into the dream pairing courtesy of Points, who has been Murray’s Pebble Beach partner ever since they won the Pro-Am portion of the tourney in 2011. The original plan had been for Chris to play in a foursome with Astros owner Jim Crane, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and pro Jimmy Walker.

“When D.A. called, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity with Bill Murray,” Stroud explained. “Jim Crane understood. The added bonus in it all was getting to know Darius Rucker. He is a legend in his own right and as nice a guy as I’ve ever met. We had such a great time we intend to do it again next year.”

Stroud, unlike many of his dead-serious fellow professionals, has always embraced rather than dreaded events with amateur partners. He certainly hit the jackpot with this one, coming away with enough tales to make him the storytelling hit at parties for years to come.

“Bill is a hoot,” he said. “I am sure that is obvious to anyone who watches him play in this tournament. What stuck with me, though, is his charm and charisma and how gracious he is.  People out there love him. In that respect, and in the way he interacts, he reminds me of Arnold Palmer.

So how many times have you watched “Caddyshack,” Chris?

“From start to finish, probably seven or eight. But I’ve watched parts of it probably 50 or 60 times. After getting to know Bill, I’m sure it will be even funnier the next time I see it.”

What really got Stroud’s attention was the energy Murray puts into being both a crowd pleaser and a serious golfer.

“Watching him in action is pretty amazing,” he said. “Everybody wants to touch Bill, wants a picture with him. He puts up with some things that have to test him. He just keeps smiling and laughing and making people happy.”

But can’t all that be a distraction for somebody like Stroud, trying to make a cut, pile up FedEx points and get a game that’s been hot and cold most of the year, on track?

“Not at all,” says the former Lamar University All-America. “He understands and respects the game. He loves to put on a show but he doesn’t interfere with the pros in his group. He is actually a pretty good player, although he was hampered last week by a knee injury.”

Stroud discovered exactly how much Murray focuses on the pros in his foursome, after round three Saturday at Pebble Beach.

“He invited me to a private party at Stillwater Cove. When it was over and we were walking out, he had an interesting observation about how my routine changed when I was struggling on the back nine.”

Murray had watched Stroud shoot rounds of 68 at Spyglass Hill on Thursday and 68 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Friday. On Saturday, he shot 34 on the front nine at Pebble and was hovering near the lead when things unraveled. Two double bogeys led to an incoming 41.

“He said to me, ‘I want to tell you that you have very good rhythm with your swing and you are a nice, deliberate player who makes good decisions. But when you started to struggle, you slowed down the tempo of what you do way too much. Next time you start struggling, speed up a little and you will hit it better.’

“It was so cool to know he was paying close enough attention to notice something like that,” Stroud continued. “The thing is, he was exactly right.”

Stroud was equally impressed with Rucker, who was a VIP guest of the United States Ryder Cup Team in 2016. So impressed, in fact, he has already texted Crane about bringing Rucker along to fill out their foursome in the Dunhill Links Championship, a fall pro-am at St. Andrews similar to Pebble Beach.

Among Rucker’s many claims to fame, he was asked to sing the National Anthem at the 1995 World Series, the 2013 NBA Finals and the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. In addition, he was invited to sing at Frank Sinatra’s 80th birthday party.

On top of all that, he is a certified golf nut who will love Stroud forever for helping him make the cut at Pebble Beach for the first time.

“Darius is just a super human being, a truly class guy,” said Stroud. “We really hit it off. I am so thankful for the chance to get to know him. Shoot, he had almost as many people following him as Bill did. He absolutely loves the game of golf. I was so happy for him that we made the pro-am cut.”

So now it’s on to Riviera in Los Angles and this week’s Genesis Open. In what has been an up-and-down season for Stroud, he’ll be trying to avoid damaging double bogeys and grinding to put four solid rounds together.

Who knows, maybe that tip from Carl Spackler will be a difference maker.

CHIP SHOTS

The Port Neches-Groves boys team placed ninth in the State 5A Preview tournament Friday and Saturday at White Wing Golf Club in Georgetown with a score of 664. Highland Park won with a 613.

Josh Elmore posted PNG’s low score with a 36-hole total of 160 (80-80). Other scores that counted for the Indians were a 166 by Timothy Feemster (86-80), a 168 by Bryce Parsley (82-86) and a 170 by Chase Selman (82-88).

Highland Park’s Scott Roden was medalist with a 146 on rounds of 72-74 …

PNG, which has won eight consecutive district championships, will be hosting its seventh annual three-man scramble fundraiser Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Babe Zaharias. Entry fee is $225 per team or $75 per player. Hole sponsorships are available for $100 and food sponsorships cost $200.

All funds raised go toward travel, equipment and uniform expenses for the boys golf team. Anyone who is interested in participating should contact PNG coach Ricky Keyes at 466-1263 …

The Friday Senior two-ball was the only game that survived another week of bad weather at Babe Zaharias. On the front, the team of Doug LeBlanc, John Williams, Bim Morrow, Dwayne Benoit and Dan Flood won with even par.

Even was also good enough to tie the back. That was the number posted by the foursome of Dwayne Morvant, Randy Monk, Rick Pritchett and Charles Leard and the team of Benny Sharpe, Cap Hollier, Ron Mistrot and Dillard Darbonne.

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