She’ll forever be remembered for what she took off, but the two-time gold medalist deserves far more credit for what she takes on. Sure, the now iconic tearing-off of her Team USA jersey after scoring the winning penalty kick to win the historic 1999 World Cup versus China meant Brandi Chastain had one up on essentially every sports icon our sports-obsessed society ever admired – no Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali or Jack Nicklaus ever appeared on Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated at the same time.

But that’s nothing.

Three years prior she played every Olympic minute (on the way to 1996 gold in Atlanta) despite several injuries and an ankle sprain in the semis. She competed professionally against the best women in the world in two more Olympics while raising a family. And now she’ll be taking on a field of hundreds of men.

Don’t expect her to go easy. She’s seen meaner fields in faraway lands. Plus, she’s a slim 14 handicap at San Jose Country Club, where she’s a member and plays a couple of times a week.

“I played with her on media day,” Pro-Am communications chief Cathy Scherzer says. “She can really bring it, let me tell you. She hits the ball hard.” On a Monday practice round, Chastain capped a sturdy performance at Pebble with a par at 18 – and added a leaping celebration befitting one of the most famous celebrators in sports.

It all earns the San Jose native and Santa Clara grad a chance to headline one of the Weekly’s fantasy foursomes (for our perfect pairing, see story, pg. 20).

We know rules dictate that amateurs must have pro partners and foursomes can’t contain more than two pros until the final round (and then it’s usually three). But imagine if they did – all these pairings could easily fit on a front nine:

LEGENDS ONLY

Brandi Chastain • Ken Griffey, Jr. • Peyton Manning • Dan Marino / Lynn Swann

It’s nice to pair Hall of Fame receiver (Lynn Swann) with a fellow Canton-honored QB (Dan Marino). But they’ll have to share a spot to make room for Major League Baseball Hall of Famer-to-be Griffey Jr., who can hit baseballs further than most pros can hit their 7 irons, and his fellow all-worlders Chastain and, fittingly enough for golf, #18 Manning. The chant-happy rowdies at Club 15 at Pebble Beach Saturday would have fun with this group.

THE INTERNATIONAL INTEREST

K.J. Choi • Retief Goosen • Padraig Harrington • Mike Weir

Foreigners have only won here twice since the ’60s, but Harrington won two majors last year alone, Weir has a collection of top 10s here, Goosen’s South African game will find a U.S. Open-intensity (in anticipation of 2010’s Pebble event) and trendy South Korea pick K.J. Choi finished 2008 well.

LAUGH FACTORY

Danny Gans • George Lopez • Ray Romano • Kevin James

Vegas’ best draw for over a decade (Gans) could do impressions of the other three while G Lo crowd surfs and Ray Romano and Kevin James conduct a version of the hilarious love song parody they’ve uncorked at the annual Clambake for the legion AT&T Pro-Am volunteers.

THE GUYS TO ROOT FOR

Jim Furyk • Davis Love III • Skip Kendall • Kelly Slater

Already likeable, funky-swinging Furyk just got easier to root for last year: He clinched the Ryder Cup for the U.S. – but didn’t win a tourney for the first time since 2004, despite a PGA-tour high nine top 10s, so he deserves crowd mojo here. Meanwhile, Love III has quietly gathered a little momentum early in ’09 with a runner-up and more than $500K in winnings. “He can still whale on it while making it look easy,” Golf Channel’s Steve Sands says. Kendall represents the ultimate underdog, an alternate who got in when Dan Forsman withdrew; Slater’s just a baller (who else here gets called “the Tiger Woods of his sport” in this group?).

THE VALLEY BOYS

Spencer Levin • Nick Watney

Fresno State Bulldog Watney’s hot (T25 at the Bob Hope Classic, T12 at the FBR Open and a win last week); Sacto’s 24-year-old Spencer Levine won the Cal-Am at Pebble in 2004.

GOLF MAGAZINE’S GUYS

Zach Johnson • Geoff Ogilvy • Hunter Mahan

When Golf Magazine Managing Editor David Denunzio handicaps the field, he comes back to three guys the magazine’s high on as an editorial staff – surprise major champs Johnson (’07 Masters) and Ogilvy (’06 U.S. Open) and fast-rising, 26-year-old Mahan – not for their eye-catching club speed or stunning short touch but their “all around great games.” “Nothing in particular may stand out,” Denunzio says, “but they each do everything well, and nothing poorly.”

GREAT NAMES

Cindi Bone • James Oh • Kevin Na • Tag Ridings • Jason Schmuhl

Kevin Na has the golf name to rival Danny Noonan (right when you thought it was possible to complete a golf article without a reference to Caddyshack). With names that deserve to be shouted, his siblings in monikers Bone, Oh, Tag and Schmuhl also earn passport to the group. Sonorously enough, Na and Ridings will actually be in the same pairing come Thursday, joined by amateur Dick Cook.