Talk about your Cinderella stories.


No, not Bill Murray. D.A. Points. Murray’s long been everybody’s buddy – for years he had his own rooting section, outfitted in Carl Spackler helmets and camos and drinking cannonballs. When Murray won the Celebrity Shoot-out (and gave proceeds to Salinas libraries), he won more fans. All Points won was a place on the who-gives-a-gopher Nationwide Tour. When Points finally had a shot at a win here last year – his best PGA Tour finish previously was third – he promptly refused to let Murray’s steady diet of bad golf etiquette, sandwich stealing and electric orange hat distract him from the big prize, the pro title. When they won the pro-am trophy with it, it was Murray who misted up a bit on the 18th green talking about how Points carried him into a dream.


The win also had everybody talking. So how can the 2012 AT&T top that? 


Here’s how: A deep field of amateurs, including Ray Romano, Don Cheadle, George Lopez, Chris O’Donnell, Andy Garcia, TobyMac, Clay Walker, Josh Duhamel and last year’s breakout crowd favorite, Anthony Anderson (see story, opposite). The coaches and athletes rival any such group in recent history, with Jim Harbaugh, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Nick Saban, Bob Stoops, Herman Edwards and Matt Cain. For good measure, Points and Murray are paired together again. 


They’ll be joined by popular pros like Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson. And oh – one more thing. Some guy named Tiger Woods is back for the first time in a decade, joining Romo in the most-watched foursome of the weekend.


Tournament CEO Ollie Nutt believes it’s enough for record-setting attendance and a 37,500-ticket sell-out on Saturday, which will go a long way toward upping the $100 million plus the AT&T has raised for Monterey Peninsula Foundation, which in turn helps transform homegrown nonprofits into stars in a constellation of public service.


In short, Cinderella slippers for everyone.


The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am starts 8am Thursday through Saturday at Pebble Beach, Spyglass and Monterey Peninsula Country Club courses. Championship Sunday starts 7:30am. $60/day; $150/tournament. 649-1533, www.attpbgolf.com