Joe Champion
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There have been 4 shocks to begin the season on the PGA Tour with Chris Kirk, Grayson Murray, Nick Dunlap and Mathieu Pavon all winning at triple-figure odds. A host of stars will be aiming to bring an end to that run at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, an iconic course but not always a regular destination for some of golf’s biggest names, plays host to this $20 million signature event. The introduction of signature events has not been universally well received, but it does mean that Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and several other heavyweights make a rare start in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Three courses were previously used for this tournament but, with the field size reduced to 80, Monterey Peninsula has been dropped. The players will now rotate around Pebble Beach and tough Spyglass Hill over Thursday and Friday with the weekend action at Pebble. Both courses are short, so tee-to-green precision tends to trump power, while a hot putter is also a significant asset. The winning score has been 17 under par or better in each of the last 9 editions.
McIlroy and Scheffler head the betting, but McIlroy missed the cut in his only previous start in the event in 2018. Scheffler has never played in it and he failed to make the weekend in the 2019 Pebble Beach US Open won by Gary Woodland.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf picks and predictions
Jordan Spieth (+1600)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Compared to McIlroy and Scheffler, two Pebble Beach regulars are more enticing in 2017 champion Jordan Spieth and California man Max Homa, who could both prove to be key contenders. In addition to his win, Spieth has 5 other top-10 finishes in this tournament to his name and he was in fine form when we last saw him — finishing third and putting superbly at The Sentry. He hasn’t won since The Heritage in April of 2022, but Spieth always has Pebble Beach circled on his calendar and he is undoubtedly more comfortable than most at the venue.
Max Homa (+1800)
Odds available at DraftKings at time of publishing.
Homa has Pebble Beach form of 10-14-7 from his last 3 visits, most recently in 2021, and he’s a much better player now. The 33-year-old is a constant danger in his home state and last week’s 13th-place effort as defending champion at the Farmers Insurance Open was another solid California spin.
Beau Hossler (+6500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Another Californian, Beau Hossler, continued his resurgence when sixth at Torrey Pines last week. He was third at Pebble Beach in 2022 and 11th last season, and there’s no denying he’s in better form now.
Eric Cole (+6000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM at time of publishing.
Eric Cole missed the cut at the Farmers but Pebble — where he was 15th in his event debut last season — looks a good fit for him. A deserved first PGA Tour win is surely coming soon.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+12000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM at time of publishing.
Dunlap’s win as an amateur at the American Express provided a big financial boost for South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who pocketed the winner’s prize as the highest-finishing professional. He could receive an even bigger check this week. Bezuidenhout was 14th on his sole Pebble Beach start. His blend of accuracy and touch makes him a decent outsider.
