AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Odds And Predictions
Before previewing this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, we came somewhat close on our long-shot recommendation of Brendan Steele at +5400 to win last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. He finished tied for third and paid off nicely for a Top-10 finish if you wagered on that prop. The winner was big-hitting American Gary Woodland, who beat Chez Reavie on the first playoff hole – the fourth straight PGA Tour event to go to a playoff.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Background
If you ask any American or Canadian devout golfer which course in the USA they would prefer to play more than any other, they likely would say Augusta National. Yeah, good luck getting a tee time at ultra-private Augusta. Pebble Beach is public – but not exactly cheap.
It’s a par 72 measuring just 6,816 yards, which is very short these days, but the winds make Pebble play much longer. Two other courses, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore course, are used in the first three days as well. There’s a cut after 54 holes instead of 36, and then those who make the cut all play Pebble on Sunday. There will be very many recognizable celebrities and athletes playing the pro-am version.
This tournament began in 1937 and Americans have won all but three times, including the past 13 years. Jordan Spieth did the trick last year. He led by six after three rounds and played pretty casually on Sunday to finish at 19-under 268 and beat Kelly Kraft by four. Spieth, who played his final 28 holes without a bogey, was never in jeopardy Sunday. He’s back to defend and is +1200.
The last repeat winner here was current world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who won in 2009-10. Those are the good memories he has at Pebble Beach. At the 2010 U.S. Open, Johnson entered the final round leading by three but imploded to an 11-over-par 82 to finish five shots behind winner Graeme McDowell. DJ is the +560 favourite this week. It’s his first Tour event since winning the 2018-opening Tournament of Champions in runaway fashion in Hawaii.
Jon Rahm is +900 with Rory McIlroy, making his 2018 PGA Tour debut, and Jason Day both at +1000. None of those guys have won here. Woodland is +2300 to win back-to-back weeks. Phil Mickelson is +2600 to win this event a fifth time to tie the tournament record held by Mark O’Meara. Tiger Woods is not in the field.
Canadian Golfer Odds
No Canadian has won this tournament. Jim Nelford lost a playoff in 1984 to Hale Irwin. Mike Weir finished second twice but by four shots each time.
The highest-ranked Canadian in the world, Adam Hadwin, isn’t playing. Nick Taylor is +12500. He finished T10 here a year ago at 8-under 279. Taylor was T52 last week.
Mac Hughes is +26600. He has played seven times in the 2017-18 wraparound schedule thus far and missed the cut in each. He shot rounds of 69-73 last week in Phoenix. Other than his win early last season at the RSM Classic, Hughes’ only other Top 10 was here with a T10 alongside Taylor.
Corey Conners is +17100, Ben Silverman +21500 and David Hearn +22500. Hearn missed the cut last year at 2 over.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Picks
I recommend Johnson, Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker for Top 10s. Snedeker has won twice here and was fourth last year. But we’ll go chalk this week on Johnson, who was third here a year ago and has three other Top 5s since 2012. The course clearly suits his game.