AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am: Expert Picks

Waste Management Open recap – Man was I surprised at some of the missed cuts there, it’s common to have a handful of good players miss but we had : Bill Haas, Austin Cook, Kyle Stanley, Charl Schwartzel, Stephan Jaeger, Tony Finau, Abraham Ancer and Phil Mickelson.

Tournament Information

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am
Date: Feb 7 - 10
Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links
Purse - $7.6MM ($1.4MM to the winner)
FedEx points – 500 to winner
2018 Winner: Ted Potter Jr (-17)

Course

Pebble Beach Golf Links built in 1919 by Harold Sampson, this tournament consists of one round on each of the three courses:

Pebble Beach GL – This par 72, 6,816 yard course was built in 1919 and designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, this course has a fun mix of the water and the cliffs. The dance between the water on one side and rough on the other makes this one a challenge for players.

Monterey Peninsula CC – This par 71, 6,958 yard course opened in 1926 designed by Bob Baldock and Jack Nevillein, this course is quite the change from Pebble Beach in that it’s lined with trees and much more condensed.

Spyglass Hill GC – This par 72, 6,858 yard course was designed by Robert Trent Jones this course dances along the coast as well with some scenic views of the water. It is known for the first five holes which will test the golfers right off the start.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

My Starting 4

Kevin Streelman (1^st selection this year) — Only two golfers have finished in the top 15 each of the last three years here. That is the good part, Kevin’s effort this season is the counter side: eight tournaments, four missed cuts, two finishes in the 50’s, one in the 30’s and one 25^th finish. In spite of all of this I’m trusting him to right his course this week.

Phil Mickelson (2nd selection this year) — I’m doubling down on Phil. He barely missed the cut at Waste Management and he comes to Pebble Beach where he has two second place finishes in the last three years. Even with the missed cut he’s 40^th in Fedex points, 37^th in total strokes gained and 3^rd in Birdie Average.

Jordan Spieth (1^st selection this year) — Jordan has finished in the top 25 each of the last three years here. Jordan has also struggled mightily this season with two missed cuts and two finishes outside the top 30 being his four finishes thus far. If there is one promising stat with him, he’s 45^th in birdie average.

Jason Day (2^nd selection this year) — Earlier I mentioned two golfers having finished in the top 15 each of the last three years here. Jason has technically finished in the top 12 and furthermore, he has been in the top five each of the last two years. Jason has been a top 20 finisher in each of his five tournaments this season and he’s 21^st in total strokes gained.

My Bench 2

Nick Taylor (1^st selection this year) — Nick finished 30^th here in 2016 and then 10^th in 2017 before a rough first day (75) was insurmountable with a solid second and third day last year. He has participated in nine tournaments this season with three missed cuts, two top 30 finishes and four in the 30 – 60 range. He is 71^st in birdie average and is a decent reach for a top 40 finish.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Russell Knox (1^st selection this year) — He finished 15^th here last year and he’s having a quietly good season. Despite his 89^th fedex ranking, his last five tournaments have yielded no missed cuts and three top 20 finishes. He is 34^th in strokes gained around the green and he’s 51^st in strokes gained tee to green.

2019 Stats

Starting 4: Avg 46^th place (37%)
Bench 2: Avg 76th place (62%)

Fun fact: Two golfers have won an AT&T and a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach; Tom Kite (1983 & 1992), and Tiger Woods (2000 & 2000).