Golf: PGA Tour – AT&T Pebble Beach
Venue(s): Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill & Monterey Peninsula, California
Dates: Thursday 6th February – Sunday 9th February 2020
Tournament Preview
The Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the next big event on the PGA Tour agenda with some of the biggest names in golf combining with celebrities from all walks of life to compete in the Californian sun. The event has been a main stay on the PGA Tour for 83 years and was originally named the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, with the name changing 8 years after the singers’ death. The event was designed to showcase golf and give it increased profile with celebrities taking part relative to their handicaps. The field is one of the biggest on the tour with 156 players competing alongside 156 amateurs for a winner’s cheque of over $1.4 million. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead are just some of the previous winners of the event, a clear indicator of its magnitude in the world of golf.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
The field at the Waste Management Open is particularly strong with many talents from the USA and further afield keen to get their hands on the trophy come Sunday:
Dustin Johnson is a two-time winner of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and he always enjoys playing on all three courses at the event. If he hits his straps, he should come close this week.
With a 4th place finish at the Tournament of Champions already under his belt in 2020, Patrick Cantlay looks in decent form and he could go well in a congested field in California this week.
Jason Day has endured a troublesome couple of years on the golf course, but the Australian has always enjoyed playing at Pebble Beach and he finished in the top 20 last time out at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Englishman Paul Casey finished second at this event last year which was the catalyst for an excellent season on both the European and PGA Tours and he will be hoping for more of the same here.
With two second place finishes in his last 3 starts, Matthew Fitzpatrick looks in great form and with his world ranking rising to number 25, it feels 2020 could be his breakthrough year on the PGA Tour.
1st Round Leader
With the whole field playing all three courses in California, plenty of players will fancy their chances of getting off to fast start:
South African Branden Grace is a relative unknown quantity on the PGA Tour but his win at the South African Open and subsequent two top 10 finishes suggest he is in fine form currently.
Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell picked up his first win of the season at the Saudi International last time out and he will be keen to kick on here in the Californian sunshine.
Swede Alex Noren hasn’t missed a cut in his last 10 events, testament to the quick starts he often gets off to and he will be keen to get off to another flyer this week in California.
Top 10 Finish
With so many quality players assembled here in California, getting into the winning enclosure could be tough but there are plenty of candidates to finish in the top 10 come Sunday:
Few players have possessed the longevity and willingness that Matt Kuchar has in recent years and he will be a real candidate in an event he has yet to win on the PGA Tour.
J.B Holmes put in a superb performance at the Farmers Insurance Open last time out, finishing 16th and he will be eager to build on that here and break the top 10.
Nate Lashley is coming of age on the PGA Tour as his remarkable story continues and with a top 10 in the bag last week, he will be looking to back it up in California this week.
BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Dustin Johnson – 7.00
1st Round Leader: Branden Grace – 30.00
Top Ten Finish: Matt Kuchar – 2.50
