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Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Gregg Ontiveros and PGA Tour winner Vaughn Taylor were the champions last year. Who will follow in their footsteps this year?
Pebble Beach always produces a great show as well as some great golf. If anyone ever tries to tell you that professional golf is boring, have them tune in for the PGA Tour’s February events.
One week after playing in front of some of the most energetic crowds in sports at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the game’s top pros are headed back to California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where elite players and big name celebrities alike will try their luck on three of the area’s top courses.
While most of the attention will go towards the professionals, the pro-am portion of the tournament always provides some great moments — after all, who doesn’t like to see their favorite celebrities struggle with the same shots that give us so much trouble? Notable amateurs competing in this year’s event include comedian Bill Murray, singer Justin Timberlake and NFL legend Peyton Manning (click here for a full list).
Without further ado, let’s get to my projections for this week. Here are ten of the best bets for success at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
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With three solid finishes to start off the new year, Jordan Spieth looks poised to add to his win total.
Jordan Spieth
No. 6, Three consecutive top 10 finishes
With three top 10s in his first three starts, Spieth is off to a characteristically consistent start in the new year. He quietly kept things going at TPC Scottsdale last week, tying for ninth while ranking second in the field in strokes gained: approach-to-the-green. Those ball striking skills will surely come in handy at this week’s event, which frequently rewards the most accurate players. In addition, Spieth owns a solid record at Pebble Beach: four-for-four with a pair of top 10s. With his PGA Tour victory drought coming up on nine months, he should be as motivated as ever.Next: Justin Rose
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After a fast start to 2017, Justin Rose looks like one of the frontrunners heading into this week.
Justin Rose
No. 12, Back-to-back top five finishes
After an injury-riddled run to the 2016 finish, Rose has spent the past month proving that his game is back up to code. The Englishman reeled off a pair of top five finishes in the month of January: a solo second at the Sony Open in Hawaii and a tie for fourth at the Farmers Insurance Open. His track record at Pebble Beach isn’t extensive, but he did tie for sixth in his tournament debut last year. Buoyed by the momentum from his recent results, he looks capable of a superb follow-up performance.Next: Phil Mickelson
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One of the great players in the history of Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Phil Mickelson is in the right form to pick up another victory this week.
Phil Mickelson
No. 22, Four consecutive top 25 finishes
Even at the age of 46, this five-time major champion isn’t showing any signs of slowing down from his current pace, at least from a fantasy perspective. Mickelson has notched three consecutive top 25s to kick off the new year, including a tie for 16th at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, so his form is solid. More importantly, his track record at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am speaks for itself – he’s a four-time winner of the event, with a pair of top two finishes in the last five years alone. With that kind of experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lefty in the winner’s circle at week’s end.Next: Dustin Johnson
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Dustin Johnson should be able to shake off a missed cut in his last start and contend in one of his favorite events on the schedule.
Dustin Johnson
No. 4, Two-time winner at Pebble Beach
Another player with multiple titles at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Johnson has experienced both career highlights and all-time low points on the Monterey Peninsula. He’ll look to add to the former category this week, but with a missed cut in his most recent start, he probably wishes he were in better form. Still, we all know what he can do to a golf course when he’s on, and he should be recharged and ready to go after taking last week off. With five career top fives at Pebble Beach, he knows what it takes to contend.Next: Jason Day
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Jason Day is off to a shaky start in 2017, but it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out.
Jason Day
No. 1, Five career top 15s at Pebble Beach
Another big name who disappointed in his last start, Day will look to rebound at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week. The Aussie has been inconsistent since returning from a back injury that kept him sidelined near the end of last season, tying for 12th at Kapalua before missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, an event he’s won in the past. No one will mistake that for sterling form, but with some of the rust shaken off, he’s got a real chance to come alive this week. With five career top 15s at Pebble, history is on his side.Next: Daniel Berger
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The ultra-consistent Daniel Berger returned to form in Phoenix last week, significantly improving his stock for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Daniel Berger
No. 33, Three top 15s in last five starts
This Florida State product bounced back from a slight slump last week, firing three rounds in the 60s en route to a tie for seventh at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. There, he paced the field in strokes gained: putting and ranked second in putts per GIR, so he should have plenty of momentum as he heads west to California. His history with Pebble Beach is brief, but positive — he tied for 10th in 2015, his first and only appearance. If Berger can keep things going with the flatstick, expect to see him on the first page of the leaderboard.Next: Brandt Snedeker
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With multiple wins at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Brandt Snedeker should be able to use his experience to his advantage this week.
Brandt Snedeker
No. 27, Three top 10s in last four starts
Always dangerous, Snedeker looks poised to do some damage to a slate of courses that have been kind to his game in the past. His record at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a solid six-for-nine with three top 25s, including two victories in the last four years, so he has the experience to contend this week. In terms of recent results, he’s found the top 20 in three of his last four starts, so the form is there. With converging trends in the picture, expect to see some low scores from Snedeker.Next: Jon Rahm
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Jon Rahm appears to be on a legitimate hot streak, so there’s no reason to start doubting him now.
Jon Rahm
No. 42, Back-to-back top 20 finishes
This Spaniard was plenty impressive in his first start as a PGA Tour winner, posting a tie for 16th at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. Once again, he was at his best with a driver in his hands, ranking third in the field in strokes gained: off-the-tee. With that kind of momentum, Rahm should be ready to continue his good play in his Pebble Beach Pro-Am debut, even while going up against a field of experienced players. He ranks sixth on the new PGA Tour season in birdie average, so consistent low scores are the expectation from now on.Next: J.B. Holmes
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With a lot of course knowledge in his back pocket, J.B. Holmes looks ripe for contention this week.
J.B. Holmes
No. 32, Five career top 20s at Pebble Beach
Holmes lands on this list by virtue of his great track record at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which features five top 20 finishes, including a tie for second in 2010. He’s been a bit of a letdown to start this year, but with back-to-back top 35s at Torrey Pines and TPC Scottsdale to start things off, the rust is slowly fading away. Furthermore, he demonstrated a solid short game in Phoenix, so he’s looking at a great chance to parlay his experience into another good finish this week. As usual, his length will be a huge asset.Next: Matt Kuchar
Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
After a successful return to action in Phoenix last week, Matt Kuchar should be capable of continuing his good play.
Matt Kuchar
No. 21, Tied for ninth at last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open
Who’s your pick to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more PGA Tour updates.
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