Pebble Beach Golf Links

AT&T Pro-Am is played at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course for three rounds, Thursday through Saturday, with Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach. The unique format has the professionals paired with an amateur for the event. The amateurs that play have become a bit of “spot the celebrity” in recent years, and this tournament is no exception with Larry Fitzgerald, Ray Romano, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo and Larry the “Cable Guy” teeing it up with the pros. With three courses in play the cut is not until Sunday at which time the top 60 and ties will gain access to the last round at Pebble Beach. All three courses are shorter than the average yet look spectacular on the television coverage. Not only are these courses short, but they all feature four par fives. Driving distance is not a huge advantage this week, as these set up better as second shot golf courses. All three can be tough in the wind but are scoreable in calm conditions.

This week, with the NFL season reaching a magnificent crescendo, DraftKings have posted a $500,000 Drive the Green contest with a $5 buy-in. It was great to see the $500 contest on Moneyball filling and extending last week and hopefully the trend continues. So, let’s have a look at some possible plays for the AT&T Pro-Am!

Jason Day ($10,900 DK, $8,700 MB) – Whilst Day is the 2nd most expensive golfer on the slate, it is hard to get away from what he has been producing and his history at this event. Day is 9 for 9 at Pebble Beach which includes T2, T4, T5 and T6 twice. I have shied away from playing Day this year, but he has become too hard to fade. Let’s hope the amateur Day is paired up with doesn’t drag him down.

Rafa Cabrera Bello ($8,300 DK, $6,600 MB) – I have been following Rafa for quite a while now with his consistent play in both in Europe and in the PGA tour. He did miss the cut in Saudi Arabia, but a T11 in Abu Dhabi means he is a staple in my line-ups. I do hope he is under owned in contests and loves the course as much as this tweet, from earlier in the week, suggests.

 

 

Shane Lowry ($8,800 DK, $7,000 MB) – Continuing with the European flavour, this is Lowry’s first event of the PGA season. Lowry is coming in hot from the European Tour with a win in Abu Dhabi and a T12 in Saudi Arabia. He does have a lousy 2018 PGA record but 4 out of 4 Pebble Beach cuts makes Lowry a good low % owned golfer with great upside.

Dustin Johnson ($11,400 DK, $9,100 MB) - Fresh off the plane from Saudi Arabia with a big win, DJ comes to Pebble Beach as the big favourite. His course history is immaculate with 2 wins and 7 top five placings in 11 visits. Sure, playing in the Middle East last week is a good excuse to have a bad weekend, but it is hard to fathom DJ with a poor result. Salary is the highest on the slate and deservedly so.

Chesson Hadley ($7,100 DK $5,500 MB) – After his T20 finish at the Waste Management Open Hadley is projected to be the value play for this week. Hadley is currently 11th in the PGA for Shots gained on approach to greens and these courses have the smallest greens on the tour. Hadley is ranked 1st in distance to the hole on approach at 29 feet average. If Hadley can produce these accurate approaches, then he is a great value play.  

Internet sensation Ho Sung Choi ($6,400 DK, $5,100 MB) from South Korea, whose flamboyant, body-contorting swing is closer to a frog in a blender than Adam Scott’s pure mid iron swing, is making his PGA Tour debut courtesy of a sponsor’s exemption. His wonderfully weird technique – known as “The Fisherman’s Swing” – has not only captured a huge social media audience but is somehow effective enough for him to win twice on the Japan Tour, including the Casino Open last November. But this week I am avoiding him in my line-ups as it is his first go in America; but I still can’t wait to see the super slow mo’s on the telecast.

DraftKings

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