One of the most anticipated and unique tournaments on the PGA TOUR schedule is the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 75th edition of the event will be held as scheduled this week but without the popular Pro-Am format.
Instead of being contested over three courses, with each professional paired with an amateur partner, the tournament will include only professionals playing two courses.
Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course will see first- and second-round action, with all players that make the cut finishing the tournament at Pebble Beach over the weekend. Both courses are par-72, with Pebble Beach providing some of the most famous vistas in all of golf.
Even without the amateurs and celebrities present, the tournament is certain to provide plenty of excitement and drama. World number one Dustin Johnson was scheduled to be in the field, coming off a win in a European Tour event last week in Saudi Arabia. However, Johnson withdrew on Monday evening.
Phil Mickelson, a five-time winner in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, will be looking for a sixth title. The five-time major champion also played in the Saudi International, finishing in a respectable tie for 53rd.
The 50-year-old who has won twice on the PGA Tour Champions will be joined by three other winners from the senior tour: John Daly, Jim Furyk and Tom Lehman.
Brooks Koepka, last week’s come-from-behind winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at +5000 odds, is not in the field this week.
The defending champion of this tournament, Nick Taylor, led from start to finish after an opening-round 63 provided him a three-shot cushion. His 19-under-par 268 was four shots better than Kevin Streelman and five clear of Phil Mickelson.
At +700 is Patrick Cantlay, who is 11th in the Official World Golf Rankings and third in the FedEx Cup standings, Cantlay is looking for his first win in 2021.
Betting Odds at Pebble Beach
As expected, former champion Johnson was a heavy favorite with odds of +600 to add to his 2009 and 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am titles. In addition to his wins on the Monterey Peninsula, he has six other top 10 finishes and one missed cut in 13 appearances.
Johnson pulled out of the tournament on Monday evening, leaving Patrick Cantlay as the new favorite for the event.
At +700 is Patrick Cantlay, who is 11th in the Official World Golf Rankings and third in the FedEx Cup standings, Cantlay is looking for his first win in 2021. He took a couple of weeks off after a second-place finish in The American Express.
Cantlay’s best finish in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a tie for ninth in his debut at the tournament in 2013. He has a win in the current season in the ZOZO Championship @ Sherwood in October.
Jason Day rounds out the top three betting favorites at odds of +1800. He’s been struggling with his game and has missed the cut in his last two tournaments.
The 33-year-old Australian hasn’t notched a PGA Tour win since 2018, and he’s dropped to 48th in the world. His odds status this week is based on his recent Pebble Beach performances, with four consecutive top-five finishes and seven in his 11 appearances.
Mickelson is +2500 at a place where he has had great success, including a win in 2019. At last week’s Waste Management, Jordan Spieth was able to turn back the clock and finished eighth. The 2017 AT&T champion is available at +4000.
