By Chris Havlicek
Updated 2/1/24 3:50pm ET
There have been 4 odds-defying victories to begin the season on the PGA Tour with Chris Kirk, Grayson Murray, Nick Dunlap, and Mathieu Pavon all winning at triple-figure odds. An elite field of PGA stars will be trying to bring an end to that run at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week…
Dates/Location: 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
When: Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 1-4
Purse: $20 million ($3.6 million winner’s share)
Defending champion: Justin Rose
The Course(s):
Three courses were previously used for this tournament but, with the field size reduced to 80, only two courses will be used. The players will now rotate around Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill over Thursday and Friday, with the weekend rounds at Pebble.
Pebble Beach:
Pebble Beach is a par 72 layout that measures in at 6,972 yds and features some of the smallest greens we see on tour all season at just 3,500 square feet in average green size. Due to the angular hole layouts, Pebble Beach concedes the shortest average driving distance on the PGA tour. That forces layups on several holes off the tee and almost completely removes any advantage for longer hitters. It also yields one of the lowest Greens In Regulation percentages on tour.
Spyglass Hill:
Spyglass Hill is slightly longer at 7041 and is also a par 72 layout. Unlike Pebble Beach, only five holes are exposed to the coast , as 13 holes are tree-lined. Even so, when winds are up, Spyglass has historically played as the more difficult course at this event; when winds are down, it plays slightly easier than Pebble Beach. The course features four Par 4s under 400 yards where players will need to score to be in contention.
The Field:
This year the Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been given signature-event status, just the second tournament of the season for which that is true. This means that all the best players in the PGA Tour will be teeing it up, and they’ll be fighting for an enormous total purse of $20 million.
As always, hordes of celebrities and pro athletes who have the golf bug will be joining the pros in a concurrent competition. This year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a signature event, with 80 players, and no cut. That means all of the Tour’s best players competing, from Rory McIlroy (making his 2024 Tour debut) to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and everyone else from last year’s FedEx Cup top 50. The field will also include players inside the top 30 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and four sponsor exemptions.
Odds (Top Ten): Courtesy of FanDuel:
Rory McIlroy: +750
Scottie Scheffler: +800
Xander Schauffle: +1200
Victor Hovland: +1200
Jordan Spieth: +1800
Max Homa: +1800
Patrick Cantlay:+2000
Collin Morikawa: +2200
Justin Thomas: +2500
Ludvig Aberg: +2800
Keys to Victory:
Both courses are short, and fairly unremarkable statistically, so tee-to-green precision tends to trump power. A hot putter is also a significant asset as the green complexes at Pebble are traditionally some of the hardest to putt on from within 10 feet on the Tour. Weather is always a factor at any event, but both courses are typically very windy, demanding a controlled and low-ball flight on certain holes.
Host course Pebble Beach is a classical, second-shot golf course, so players who hit it close on approach will be in contention on Sunday. Pebble is also notorious for its greenside bunkers, so players who miss the green and have to scramble from distance will struggle.
