AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2024: SB Nation’s Playing Through staff predicts winner

Fresh off the dramatic conclusion of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the PGA Tour heads up the California coast to Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, one of the most pristine locations in the world.

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the second signature event of the season, with players competing for $20 million in prize money and 700 FedEx Cup points in fields along the Monterey Peninsula.

This year, 10 of the top 11 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are competing, with the only outlier being LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm. This is the strongest field the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has ever had.

Last year, Justin Rose shot four rounds in the 60s to beat Brendon Todd and Brendon Wu by three strokes. The final round was postponed until Monday, but that didn’t stop the Brit from excelling. It was Rose’s first win on the PGA Tour since 2019, when he defeated Adam Scott by two strokes at Torrey Pines.

With that in mind, let’s find out who the Playing Through staff thinks will win at Pebble Beach this week.

Kendall Capps – Senior Editor

i’m going to take Justin Thomas.

He has quietly racked up four consecutive top-five finishes in the past four world events. During last year’s terrible season, his iron play was probably the biggest reason he wasn’t successful.

But in his last four starts, he’s gotten more than one shot per round on his approach shots from the field.

Pebble Beach emphasizes iron play thanks to the smallest green complex on the PGA Tour. The average green at Pebble Beach is only 3,500 square feet and the average depth is only 26 paces. These greens are so small that four can fit on the average St. Andrews green (13,600 square feet).

Therefore, accuracy when approaching these greens is paramount.

Pebble Beach is shaded and sloped at less than 7,000 yards, so this tournament is not built for bombers. However, with high temperatures in the 50s and winds exceeding 30 mph, this course will play for longer than the listed time.

Therefore, distance control with irons is important. Thomas turned the corner and proved a point at last fall’s Ryder Cup. He has continued to play well since then and will take home the glittering trophy on Sunday.

Photo credit: David Cannon/Getty Images

Jacques Mirko – Staff Writer

jordan spies I have never missed a spot in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. After a strong performance with Sentry to open the 2024 season, I’m picking him to win this week.

Spieth won the tournament in 2017 with a 19-under par and finished solo in second place behind Tom Hoge in 2022. He has four other top-10 finishes at Pebble Beach.

Furthermore, according to statistician Justin Ray, Spieth Highest score record That’s out of line with any player on the field this week.

Pebble Beach is one of Spieth’s favorite courses. He calls this course “one of my top three courses in the world.” The stats show that too and his comfort on this course will only give him confidence as the week progresses.

Even if Spieth misses some of the small greens at Pebble Beach, he can rely on his nifty short game to always move up or down to save par.

Of course, he has a tendency to be erratic off the tee, but he seems to be channeling Seve Ballesteros as an escape artist. He never stops in the hall, but he also never forgets to entertain his fans.

And as this week looks more like the British Open than a bombing birdie fest, there are few players with Spieth’s scrambling ability.

Spieth is off to a hot start heading into 2024, so I hope he can get his second win at Pebble Beach.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Savannah Lee Richardson – Staff Writer

I’ll go with you too Viktor Hovland As my choice.

He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble and the 2019 U.S. Open Low Amateur. Pebble Beach suits his game well.

Although he hasn’t played since The Sentry, where he tied for 22nd place, Hovland should be well-rested and ready to go after three weeks off.

Last year, Hovland tied for 13th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a few months before winning the Memorial Tournament in Columbus. He then advanced to the playoffs, won the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, and won the FedEx Cup championship.

Hovland continued his strong play in the Ryder Cup, once again contributing to victory on home soil in Europe.

I hope he can build on his strong performance in 2023 with a big win at Pebble and solidify his status as one of the best players on the planet.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.