Chris Gotterup, who opened as high as 50-1, won his second event of 2026 in a playoff over Hideki Matsuyama in last weekend’s WM Phoenix Open. 

Matsuyama, who had been 5-for-5 in converting his previous five 54-hole leads into wins, limped to the finish.

The two-time WM Phoenix Open champion nearly hit his tee shot in the water left of the reachable par-4 17th, leading to a par, and pulled his drive on No. 18 left into the church pew bunkers — his 11th missed fairway of the day.

Matsuyama hit his second shot into the face of the bunker and couldn’t get up-and-down from 43 yards to send the tournament to a playoff. He shot 68 to match Gotterup at 16-under 268.

In the playoff, Matsuyama once again pulled his tee shot and watched it bounce into the far bank of the lake into the water. He hit his third shot onto the green after a drop, but Gotterup left no doubt by draining his 27-foot birdie putt. 

Scottie Scheffler made a Sunday charge but fell one shot short and finished T-3 along with Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, Michael Thorbjornsen and Nicolai Højgaard. Jake Knapp finished eighth, Matt Fitzpatrick ninth, while Pierceson Coody, Viktor Hovland, Ryo Hisatsune all finished T-10. 

This week, an 80-player field heads to Northern California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as Scheffler (3-1) is the favorite for 2026’s first “Signature Event.”

Defending Pebble Beach champion Rory McIlroy (14-1) and Tommy Fleetwood (28-1) make their PGA Tour season debuts after beginning their seasons on DP World Tour for the double dip in Dubai. 

Outside of Gotterup (33-1), who has two victories in three starts, perhaps no one is hotter than Si Woo Kim (25-1), who has finished third, second, sixth, 11th, third and fourth in his last six events dating to last November. 

Justin Rose, a winner two weeks ago at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, won here three years ago. He is priced at 28-1 along with Hovland, who won the 2018 U.S. Amateur here at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. 

Xander Schauffele (30-1), last week’s winner and runner-up Gotterup (33-1) and Matsuyama (33-1), Russell Henley (33-1), Maverick McNealy (35-1) and Cameron Young (35-1) comprise the second group on the odds board.

Several former champions are also in the field, including 2024 winner Wyndham Clark (80-1), 2022 winner Tom Hoge (200-1), 2021 winner Daniel Berger (50-1), 2020 winner Nick Taylor (80-1) and 2017 winner Jordan Spieth (80-1). 

The Event

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was founded in 1937 as the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am and was played near San Diego before being moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1947 after World War II. It was a 54-hole event until 1958. The Crosby name remained on the event through 1985, eight years after Crosby’s death, when AT&T took over as the title sponsor in 1986 and has stayed in that role ever since. The Monterey Peninsula Foundation, chaired by the iconic Clint Eastwood, is the longtime event organizer and philanthropic organization. Eastwood was a regular participant in this event until 2016 but still serves as the tournament’s host and has regularly appeared in the CBS Sports booth on commentary over the tournament weekend. 

In previous years, 156 professionals and 156 amateurs were paired to play a three-course rotation. This year, only 80 professionals and 80 amateurs are here playing a two-course rotation of Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The amateurs now are predominantly athletes and lower-handicap CEO-types. 

As a Signature Event ($20 million purse), there will be no cut at Pebble Beach.

Many golfing legends have won here, including Phil Mickelson (1998, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2019), who has five Pebble Beach wins, tied with Mark O’Meara (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997). Other multiple winners here include Sam Snead (1937, 1938, 1941, 1950), Jack Nicklaus (1967, 1972, 1973), Johnny Miller (1974, 1987, 1994) and Tom Watson (1977, 1978). Four players have won both an AT&T and a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach — Nicklaus, Watson, Tom Kite and Tiger Woods.

The Field

The 80-player field for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the best thus far in 2026, with 27 of the OWGR Top 30 in attendance. 

The Courses

Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the game’s most iconic courses. Designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant in 1919 and renovated by Arnold Palmer and Thad Layton in 2016, it is a par-72, 6,989-yard coastal layout with nine holes played by the Pacific Ocean. Pebble Beach is the second-shortest annual course on the PGA Tour. It is also heavily bunkered (118 in all — most on tour). Wind can definitely affect scoring here on this exposed track; however, the Poa/Ryegrass fairways are the seventh widest on the PGA Tour at an average of 39 yards. The Poa Annua greens are the smallest on tour (3,500 square feet) and slow (10.5 stimpmeter). 

Due to the angular hole layouts, Pebble Beach concedes the shortest average driving distance on tour, forcing layups on many holes off the tee and almost completely removing any advantage for longer hitters. The emphasis on approach shots is even higher this week because of this course, leading to some of the lowest Greens In Regulation percentages on tour.

The Poa/Rye rough grew a little more a couple of years ago and is maintained at around 2.5-3 inches with the elite player field, plus dropping some of the higher-handicap amateurs. 

Most of the fairways are tilted toward the ocean and are set across the holes. This results in players often hitting their approach shots from uneven lies with the ball above or below their feet.

Comparable layouts to Pebble Beach include the other two courses that were in the usual rotation — Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula (which is not part of the event this year) — before this became a Signature Event, as well as other coastal courses on the PGA Tour such as Port Royal, Sea Island, El Camaleon and Waialae. Other shorter layouts on the PGA Tour, like Colonial and Harbour Town, also provide correlations. 

Golf Digest provides a hole-by-hole flyover video narrated by Pebble Beach resident Jim Nantz, who will be on the call for CBS this weekend, per usual. 

Spyglass Hill Golf Course is a par-72 of 7,041 yards that is a tree-lined links-style track. It was designed in 1966 by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and was lengthened a bit in a 2019 remodel. Even post-remodel, Spyglass is still the third-shortest of the courses played annually on the PGA Tour. It has substantially more protection from the wind than Pebble Beach. The fairways are also on the narrow side (26 yards on average — third-narrowest). Poa Annua greens also await the players as well, but they are larger (5,000 square feet) and slower (10.5 stimpmeter) than those at Pebble Beach.  Spyglass Hill has been part of the event every year but one since 1967.

Comparable layouts to Spyglass Hill include the two other courses in the rotation — Pebble Beach and Monterey Peninsula — as well as Port Royal, Sea Island, El Camaleon, Silverado and Waialae.

Carson Joens, a custom golf club designer based in Utah, has a hole-by-hole YouTube video playing a round at Spyglass Hill.

Weather

The AccuWeather forecast calls for rain early in the week along the Monterey Peninsula, so the course turf should be soft for tournament play. The wind also looks likely to pick up over the weekend. 

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Recent History/Winners

2025: Rory McIlroy (-21/267); 12-1

2024: Wyndham Clark (-17/199); 70-1*

2023: Justin Rose (-18/269); 35-1

2022: Tom Hoge (-19/268); 60-1

2021: Daniel Berger (-18/270); 18-1

2020: Nick Taylor (-19/268); 160-1

2019: Phil Mickelson (-19/268); 25-1

2018: Ted Potter, Jr. (-17/270); 500-1

2017: Jordan Spieth (-19/268); 9-1

2016: Vaughn Taylor (-17/270); 300-1

2015: Brandt Snedeker (-22/265); 25-1

2014: Jimmy Walker (-11/276); 28-1

2013: Brandt Snedeker (-19/267); 14-1

2012: Phil Mickelson (-17/269); 25-1

2011: D.A. Points (-15/271); 80-1

2010: Dustin Johnson (-16/270); 22-1

Weather shortened to 54 holes – *

  • 18 of the last 19 winners had at least one previous PGA Tour win.
  • All of the last 16 winners had played in at least two previous AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Ams.
  • 15 of the last 17 winners had a finish of 16th or better in at least one of their previous three starts here.
  • 13 of the last 17 winners had at least one top-11 finish earlier in the season. 
  • There have only been five non-American winners in the past 54 years, but three of them have come in the last six years. 

Statistical Analysis

With some of the smallest greens on the tour and the fact that the fairways are fairly wide at Pebble Beach and the rough is not all that penal, approach shots are of even greater importance.

Strokes Gained: Approach — Average Per Round (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Scottie Scheffler 1.056
  2. Si Woo Kim 1.001
  3. Viktor Hovland 0.994
  4. Rico Hoey 0.939
  5. Shane Lowry 0.838
  6. Kurt Kitayama 0.782
  7. Hideki Matsuyama 0.776
  8. Russell Henley 0.774
  9. Sami Valimaki 0.750
  10. Tommy Fleetwood 0.715
  11. Aaron Rai 0.711
  12. Matt Fitzpatrick 0.629
  13. Chris Kirk 0.616
  14. Daniel Berger 0.611
  15. Akshay Bhatia 0.596
  16. Marco Penge 0.569
  17. J.J. Spaun 0.552
  18. Michael Kim 0.550
  19. Collin Morikawa 0.547
  20. Pierceson Coody 0.545
  21. Ryan Gerard 0.522

Inevitably, this event will turn into a wedge-fest for many second shots both at Pebble and Spyglass. It will range from 75-150 yards, but the 100-125-yard mark is the sweet spot.

Average Proximity Feet Gained Toward the Hole — 100 to 125 Yards — Average Per Round (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Bud Cauley 10.52
  2. Scottie Scheffler 7.12
  3. Lucas Glover 6.06
  4. Patrick Rodgers 5.88
  5. Jacob Bridgeman 5.34
  6. Harry Hall 5.24
  7. Sam Burns 4.95
  8. Justin Rose 4.50
  9. Tom Hoge 4.46
  10. Russell Henley 4.28
  11. Emiliano Grillo 4.24
  12. Ryan Fox 4.14
  13. Michael Kim 3.92
  14. Denny McCarthy 3.92
  15. Max McGreevy 3.68
  16. J.T. Poston 3.34
  17. Matt Fitzpatrick 3.33
  18. Jordan Spieth 3.31
  19. Stephan Jaeger 3.21
  20. Cameron Young 3.04

Since there are so many forced layups off the tee, distance is not all that crucial here, nor is accuracy, for that matter. What matters is hitting these small greens. Good Drive percentage measures how often a player hits the green on their second shot, no matter where their tee shot landed.

Good Drives Gained (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Aaron Rai 72.6
  2. Russell Henley 64.5
  3. Si Woo Kim 53.6
  4. Tommy Fleetwood 49.1
  5. Scottie Scheffler 48.9
  6. Collin Morikawa 45.4
  7. Emiliano Grillo 44.4
  8. Corey Conners 43.6
  9. Daniel Berger 41.9
  10. Lucas Glover 38.1
  11. Bud Cauley 33.7
  12. J.T. Poston 31.5
  13. Rico Hoey 31.3
  14. Viktor Hovland 31.2
  15. Michael Thorbjornsen 31
  16. Sepp Straka 31
  17. Shane Lowry 30.6
  18. Harris English 29.6
  19. Max McGreevy 28.1
  20. Brian Harman 26.5
  21. Brian Campbell 25.8
  22. Alex Smalley 25.4
  23. J.J. Spaun 25.3

Dominating the par-5s is a major key to victory at Pebble Beach. Rory McIlroy was 9-under par over three rounds at Pebble Beach, including two eagles last year en route to his victory.

Strokes Gained Par-5s — Total (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Scottie Scheffler 43.4
  2. Xander Schauffele 35.8
  3. Ben Griffin 33.5
  4. Pierceson Coody 29.7
  5. Rory McIlroy 24.9
  6. Sepp Straka 24.7
  7. Jake Knapp 23.4
  8. Tommy Fleetwood 22.2
  9. Matt Fitzpatrick 21.9
  10. Harris English 20.4
  11. Sam Burns 19.8
  12. Jordan Spieth 17.3
  13. Matt McCarty 16.8
  14. Viktor Hovland 16.5
  15. Justin Rose 16.2
  16. Robert MacIntyre 16.1
  17. Keith Mitchell 16
  18. Rico Hoey 15.7
  19. Max McGreevy 15.2

The Poa greens, especially on the West Coast, are particularly bumpy, but also slower than the players saw two weeks ago at Torrey Pines.

Strokes Gained Putting — Poa Greens — Average Per Round (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Jacob Bridgeman 1.098
  2. Pierceson Coody 0.905
  3. Sami Valimaki 0.748
  4. Nico Echavarria 0.619
  5. Andrew Novak 0.575
  6. Jake Knapp 0.545
  7. Maverick McNealy 0.544
  8. Sahith Theegala 0.519
  9. Wyndham Clark 0.518
  10. Sam Burns 0.507
  11. Denny McCarthy 0.419
  12. Patrick Rodgers 0.416
  13. Michael Kim 0.374
  14. Adam Schenk 0.354
  15. Xander Schauffele 0.352
  16. Ryo Hisatsune 0.328
  17. Akshay Bhatia 0.324
  18. Tommy Fleetwood 0.298
  19. Jason Day 0.293
  20. Matt McCarty 0.291
  21. Min Woo Lee 0.288
  22. Harris English 0.281
  23. Nick Taylor 0.275
  24. Scottie Scheffler 0.250

The grass around the greens is much shorter at Pebble Beach than last week at Torrey Pines; however, there are plenty of greenside bunkers that players will find on their approach shots into these smaller greens, so they will have to scramble and be sharp around the greens.

Strokes Gained: Around The Green — Average Per Round (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Hideki Matsuyama 0.571
  2. Matt Fitzpatrick 0.524
  3. Jason Day 0.499
  4. Keegan Bradley 0.491
  5. Min Woo Lee 0.444
  6. Harry Hall 0.419
  7. Ben Griffin 0.398
  8. Pierceson Coody 0.397
  9. Russell Henley 0.356
  10. Stephan Jaeger 0.317
  11. J.J. Spaun 0.315
  12. Wyndham Clark 0.313
  13. Si Woo Kim 0.302
  14. Scottie Scheffler 0.281
  15. Mackenzie Hughes 0.266
  16. Taylor Pendrith 0.250
  17. Aaron Rai 0.246
  18. Sahith Theegala 0.238
  19. Jacob Bridgeman 0.225
  20. Viktor Hovland 0.206
  21. Tony Finau 0.204
  22. Sam Stevens 0.202

Both Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are shorter courses, so players will have to attack differently rather than just bomb it off the tee and then pitch and putt. 

Strokes Gained: Total — Short Courses — Average Per Round (Last 50 rounds)

  1. Scottie Scheffler 1.837
  2. Rory McIlroy 1.551
  3. Patrick Cantlay 1.323
  4. Jason Day 1.269
  5. Justin Rose 1.10
  6. Hideki Matsuyama 1.095
  7. Ben Griffin 1.031
  8. Jordan Spieth 0.991
  9. Shane Lowry 0.983
  10. Tommy Fleetwood 0.966
  11. Viktor Hovland 0.955
  12. Collin Morikawa 0.939
  13. Keegan Bradley 0.930
  14. Rickie Fowler 0.841
  15. Daniel Berger 0.829
  16. Jacob Bridgeman 0.815
  17. Corey Conners 0.801
  18. Sam Burns 0.790
  19. Russell Henley 0.783
  20. Tony Finau 0.779
  21. Xander Schauffele 0.777

Course knowledge and experience never hurt here on the Monterey Peninsula. 

Strokes Gained: Total — Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill (Last 24 rounds)

  1. Jason Day 54.1
  2. Patrick Cantlay 34.8
  3. Justin Rose 33.5 (19 rounds)
  4. Daniel Berger 32 (10 rounds)
  5. Tom Hoge 30.3
  6. Nick Taylor 29.9
  7. Maverick McNealy 24.6 (19 rounds)
  8. Shane Lowry 23.8 (18 rounds)
  9. Jordan Spieth 23.1
  10. Denny McCarthy 21.6 (18 rounds)
  11. Keith Mitchell 18.5 (23 rounds)
  12. Taylor Pendrith 18.1 (10 rounds)
  13. Scottie Scheffler 13.8 (7 rounds)
  14. Rory McIlroy 12.9 (9 rounds)
  15. Lucas Glover 12 (22 rounds)
  16. Tony Finau 10.5 (13 rounds)
  17. Michael Kim 10.4 (7 rounds)
  18. Russell Henley 10 (17 rounds)

Selections

Russell Henley (31-1, Circa Sports)

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Henley, currently rated No. 6 in the OWGR, has been Mr. Consistency as he has not finished outside the top 20 in any event in almost nine months, including two runners-up (Travelers, Tour Championship) and top-10s in both the U.S. Open and British Open.

He was fifth here last year and is also off to a solid start for 2026 with a 19th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and an eighth at The American Express. 

The 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational ranks second in this field for Good Drives Gained over the last 50 rounds and also rates inside the top 10 for both Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Around The Green.

Viktor Hovland (32-1, Circa Sports)

The Norwegian has gotten off to a solid start in 2026 with a 14th in Dubai and a 10th last week in Phoenix. 

Hovland is a two-time winner at Mayakoba and also won in Puerto Rico, so he is comfortable playing on coastal courses. 

In 2018, Hovland won the U.S. Amateur played at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. 

Matt Fitzpatrick (34-1, DraftKings)

Fitzpatrick finished ninth last weekend in Phoenix but was certainly disappointed not to get going in the final round. 

He ended 2025 by beating Rory McIlroy in a playoff for a victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. 

Fitz is also a past winner at Harbour Town, which has a strong correlation for success at Pebble Beach. 

Sepp Straka (63-1, DraftKings)

Straka won The American Express last year and then followed it up with a T-7 two weeks later at Pebble Beach.

He was rusty from the offseason and missed the cut defending his title at The American Express. But he finished T-18 last weekend in Phoenix and ranked sixth for Strokes Gained: Around The Green and was eighth for Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green. 

Akshay Bhatia (66-1, BetMGM)

Bhatia started 2026 with two missed cuts, but finished T-3 last week in Phoenix, ranking in the top 10 for both Strokes Gained: Approach and Strokes Gained: Putting. 

Left-handers have done well here, with Mickelson winning five times and Ted Potter Jr. winning here in 2018. 

Placement market and/or matchup wagers will be posted on Wednesday at VSiN.com. 

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