Today marks the start of the Signature Event series for the 2026 PGA Tour season, as players head to Pebble Beach in Northern California to compete. There are quite a few Carolinians in the field this week, some with solid experience in this event and others who are newer to both Pebble Beach and Signature Events as a whole. It should make for an exciting week of golf, and it will be interesting to see how the Carolinians stack up against the field.

The Golfers

Ben Griffin: After a quality season last year, Ben Griffin is off to a relatively quiet start, even though he has made the cut in all three events he’s played so far, along with two top-25 finishes. This marks Griffin’s fourth start at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He hasn’t played poorly here, making two cuts in three appearances, but he has yet to crack the top 25. Statistically, Griffin hasn’t been particularly sharp in the long game this season, where he’s either losing strokes to the field or barely gaining. Around the green, however, he has been excellent, currently ranking fifth in Strokes Gained Around the Green — a skill that will be vital with Pebble’s small greens. He also ranks 42nd in Strokes Gained Total. From a betting perspective, Griffin offers solid plus value for a top-20 finish at +130, and there’s appealing value in his first-round matchup against Russell Henley at -110.

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Akshay Bhatia: Akshay Bhatia is coming off his best start of the season last week at the Waste Management, where he secured a top-three finish, which also marked his first made cut of the season. At the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he has made the cut in both of his first two appearances and recorded one top-25 finish. From a strokes gained standpoint, Bhatia hasn’t been overly impressive overall, especially after missing the cut in his first two events of the season. However, he has been solid with his irons, ranking 62nd in Strokes Gained Approach, and he sits 77th in Strokes Gained Total. It will be interesting to see whether he can build off last week’s momentum. He has decent value for a top-20 finish at +185, and there’s intriguing plus money in his first-round matchup against Viktor Hovland at +110.

Andrew Novak: Andrew Novak hasn’t gotten off to a blazing start this year, but he has made one cut in three starts, along with a top-10 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. He has also found some success at Pebble Beach, making two cuts in three appearances and recording two top-25 finishes. Novak has struggled off the tee to begin the season, losing more than half a stroke to the field, though he has partially made up for it around the greens. He is also losing strokes overall in Strokes Gained Total, so improvement in the ball-striking department will be key. Novak is more of a long shot in most markets this week, currently sitting at +410 to finish top 20. However, he does offer solid value in his first-round matchup against Patrick Cantlay at +125.

Lucas Glover: Lucas Glover will be making his first start of the 2026 season this week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He has had mixed success here, making five cuts in 11 appearances. During that stretch, he has recorded one top-three finish, one top-10 finish, and another top-25 result. The tournament-long markets aren’t particularly favorable for Glover, as he sits at +550 to finish top 20. However, if he can string together a strong opening round, he offers solid value in his first-round matchup against Harris English at +150.

Tom Hoge: Tom Hoge has already logged four starts this season, making the cut in three of them, along with one top-10 finish. He has also been very impressive at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, making the cut eight times in 11 appearances, highlighted by one win, one additional top-10 finish, and two more top-25 results. Typically known as a strong ball striker, Hoge has actually been sharper with the putter this season, ranking 31st in Strokes Gained Putting. Overall, he is losing just over half a stroke in Strokes Gained Total, likely reflecting some inconsistent ball striking. Given his strong track record at Pebble Beach, Hoge offers solid value for a top-20 finish at +410. He’s also listed as an underdog in his first-round matchup against Sahith Theegala at +110.

J.T. Poston: To begin his 2026 season, J.T. Poston has played in two events and made the cut in both. He has also seen modest success at Pebble Beach, making the cut in all four of his appearances. Poston has been strong in the long game, with both Strokes Gained Off the Tee and Strokes Gained Approach ranking inside the top 40, though he has struggled around the green and on the putting surface. In Strokes Gained Total, he currently ranks 65th, gaining just under half a stroke on the tour average. From a value standpoint, he offers stronger upside than someone like Akshay Bhatia for a top-20 finish, currently priced at +250. If you’re especially bullish on Poston this week, he’s +1500 for a top-five finish. However, there isn’t much value in his first-round matchup against Adam Schenk at -200.

Ryan Gerard: Ryan Gerard has picked up right where he left off last season, making the cut in all three events he’s played and already recording two runner-up finishes along with another top-25. He will be making his first appearance at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week as he looks to continue his hot start. Gerard has been solid across nearly every Strokes Gained category, though there is still room for improvement off the tee and around the green. In Strokes Gained Total, he currently ranks fifth on tour, gaining nearly 2.5 strokes per round on the field. Even though this is his debut at Pebble Beach, it’s hard to ignore his strong early-season form. He offers excellent value at +210 for a top-20 finish and +500 for a top-10. To win the tournament outright, he is listed at +6000. He also presents reasonable value in his first-round matchup at -137 against Garrick Higgo.