It’s time for the stars — both on the PGA Tour as well as in the sports and entertainment world — to take center stage this week as the Tour spends its third week in sunny California.
This week’s tournament, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, has everything golf fans can possibly want in an event.
Big names? Check. Oddsmakers had to handicap 10 of the world’s top 50 ranked players in the world teeing it up this week. A great tournament venue? Absolutely. Remember, this is Pebble Beach along with two other stunning layouts. Star-studded amateurs? Of course. Some of the best-known sports stars and those in the entertainment field will tee it up.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s make this final week in California a profitable one.
Odds To Win The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (BetMGM)
Patrick Cantlay +700
Daniel Berger +1100
Will Zalatoris +1800
Jason Day +2000
Jordan Spieth +2000
Justin Rose +2200
Cameron Tringale +2500
Maverick McNealy +2800
As always, shop around the betting market for the best odds for your plays.
Overcoming The Celebrity Portion Of The Event
This is one of those weeks players either love or hate. There’s no middle ground.
The players are used to playing in pro-ams before the tournament starts. It’s part of the reason the purses are so large because fans pay great sums of money to tee it up with the pros.
But, that’s usually before the tournament kicks off.
That’s not the case this week. The pro-am is held while the tournament is going on. And that includes Sunday when these PGA Tour pros are gunning for millions of dollars in payouts.
Another difference here is we aren’t talking about Joe Schmo from Tuskegee. This week it’s the giants of film, sports, tech, and other industries paying big bucks to play alongside the pros. Come Sunday, you might see Bill Murray, Huey Lewis, or Ray Romano playing for the amateur title. They will be taking time to do on-course interviews with the CBS and Golf Channel crews while your player is grinding away trying to win the tournament.
And one more factor. The tournament is held over three courses — Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, and Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course–so players will have to adapt each day and quickly.
There’s absolutely nothing normal about this week.
Keep that in mind as you look for winners this week.
Will The Cream Rise To The Top?
As with most sports, when push comes to shove, the stars rise to the challenge in many tournaments.
But at the AT&T that’s not always the case.
Take the last few years as an example. Sure, Phil Mickelson won here in 2019 and Jordan Spieth was the champ in 2017. But around those victories are wins by Daniel Berger (last year), Nick Taylor (2020), Ted Potter, Jr. (2018) and Vaughn Taylor (2016).
For a star-studded event, this one has had its share of winners sneak in from down the list when it comes to the odds.
Which Tour player will be able to put all the glitz and glamour of this event aside and focus on the golf at hand?
Let’s Start With A Longshot
We spend a lot of time looking at those hovering around the top of the odds list. They might not be the favorite, but they are likely a top-10 player heading into the week.
This time, we’re going with someone way under the radar.
We are looking at Cameron Tringale at +2500. Now, those are long odds for us to be looking at as a top pick but hear us out. We aren’t crazy. (At least that’s what our doctor has assured us).
Tringale just keeps getting close to winning. He’s 19th in the FedEx Cup standings through the early going.
But, and here’s where it gets tricky, he’s as hot-and-cold as anyone else right now. He was T-2 at the ZOZO Championship in Vegas in late 2021. He then missed the cut at the World Wide Technology event in Mayakoba. He followed that up with a T-7 at the Houston Open before missing the cut at The American Express.
That brings us to last week where his game was again on-point when he was T-3 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Get the picture? If he follows a trend, he misses the cut this week. But he’s starting to hit his stride and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him competing for the title come Sunday.
It’s a cliché saying, but it works here: It’s not a matter of if Tringale is going to win, it’s when.
Another Player Flying Under The Radar
We can’t overlook the fact that Maverick McNealy, at +2800 this week, was runnerup in this event last year.
It doesn’t add up. McNealy is still looking for that first PGA Tour title but that runnerup finish last year has to have given him confidence coming here. Add in the fact he’s having a solid 2021-2022 season and he’s trending in the right direction.
He’s 17th in the FedEx Cup rankings and started this wraparound season with a solo second at the Fortinet Championship and has six of seven made cuts with finishes ranging from the solo second to a T-38.
In addition to his solo second here last year, he was T-5 two years ago and this track fits his game and attitude.
Here’s another guy looking for that first win, and no one would be surprised if it came sooner rather than later.
Now, Time For A Favorite Choice
We can’t leave without looking at the top of the oddsboard and seeing a guy who can–and has–won everywhere.
Patrick Cantlay, +700 this week, is the perfect example of a player who is world-class in ability but still flies under the radar. FanDuel had slightly more attractive odds on Cantlay at +750. When’s the last time you heard Cantlay’s name come up in connection with a controversy.
He really does speak softly and carry a big stick. Whenever and wherever he tees it up, he’s going to be a factor. He was T-3 here last year and that included a second-round 73 that left him mid-pack coming into the weekend.
Go ahead and bet against Cantlay, we dare you.
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