Brooks Koepka (40/1) returned to the winner’s circle after a rollercoaster 18 months filled with injuries and uncertainty. Koepka, who found himself five strokes behind the lead on the Waste Management Pheonix Open’s final day, chipped in for an eagle on his second last hole to seal the victory. It was an impressive week for the eight-time PGA Tour winner, who once again showcased his mental toughness on Championship Sunday.

The PGA Tour returns this week to the West Coast for the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be no Pro-Am portion to this event. As well, the cut will be made after 36 holes instead of 54. The host course will be the Pebble Beach Golf links, where three rounds will be played, leaving one round at Spyglass Hill for the golfers.

After being treated to a couple of weeks of some high-profile names teeing it up, we take a step back at Pebble Beach this week. Early betting favorite Dustin Johnson (+350) announced his withdrawal from the event. He was coming off of a win in Saudi Arabia and playing some of the best golf of his career. Patrick Cantlay ($11,300), Paul Casey ($10,400), Daniel Berger ($10,100), and Will Zalatoris ($9,900) are the big guys atop the DraftKings salary board.

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Previous Winners

• 2020: Nick Taylor (-19)
• 2019: Phil Mickelson (-19)
• 2018: Ted Potter Jr (-17)
• 2017:  Jordan Spieth (-19)
• 2016: Vaughn Taylor (-17)

Course Preview

As mentioned above, the only courses in play this week for the golfers is Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill. Three of the four rounds will be played at Pebble Beach, a track that measures only 7,051 long but requires precision off the tee. Spyglass Hill is very close in length and also plays as a Par 72. If golfers choose the “bomb and gauge” type style to attack these courses, they will find themselves in plenty of trouble. Typical winners at this event are great around the green players who are very sharp with their short irons. There are plenty of shorter Par 4s on the scorecard this week, and golfers must have their

Relevant Betting Stats

• Strokes Gained: around-the-green
• Par 4 scoring (350-400 yards)
• Strokes Gained: Approach (100-125 yards)
• Birdie-or-Better

Recommended Plays

Patrick Cantlay ($11,300)
Cantlay has blossomed into one of the game’s best over the past few seasons. The 11th ranked golfer in the world heads to his home state of California in some great form. His last outing was a second-place finish at the American Express, another event that featured a short course with plenty of birdie opportunities. Cantlay is very elite with his short irons. This has helped him rank 13th in Par 4 efficiency in 350-400 yards. Expect a good week from the 28-year-old.

Jordan Spieth ($9,700)
After Spieth’s incredible week in Phoenix, this number has been bet down quickly, and for a good reason. Spieth catapulted up the leaderboard on Saturday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, thanks to a brilliant round of 61. Unfortunately, he had a very average Sunday and finished T4, but he seems primed for the winner’s circle once again. Spieth led the entire field in strokes gained: approach, gaining 7.84 strokes on the competition. This is a great sign going into Pebble Beach, where he is a former winner (2017) and finished ninth last year.

Jason Day ($9,500)
A trip to Pebble Beach could be exactly what Day needs right now for his game. His last five times out at this event include finishes of fourth, fourth, second, and fifth. The Aussie is not in great form after two straight missed cuts, but the underlying stats aren’t bad at all. Day gained over two strokes with his approaches in Phoenix last week but was lost over five with the putter. I expect some positive regression for Day this week.

Kevin Streelman ($8,900)
Another golfer who always seems to be on the leaderboard at this event is Kevin Streelman. His last five finishes at Pebble are as follows: 2nd, 7th, 6th, 14th, and 17th. After a T22 at the Waste Management last week, Streelman is primed for another strong finish. The short courses he will see this week are a much better fit for his game as he is an elite scorer on shorter Par 4s due to his excellent wedge play.

Matt Jones ($8,100)
Matt Jones never garners much ownership, but he could be a sneaky play this week with his course history and recent form. Jones had a fifth-place finish at Pebble Beach in 2020 and has a fourth-place finish (Bermuda Championship) and an 11th (Sony Open) this season. The Aussie is a great coastal player and has no problem playing in windy conditions.

Matthew NeSmith ($8,000)
NeSmith finished 11th at Pebble Beach last year and is coming in with some mighty good form. At the Waste Management Phoenix Open, NeSmith shared the lead on the first day and cruised to a T7 finish. He ranks 12th in strokes gained: approach and third in GIR this season, a combo that should once again bode well for Pebble Beach.

Peter Malnati ($7,800)
This is a great number for a player with great form of late and has the skill set you look for at Pebble Beach. Malnati already has a T2 at the Sanderson Farms Championship, a T5 at the Shriners Open, and is coming off a T10 at the Farmers Insurance Open a few weeks ago. It is his putting and approach game that has led him to these high finishes this season. Fourth in strokes gained: putting, and 34th in strokes gained: approach, Malnati is a solid longshot at this number.

Andrew Putnam ($7,400)
Another golfer who thrives on shorter courses is Andrew Putnam. He is a shorter driver of the golf ball who relies on his excellent short game and putting to go low. Putnam put up an impressive T7 showing last week, a course that really doesn’t suit his skill set. He finished second in strokes gained: around-the-green, and top-10 in strokes gained: putting. All signs are pointing towards Putnam bettering his T38 finish at this event in 2019.

Michael Thompson ($7,200)
A short course specialist who ranks very high in approaches between 100-125 yards is Michael Thompson. It’s no surprise to see him have a 10th place finish (2019) at Pebble Beach to his name. His recent form has been rock solid, with four top-25 finishes in his last five outings.

Check out the FREE betting guide for the AT&T Pebble Beach at BettingPros

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Nic Turner is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nic, check out his archive and follow him @sportzbandit.