The PGA Tour didn’t take long to return to a high-stakes playoff match between Luke List and Will Zalatoris at the Farmers Insurance Open this past weekend. List, a 37-year old American in his 12th season as a professional, had to mentally prepare for battling Zalatoris after finishing two hours before the final competitors. Torrey Pines’ thick four-inch rough caused players many problems, as household names like Jon Rahm and Jason Day fell apart in the final round compared to their earlier round performances. Zalatoris missed a putt on the 18th hole that would have earned him the win outright by avoiding a playoff round with List. Instead, List earned the first win of his career by sinking a birdie after nailing his approach shot. It’s always fun to see players celebrate with their families, especially when it’s their first career win.
The iconic backdrop at Torrey Pines will be exchanged for another iconic California backdrop a few hours north at Pebble Beach. Since it’s a Pro-Am, quite a few amateur players will compete alongside professionals this weekend. The Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) has a lot of talent, but it’s unlikely any amateurs competing this weekend can climb high enough to become a professional for the remainder of the 2022 PGA Tour season. The format is unique, with every competitor playing a different course during the tournament’s first three rounds. A cut will then be enforced before the final round, played on the most difficult Pebble Beach Golf Links course for a second time.
I’ve gathered six of my favorite prospects to target when constructing your DFS lineups ahead of Thursday’s tilt at Pebble Beach. Let’s cash out!
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Previous Winners
- 2021 – Daniel Berger (-18)
- 2020 – Nick Taylor (-19)
- 2019 – Phil Mickelson (-19)
- 2018 – Ted Potter Jr. (-17)
- 2017 – Jordan Spieth (-19)
Course Overview
Pebble Beach will be the final tournament featuring multiple courses across four rounds, like the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and The American Express tournaments that transpired across the last two weeks in Southern California. All three courses run much shorter than those at the other venues. However, the hilly runoffs, rocky oceanside cliffs, and sand bunkers create many obstacles to overcome. Pebble Beach Golf Links is the first and last course in the rotation this weekend, and it runs just under 7,000 yards. All three courses have Poa annua greens and run roughly 12 feet via the Stimpmeter tool, with Pebble Beach being the most difficult in terms of possessing the smallest greens.
Monterey Peninsula Country Club is the second course and is the only one of the three that runs as a par 71 at 6,958 yards. It has five par 3s and four par 5s compared to an even split of four par 3s and four par 5s at Pebble Beach. The longest course is a par 72 called Spyglass Hill Golf Course, which is a par 72 that runs just over 7,000 yards. Players can earn their keep and climb the leaderboard at Monterey Peninsula CC on day two, while day three will challenge at Spyglass. With amateurs competing, the primary rough is two inches shorter than it ran at Torrey Pines, which will allow for much cleaner approach shots to set up birdie and eagle putts. Weather should be dry and temperate, allowing for ideal conditions across the four days of competition at the various courses that form the prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament.
Relevant Betting Stats
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
- Strokes Gained: Around the Green
- Sand save percentage
- Birdie average
- Greens in Regulation percentage
Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Patrick Cantlay ($11,200)
There is no way you can go wrong rostering the tournament’s most expensive player. Patrick Cantlay has finished inside the top ten in both tournaments he competed in during January while returning to the Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament that he earned a T3 (-15) finish at last season. Cantlay is the top-ranked player regarding GIR percentage and second in birdie average (6.13). Cantlay has nearly zero flaws in his game and will flood DFS lineups with his incredible abilities on all three courses throughout the weekend. He is ranked sixth in strokes gained off-the-tee and 16th in strokes gained tee-to-green as well, meaning Cantlay consistently positions himself to finish under par on most holes. This is a no-brainer. Plug Cantlay in with confidence and watch your lineups take off!
Cameron Tringale ($9,500)
34-year old American Cameron Tringale has extremely high odds at +2800 to make a run at winning Pebble Beach this weekend. Tringale earned a T7 (-13) finish here last season and is playing a great brand of golf this year, which is why he is currently ranked seventh in the FedExCup rankings. He has missed a couple of cuts thus far, but he has T2, T7, and T3 finishes in his last three tournaments, where he made the cut and advanced. Tringale is equipped with a great putter and has soft touch with his irons around the green, so he’s precious in DraftKings lineups at a $9,500 salary.
Michael Thompson ($7,900)
Michael Thompson is one of the most intriguing value plays at Pebble Beach. The 36-year old American has had quite a bit of success at this tournament in past years, earning finishes of T34 (-5) and T10 (-10) in 2021 and 2019, respectively. Familiarity is always advantageous when constructing DFS lineups, and Thompson certainly meets this criterion. He’s talented with strokes gained around the green and putting while maintaining an accurate driver and impressive sand save percentage. This has led to him finishing T11 or higher in two of his previous three events. As a result, Thompson is a fantastic value at under $8,000 and is a salary-saver who can make noise and climb the leaderboard throughout the weekend at Pebble Beach.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $60,000
Maverick McNealy ($10,900)
Maverick McNealy has delivered solid performances at Pebble Beach in the past, which is a primary reason for why he’s favored at +2800 odds alongside the likes of Justin Rose, Seamus Power, and Cameron Tringale. McNealy has finished second and T5 at Pebble Beach across the last two years at Pebble Beach and is due for another strong outing this weekend. The 26-year old American has dropped off a bit with his finishes in January (T27, T30) but he’s still fared well thanks to his consistent ability to dominate in all strokes gained categories. This means that McNealy is a master with his irons in all areas of a course. Factor in his comfort level and past dominance at Pebble Beach, and McNealy appears to be a lock for a top ten finish this weekend. So get him at a slight discount and reap the rewards.
Charley Hoffman ($9.900)
Charley Hoffman may be closer to 50 years old than most of the competitors at Pebble Beach this weekend, but he’s steadily improved his finishes across the last three years. The 45-year old American finished T61 in 2019 and missed the cut in 2020 but bounced back with a strong effort in 2021, earning a T7 (-13) finish due to finishing strong during the final two rounds compared to a sluggish start. If Hoffman gets off to a slow start, don’t fret, as the other two courses he’ll play before the cut possess fewer obstacles to overcome in comparison to Pebble Beach Golf Links. The veteran has not earned a finish higher than T22 but is fresh after spending the past three months resting and practicing for Pebble Beach. He is unlikely to climb into the top-five, but a top 20 finish is more than sufficient at a sub $10,000 salary on FanDuel. So fire up Hoffman in your lineups as a good investment that could generate a few birdies to help you stay in the green.
Brandt Snedeker ($9,300)
Admittedly, Brandt Snedeker has the least juice from these six recommended players. The 41-year old American has missed the cut three straight years at Pebble Beach, but he rattled off T36 and T14 finishes at the Sony Open and The American Express last month. Snedeker did bomb at the Farmers Insurance Open. Still, the shorter rough and the amateur competitors surrounding him this weekend should help ease him into playing better during the first three days. Since a third-round is played before the cut is enforced, Snedeker could overcome a poor first or second round with a strong performance during the third round at Spyglass. Not much jumps off in terms of Snedeker’s metrics, but he has a monkey to get off of his back at Pebble Beach, and his recent play indicates that he is ready to succeed. There are other salary-saving options out there, but I like Snedeker to rally and build off of his momentum from last month to avenge his past struggles at this tournament.
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Whether you’re new to daily fantasy golf or a seasoned professional, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Golf Glossary. You can get started with The Stats That Matter Most or head to a more advanced strategy — like How To Use Vegas Odds To Generate Your Lineup — to learn more.
Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
