THE PGA Tour stays in California this week for the second Signature Event of the season, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
It is the first outing of the year for world number one Scottie Scheffler after he cut his hand making Christmas dinner, with surgery required to repair the damage.
It is also Rory McIlroy’s first outdoor venture in America this season, with the Holywood man hot-footing it to the west coast after his Boston Common team lost out to Tiger Woods and his Jupiter line-up in the indoor TGL on Monday night.
Pebble Beach is not one of McIlroy’s favourite places, and he may just be ticking a box by playing in a Signature Event, with that Monday night commitment limiting his preparation time.
Scheffler goes to post a 5/1 favourite which is a big enough price given his prolific strike-rate, while he was sixth here last term and has recent history of winning after a long break.
That said, it might be prudent to wait to see how his hand has recovered, and this event is a very quirky one given the amateur element at play.
At least now there are only two courses used, with everyone playing Spyglass Hill once before three rounds at Pebble Beach.
Only 80 professionals go to post with no cut, which does allow Scheffler some time to play his way into top form, but preference is for men who have featured towards the top of leaderboards already in 2025, with Collin Morikawa of most interest at 14/1.
The California native was 14th on debut in this last year which was encouraging as the event throws up the same contenders all the time, while he has a great record in general in his native state, going back to his victory in the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park in nearby San Francisco.
He has also been second in the Genesis and third at Torrey Pines, a seaside course like those in play this week, while Morikawa started the season with second to Hideki Matsuyama in The Sentry.
His irons were firing there, as they tend to be, and with small greens in use, that should be a big asset.
Iron play is also Justin Thomas’s big strength, and he looks ready to win after a long spell in the doldrums.
Thomas was second last time out at the American Express in the California desert, making it three top-threes in his last four events.
He putted very well on poa annua greens there, which can be his weakness, and also took to this event on his debut last term, finishing sixth.
At the same price as Morikawa he is worth backing, while at bigger odds I’ll put up 2022 Pebble Beach winner Tom Hoge.
One of the premier approach players on tour, Hoge just loves this test, backing up that victory with sixth last term, when the event was cut to 54 holes due to the weather.
He started 2025 well when eighth in elevated company at The Sentry, and while he has dipped a little since, the irons have remained hot and Hoge looks the pick of the outsiders in an event that’s not for everyone.
AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM SELECTIONS
Collin Morikawa, e/w, 14/1 (General);
Justin Thomas, e/w, 14/1 (General);
Tom Hoge, e/w, 70/1 (William Hill)
