Power Rankings: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Sorry, but if you were spoiled by the unique schedule for action last week, you’re going to have to wait an extra day this week, for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am gets the PGA TOUR back into its regimen of Thursday starts and Sunday finishes.

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That said, the only thing about this tournament that’s routine is the familiar slot on the weekly calendar. From none other than Pebble Beach as the primary backdrop to the three-track format to the special cut, there’s something for all 156 golfers and their amateur partners. All details can be found below.

Draws and Fades has a new name – Golfbet Insider. (See my schedule below.) In its debut this week, Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner and Jimmy Walker will be among the notables reviewed.

And just like that, we’ve arrived at the last tournament of the season contested across multiple courses. Going back to The RSM Classic that concluded the fall portion of 2022-23, four events have spilled over to additional stages, including each of the last three. Daylight hours are not in abundance at these latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere during this corner of the year, so accommodations are necessary to yield playing time for those with fully exempt status. With deeper-slotted Korn Ferry Tour graduates on the edge for entry until fields are maximized for good in May, these playing opportunities are invaluable and necessary.

All 156 in play on the Monterey Peninsula this week get one crack at the host course and each of its two helpers – Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course. Pebble and Spy are stock par 72s, while MPCC is a par 71 with five par 3s and four par 5s. Its respective nines are 34 and 37.

Once three rounds are complete, a schedule cut of low 60 and ties will advance to play the final round at Pebble, but the low 65 and ties will receive FedExCup points and official prize money. So, for any who finish 61st-65th, they’d be tagged with “MDF,” which stands for “Made cut, Didn’t Finish.” The cut is unique to this tournament. Additionally, exactly the low 25 pro-am teams after three rounds will tee it up in the finale even if the pro missed the cut in the individual competition.

Anytime weather cooperates for this tournament, it can feel like it’s a lede buried, because the alternative has been the expectation as often as it is for The Open Championship and afternoon boomers on the Florida Swing. Fortunately(!), the threat of rain is relegated to Thursday night (maybe into Friday morning) and Sunday. Daytime highs might not touch 60 degrees throughout.

Wind also is a prominent concern, naturally and, well, naturally. That applies everywhere, but with the rotation of three courses, when a competitor is assigned to Pebble in a breeze, he’ll feel it a bit more than the other two-thirds of the field where they are situated. Considering only the first three days, wind is forecast to be strongest for Thursday’s opening round, but the field’s scoring average still should beat par.

Last year’s clip for all four rounds on Pebble was 70.756, but the average over the first three days with agreeable weather was a little lower. Spy checked in at 72.179, not unexpected for what is the most challenging track in benign conditions. MPCC’s average was 70.104, so it slotted in the middle of the three in relation to par.

All 54 greens are equipped with Poa annua and could approach 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Primary rough is limited to two inches so that the amateurs enjoy themselves. Some work was done on the inward side at Pebble, most notably on the left side of the landing area on the par-4 15th hole, but the only change in length on any hole occurred at the par-3 seventh at MPCC. Playing no longer than 203 yards this week, it’s been reduced by 23 yards. MPCC remains the shortest course of the triumvirate at 6,934 yards. Pebble tips at 6,972 yards, while Spy can stretch to 7,041 yards.

Top 10s at the AT&T would line up for entry into next week’s WM Phoenix Open. While the dedicated category annually lands just inside the cutoff for entry in Arizona, because the WM is a designated event this season, the top-10 category might be shut out. If any are, the top-10 exemption would pay forward to the next open, which is The Honda Classic on Feb. 23-26.

So, it’s potentially an impactful week for the KFT grads specifically. Their category will be reordered for the second time this season at the conclusion of The Genesis Invitational, so many near the bottom will not play the PGA TOUR again until the Puerto Rico Open on March 2-5.

NOTE: ShotLink is utilized only on Pebble Beach.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Rookie Ranking/Notable Non-members

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.