⛳ Welcome to This Week’s GolfStats Insider
Golf fans, we’re back with another edition of GolfStats Insider, your go-to source for expert analysis, historical insights, and data-driven picks for the upcoming PGA Tour event. While this newsletter is free, a GolfStats subscription takes your golf analytics to another level—providing in-depth performance charts, sortable history, and proprietary formulas to help you make the best picks. If you're looking for an edge in your fantasy league or betting strategy, now’s the time to upgrade!
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, we would really appreciate you subscribing by clicking the button below. Please forward to a friend if you are already a subscriber.
🏆 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Field
This week's signature event features an elite field of 80 players, with 70 ranked in the top 100 of the Official World Rankings, and 42 of those in the top 50. Notable top-50 players include Scottie Scheffler (#2), Rory McIlroy (#2), Justin Rose (#3), Tommy Fleetwood (#4), and Xander Schauffele (#10). This marks a slight decrease from last year, which saw 74 top-100 players and 45 top-50 players.
The field also includes 22 players in the top 25 on this year's FedEx Cup point standings.
Past champions in the field are Rory McIlroy (2025), Wyndham Clark (2024), Justin Rose (2023), Tom Hoge (2022), Daniel Berger (2021), Nick Taylor (2020), and Jordan Spieth (2017).
📊 Data-Driven Insights for Fantasy & Betting
If you’re serious about making the best picks this week, our GolfStats tools have you covered.
Our Performance Chart ranks players by their average finish of all players at Pebble Beach, helping you identify those who consistently contend.
Our GolfStats Custom Formula highlights the best performers at this event over the last five years, factoring in course history and key stats.
Our Sortable 8-Year Glance lets you track trends, breakout performances, and potential sleepers at Pebble Beach.
These tools are invaluable whether you’re betting, setting a DFS lineup, or simply looking for an edge in your fantasy league. Check out the full blog post for DK fantasy advice.
200+ AI Side Hustles to Start Right Now
AI isn't just changing business—it's creating entirely new income opportunities. The Hustle's guide features 200+ ways to make money with AI, from beginner-friendly gigs to advanced ventures. Each comes with realistic income projections and resource requirements. Join 1.5M professionals getting daily insights on emerging tech and business opportunities.
⛳ A Reimagined Pebble Beach
This week, we have a completely reimagined AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The celebrity portion that defined this event for nearly 90 years has been drastically downgraded. No more Bill Murray, Kevin Costner, or Andy Garcia. Instead, you'll see business CEOs playing in the first two rounds only.
The changes are significant. The PGA Tour has designated this a signature event, featuring the best of the best. 80 pros will play two rounds in a no-cut event with a $3.6 million first prize. The first two days, they'll rotate between Pebble and Spyglass Hill with amateur partners. After 36 holes, the amateurs are out, and the 80 pros will play the final two rounds at Pebble Beach alone.
While it's disappointing that something with such rich tradition has changed so drastically, this is a positive development for the PGA Tour—having a signature event played on one of golf's most iconic courses.
🔥 Hot Start for Three Players
In the first four events, three of the four winners have been surprises. Scottie Scheffler won his first start of the year with a dominating four-shot victory at the American Express, showing the world he's ready to continue his winning ways. At Phoenix, despite shooting 73 in the first round, Scheffler rallied with 65-67-64 to nearly force a playoff, missing by just one shot.
The surprise player of the short season is Chris Gotterup. He won the opening event at the Sony Open by two shots, then captured Phoenix with a final-round 64 and a playoff birdie when Hideki Matsuyama hit his tee shot in the water. Gotterup has now won his fourth PGA Tour title in just his 71st start.
Hard to believe that golf was Gotterup's second sport—he was hooked on lacrosse for close to a decade. But by the time he arrived at Rutgers in 2017, he was 100% golf. He transferred to Oklahoma for the 2021/22 season, where he won the Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award as the top college golfer.
The big question on everyone's mind: Is Gotterup for real? In his career of 71 starts, he has missed a third of his cuts (25). Both of his wins this year came due to final-round 64s where he barreled up the leaderboard. Let's talk at the end of the year and see how consistent he'll be. Remember, Brian Campbell won twice last year, but not many folks know who he is, let alone bet on him.
Fewest Starts to 4th PGA Tour Win
Tiger Woods - 29 starts (1997 Masters)
Collin Morikawa - 41 starts (2021 Workday Championship)
Notah Begay III - 47 starts (2000 Travelers)
Rory McIlroy - 50 starts (2012 PGA Championship)
Phil Mickelson - 55 starts (1994 Sentry)
Xander Schauffele - 61 starts (2019 Sentry)
Bryson DeChambeau - 70 starts (2018 Dell Technologies)
Chris Gotterup - 71 starts (2026 WM Phoenix)
Justin Rose had a very impressive seven-shot victory at Torrey Pines and comes into Pebble with momentum. He won the AT&T in 2023, was T-11th in 2024, and T-3rd last year. Rose is the best player on tour in his 40s, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him contending again this week.
🌊 The Courses: Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach, Calif.
Yardage: 6,972 yards, Par 72
Rating/Slope: 74.4/142
Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most breathtaking courses in the world. Located on the Monterey Peninsula, about 120 miles south of San Francisco, Pebble Beach offers dramatic views and a layout that skirts the rugged coastline of Carmel Bay. While its name suggests a traditional links course, the layout is set on craggy cliffs and features eight holes that run along the Pacific Ocean. Notably, recent changes include significant updates to the 13th, 14th, and 17th greens, enhancing pin placement options and strategic challenges.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course Pebble Beach, Calif.
Yardage: 7,041 yards, Par 72
Rating/Slope: 75.3/148
Spyglass Hill offers a contrasting experience, with a mix of coastal and forested holes. The first five holes run through dunes and offer stunning ocean views, while the rest of the course winds through Monterey pines. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1966, Spyglass is known for its challenging layout, with large undulating greens and protection from wind on its inland holes. In 2023, Spyglass played as one of the toughest courses on Tour, but last year’s smaller field resulted in easier scoring conditions. Its design, inspired by "Treasure Island," ensures a memorable test for the players.
📊 Key Stats for Success at Pebble Beach
Let’s take a look at key stats that are important for those playing at Pebble Beach:
The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am brings particular challenges. It takes patience to endure this week with amateur partners, and there's the luck of the draw—someone playing at Spyglass (tree-lined and protected) versus Pebble Beach (tree-less and exposed to wind) can make a significant difference.
Experience Matters - Except for Brett Ogle in 1993, Dustin Johnson in 2009, and Nick Taylor in 2020, all winners at Pebble were veteran players. Only one pro has won on his first visit to Pebble in its history going back to 1950. Recent winners: Rory McIlroy (35), Wyndham Clark (30), Justin Rose (42), Tom Hoge (32), and Daniel Berger (27).
Putting is Critical - The tricky poa annua greens tend to get very bumpy in the afternoon. Pebble has the smallest greens on the PGA Tour. In making putts between 4 and 8 feet, it has ranked one of the hardest courses on tour 9 of the last 17 years. Last year it ranked 14th, in 2024 it ranked 2nd, in 2023 it ranked 3rd, and in 2022 it ranked 4th.
Spyglass Success - To win, you must play well at Spyglass Hill. That's the hardest course, and a good round there gives you a significant advantage. Every winner since 2015 except one has shot in the 60s at Spyglass. In 2023, Justin Rose shot 69 at Spyglass Hill. Last year, Rory McIlroy got things started the right way when he shot 66 in the first round at Spyglass Hill.
First-Round Leaders - Between 1981 and 2005, none of the first-round leaders went on to win. However, Phil Mickelson started a trend in 2005—8 of the last 16 winners were in the lead after the first day. In 2020, Nick Taylor shot a first-round 63 to take the lead and never looked back. In 2022, Tom Hoge shot 63 to lead after the first round and won by 2 shots.
Streak on the Line - In the previous 66 years, no one has won both the AT&T and American Express tournaments in the same year. Amex winner Scottie Scheffler is playing well and could break this streak.
Who to watch for at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
UpgradeA subscription gets you:
- 2025 Player Analysis
- Picks and Previews
- Betting Strategies

