Welcome into this week's fantasy golf picks for the 2014 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, presented by DraftDay.
Since every fantasy league is a little different, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to rank players. In some leagues, you have to save players for bigger tournaments. In others, it doesn’t matter. Some leagues have you pick four players, or six or one. Instead, we’ll offer 10 picks in two buckets: horses for courses and hot hands.
[divider_with_title]2014 Scorecard[/divider_with_title]
We didn't have Kevin Stadler or Bubba Watson as the likely winners at TPC Scottsdale, but we had pretty much everyone else that was in the chase, excluding Hideki Matsuyama, who has quickly earned a spot on our future watchlists for the rest of the season.
[divider_with_title]Background[/divider_with_title]
It's the most beautiful week of the year on the PGA Tour -- at least in terms of architecture. However, it's also the worst week of the year on the PGA Tour in terms of pace of play. The three-course pro-am format of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is a challenge for players who like to play a brand of speed golf. That means success comes to guys who embrace the format and shun any negative thoughts that can come from the reality of playing with a 10-handicapper at a glacial pace.
Like last week in Phoenix, birdies are good. You're going to need them. Make your hay at Spyglass Hill, then hope the weather cooperates, allowing you to perform well at Pebble Beach and Monterey Peninsula.
[divider_with_title]Hot Hands[/divider_with_title]
- Patrick Reed: Reed quietly posted a T-19 last week in Phoenix, coming back from a rib injury. The Humana winner is a good look this week.
- Jordan Spieth: Spieth had a bum ankle at the Farmers Insurance Open, likely explaining his stumble down the leaderboard. Keep him on your roster.
- Kevin Stadler: Walrus Jr. won last week, but that might just be the breakthrough Stadler needs to understand just how good he is and how often he can win on the PGA Tour.
- Will MacKenzie: MacKenzie's career resurgence is quietly taking shape, and we've noticed. He's posted a handful of top-15 finishes this season, though his Pebble record is marginal.
- Jason Day: The Aussie took a little time off after being in the big Sunday mix at Torrey Pines. He's due for another PGA Tour win.
[divider_with_title]Horses for Courses[/divider_with_title]
- Phil Mickelson: Mickelson is going for a fifth win in this event. He loves the rotation. Just have to see if the back can hold up all week with the long waits.
- Dustin Johnson: Dustin Johnson has a pair of wins here, although neither of them ever came in a 72-hole event. Teamed with future father-in-law Wayne Gretzky, Johnson could have a very relaxed week.
- Graeme McDowell: Putting G-Mac in this category is a bit of a stretch, as McDowell hasn't played Pebble Beach in a tournament since winning the '10 U.S. Open there. But c'mon, he's also been playing modest-to-good golf of late.
- Jimmy Walker: The two-time winner in this first wraparound season, Walker has a dynamite record in this tournament, posting three top-10 finishes in his last three AT&T starts.
- Hunter Mahan: The OK State product, who seems to have stepped up his hat game, plays pretty well on the Monterey, including a second-place finish here in 2011. Had a nice weekend at Scottsdale, too.
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