Paulie’s Picks: 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has a weaker-than-normal field because many top players have elected to play in Saudi Arabia this week. After temporarily doing away with the pro-am component last year, the tournament now returns to its normal format, with all players playing one round at Spyglass Hill, one at Monterey Peninsula, and two at Pebble Beach.

What does this mean? Well, the pace of play is going to be slow, and the telecast is going to show a lot of shots by amateurs. All courses will be set up fairly easy, especially on the first three days, to help the amateurs get around, so expect receptive greens and accessible pin positions. None of the three courses will play super long, and all will put an emphasis on wedge play. As long as there’s no nasty weather, it will be a birdie fest.

As for a type of player to target in your fantasy leagues, look for guys who excel from 100 to 125 yards. Here are three to consider:

Kevin Streelman $9,100

Streelman ranks second in the field in proximity from 100 to 125 yards, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has finished 17th or better in each of the past six years at Pebble Beach. He finished 39th last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, which is a good result for him considering Torrey Pines is too long to suit his game. Streelman was able to score there because his iron game was on point; he gained over one stroke per round on the field on approach.

Brandon Harkins $7,100

Harkins broke through last week on the Korn Ferry Tour, winning the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. He now heads to an event where he has had some past success, finishing 15th and 28th in two starts. Harkins’s best attribute is his wedge game (seventh in the field from 100 to 125 yards) and his very high birdie rate (12th).

Greyson Sigg $7,000

Sigg has quietly had a strong start to his rookie season, finishing 47th or better in seven of ten starts and in all three of his events in 2022. He should have good memories of Pebble Beach, as the 2015 Carmel Cup was his first collegiate victory. Interesting fact: Sigg won that event in a playoff over Matthias Schwab, who is also in the field this week. Like Harkins, Sigg is a good fit for Pebble because he thrives with his wedges (11th in the field from 100 to 125 yards).