By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter & LineStar Chat

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Tournament & Field 🏆

The PGA Tour travels back to California this week as the field heads to the Monterey Peninsula for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the first of eight Signature Events on the 2026 schedule. Given its elevated status as a Signature Event, which began two years ago, this tournament now operates with a condensed, no-cut format.

The field is limited to 80 qualified golfers, with no cut line, meaning all players will compete across four rounds. Golfers will rotate between two courses – Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill – over the first two days, with the amateur portion concluding on Friday. The weekend is pro-only, with both final rounds played at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

While the Pro-Am element has been scaled back, the payoff is a much stronger field. Stars like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler headline an elite group that gives this event a major-adjacent feel. From a DFS perspective, Pebble Beach has shifted away from the longshot chaos of the past. Since gaining Signature Event status, top-end talent has largely controlled the leaderboard. With the depth of this 2026 field, which includes 40 of the top-50 ranked golfers on the planet (via DataGolf), another high-profile winner feels likely. Best of luck!

The Course Preview ⛳

^{Tournament Note: Golfers will rotate between Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Club on Thursday and Friday, with every golfer playing one round on each course. The final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday will be played exclusively at Pebble Beach Golf Links.}

Pebble Beach Golf Links (PBGL)

Par: 72

Yardage: 7,051

Greens: Poa Annua

Since Pebble Beach GL will be played for three rounds by every golfer, it will be the course we’ll focus on most heavily this week. Pebble is a short Par 72 that stretches just over 7,000 yards, and while it offers some of the most iconic views on the PGA Tour, its exposed coastal setting also brings the potential for meaningful wind impact.

The fairways here are wider than TOUR average by roughly nine yards, but preferred landing zones are often pinched by hazards and doglegs. With amateurs in the field, the rough is typically kept shorter and is fairly manageable, which encourages players to prioritize positioning over power. Many golfers will club down off the tee, either due to hole shape or shorter fairways, and as a result, average driving distance at PBGL routinely comes in well below TOUR norms (279.9 yards per drive in 2025). Pebble Beach also consistently ranks among the leaders in driving accuracy, with the field often hitting around 70% of fairways.

Pebble is very much a “second-shot” course. On approach, players are attacking the smallest green complexes on the PGA Tour, averaging roughly 3,500 square feet. While these Poa annua greens don’t feature extreme slope, they leave very little margin for error, making precise iron play critical. Putting surfaces tend to run on the slower side (around 10–11 on the stimpmeter), but Poa’s tendency to grow throughout the day can lead to bumpy, unpredictable putts – particularly in afternoon waves.

Around-the-green play is also important here, especially when wind picks up and missed greens become more common. Even elite ball-strikers will miss their share of these tiny targets, so scrambling ability can play a meaningful role in separating contenders from the field.

Spyglass Hill Golf Club (SHGC)

Par: 72

Yardage: 7,041

Greens: Poa Annua

Spyglass Hill GC is another short Par 72 that checks in just over 7,000 yards, but it presents a noticeably different look compared to Pebble Beach. While the opening holes run along the coastline, the course quickly moves inland, where tree-lined corridors provide significantly more wind protection.

Fairways at Spyglass are closer to TOUR average in width, and the greens are slightly larger than on PBGL, though still small by overall TOUR standards. These greens also feature a bit more slope and undulation, making approach angles and distance control important. Like PBGL, Spyglass uses Poa annua putting surfaces.

Historically, Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach have played similarly in terms of difficulty, though Spyglass can sometimes play tougher when conditions are calm. That said, its inland layout makes it the safer draw on windier days, which is worth keeping in mind when evaluating tee-time and course assignments. When wind is not a major factor, both courses can play noticeably easier and allow for plenty of scoring.

Overall Takeaway: This setup places a premium on iron play, precision, and comfort on Poa annua greens. Length off the tee is far less important than positioning, approach efficiency, and the ability to handle bumpy putting surfaces. With a two-course rotation in play, course context still matters early in the week, but Pebble Beach – where three of four rounds are contested – remains the clear priority when evaluating players for traditional four-round DFS formats.

Weather & Tee Times ⛅

Click the images above to view the most up-to-date forecasts.

⚖️Weather Verdict: Weather looks mostly cooperative to start the week, with wind staying in a very playable range through Thursday and Friday. Expect light breezes around 5–10 mph both days, with slightly calmer mornings and a modest afternoon uptick, but nothing that should meaningfully impact scoring or create a clear wave edge.

Things get a bit more interesting over the weekend. Saturday may turn breezier late in the day, and Sunday currently carries the most volatility, with stronger winds and a chance for rain entering the picture. Overall, early rounds look clean, while weather could add some teeth late – especially in the final round – but there’s no strong tee-time or wave advantage to chase early in the week.

Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tee Times & Round 1/Round 2 Course Assignments

Key Stats to Consider 📊

Each key stat is paired with a weighted percentage (based on stat importance) for DFS model purposes.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach | 30%

2. Birdie or Better Percentage | 25%

3. Strokes Gained: Around the Green | 15%

4. Strokes Gained: Putting | 10%

5. Par 4 Average | 10%

6. Par 5 Average | 5%

7. Proximity: 100-125 Yards | 5%

PGA Tour Stats Page

Pebble Beach Pro-Am DFS Model Standouts 🏅

Below are the top 25 ranked golfers in both my overall model and my key stats model. Below that are the top 25 leaders in average finishing position over the last five and last ten starts. The players ranked on these lists do not necessarily mean they are the top golfers I’m targeting for this week's event, but many of these guys should no doubt be favorable DFS options.

Overall Model Rank: A golfer’s ranking (within the current field) in my personal DFS model, which weighs all of the key stats listed above in this newsletter, as well as factors like course history, recent form, recent average fantasy scoring results, and odds to win.

Course Fit / Key Stats Rank: Provides a golfer’s overall rank (within the current field) in my "key stats only" model, which considers only the key stats listed in the section above with the specified percentage weights allocated towards each statistic.

Pebble Beach Pro-Am DFS Cheat Sheet📑

Click the Cheat Sheet above for the higher-quality direct image link

Alternative Cheat Sheet Direct Image Link

That will do it for our PGA preview! Best of luck this week and, once again, feel free to hit me up in the LineStar chat or on Twitter/X @Ryan_Humphries with any questions.