DraftKings preview: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Even for being located next to the ocean, the iconic finishing hole at Pebble Beach is short for par 5s by modern standards. That didn’t keep Seamus Power, who has plenty of pop, from taking an iron off the tee and playing it as a three-shot hole. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Jason Day more than comfortable at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Power knew what he was doing. He wrapped up a sublime display with his wedges Friday with a 4-foot birdie, his 10th of the round, to set a 36-hole record in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 34-year-old Irishman had another 8-under 64 — the seventh time in 14 rounds this year he has been at 65 or lower — and built a five-shot lead to par. “My wedge play was great,” Power said. “I had three or four shots I hit very, very close and the way I’ve been putting — they were not gimme birdies, but certainly ones you would expect to make — it just changes your whole complex of your round, of your score.” That score was 16-under 128 over rounds at Spyglass Hill on Thursday and Pebble Beach on Friday, both under as magnificent weather as the Monterey Peninsula can provide. Power broke the 36-hole tournament record previously held by Nick Taylor (14-under 129) in 2020 and Phil Mickelson (15-under 129) in 2005. Tom Hoge could only manage a 69 at Monterey Peninsula and was at 11-under 132 along with Adam Svensson of Canada (63 at Monterey Peninsula) and Andrew Putnam (67 at Spyglass). Patrick Cantlay again was slowed by a back-to-back bogeys. Four of his six birdies were on the par 5s at Spyglass, and he had a 68 that left him six shots behind to par. Jason Day, who tied for third at Torrey Pines last week to at least get back inside the top 100 in the world, had a 66 at Monterey Peninsula and was still in the mix at 9-under 134. He was joined by a relative surprise, Sean O’Hair, working himself back from a torn oblique. O’Hair has opened with a pair of 67s. All of them are chasing Power, who might just not be coming into his own. After attending East Tennessee State — a scholarship became available when another kid from his part of the world, Rory McIlroy, decided instead to turn pro — Power toiled on the eGolf Tour in North Carolina, where a victory worth $15,000 made him feel as though he won the lottery. He worked his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour and then the PGA TOUR, where he kept a full card only once in three years until breaking through with a victory in the Barbasol Championship last July in Kentucky. It was an opposite-field event, but it was a win. And equipped with more confidence than ever, Power now is No. 50 in the world and trying not to think about a Masters invitation. A win would take care of that, and Power isn’t doing much wrong at the moment. The five-shot lead to par — Monterey Peninsula is a par 71, the other two courses are are par 72 — ties the tournament record for largest margin through 36 holes. “I just feel much more comfortable in these positions,” Power said. “I’m putting myself there a little bit more often, so it definitely seems a little easier, but still obviously a lot of work to do over the weekend.” He made his move Friday with a birdie on the par-5 sixth — set up by more good wedge play, this prompted by a bad drive — and a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventh. The most picturesque part of Pebble Beach brought out his best golf. A big drive set up a wedge to 6 feet for birdie on the ninth, he holed a 25-foot putt on the 10th and then hit wedge to about 5 feet on the 11th, and a 6-iron that just cleared the bunker in front the par-3 12th and rolled out 8 feet by the cup. More wedge work led to a short birdie on the 14th. His one big gaffe — other than a three-putt bogey from 60 feet on the par-3 fifth — was some indecision on a club at the par-3 17th that led him to quit on his swing, the ball soaring right toward the two-story grandstand. He dropped his flop shot into the bunker and had to make a 5-foot putt for bogey. Irritating? Yes, but not enough to change his strategy on the 535-yard closing hole. Iron off the tee, lay up to just inside 100 yards, let the wedge and putter take care of the rest. It’s not an easy game. It just feels like that now more than it ever did.

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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka has the game to win a U.S. Open on any course. One year after Koepka overpowered the wide fairways of Erin Hills in a U.S. Open remembered for low scoring, he navigated his way through the brutal conditions of Shinnecock Hills and closed with a 2-under 68 to become the first repeat champion in 29 years. Curtis Strange, the last player to go back-to-back in this major, watched the entire final round Sunday as the Fox Sports reporter on the ground, and they shared a brief hug off the 18th green after Koepka tapped in for bogey and a one-shot victory. He captured his second major on Sunday. It would not have been possible without his 72 on Saturday in conditions so severe the last 45 players to tee off in the third round didn’t break par. The USGA conceded the course was over the top and pledged to get it right for the final round. No one took advantage like Tommy Fleetwood, who made eight birdies — none of the two par 5s — and became the sixth player to shoot 63 in the U.S. Open. That got him within one shot of Koepka, who still had 11 holes to play. But he never caught him and had to settle for the silver medal. Koepka, with a performance and a demeanor reminiscent of Retief Goosen winning at Shinnecock Hills in 2004, began the back nine with three pivotal putts — one for birdie, one for bogey, one for par. He seized control with a wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the par-5 16th for a two-shot lead, and he never flinched until it no longer mattered. Koepka pulled his approach to the 18th off the grandstand, pitched on to about 12 feet and two-putted for a bogey. He finished at 1-over 281, 13 shots higher than his winning score at Erin Hills last year. It was the first time since 2013 at Merion that no one broke par in the U.S. Open. Dustin Johnson, part of the four-way tie for the lead to start the final round, couldn’t keep up with one of his best friends. Johnson was one shot behind at the turn until three-putting three times on the back nine. A birdie on the final hole gave him an even-par 70 to finish alone in third. Masters champion Patrick Reed, who briefly shared the lead with five birdies through seven holes, stumbled on the back and had to settle for a 68 to finish fourth.

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AUSTIN, Texas –  For a moment there it looked as if Stephen Ames was going to have company in the unwanted record books at the World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play. Bubba Watson’s dominance early in the final at Austin Country Club over fellow University of Georgia alum Kevin Kisner – where he won the opening five holes – had everyone scrambling for the record books for largest wins. To be fair, most remember Tiger Woods giving Ames a 9 and 8 belting in the opening round of the 2006 tournament … but could Watson reach the almost mythical 10 and 8? The short answer is no – instead he settled for a 7 and 6 result – but it could have quite easily been more. Watson had legitimate chances to win the first 10 straight holes – and did win seven of them. It was a Bubba blitz of epic proportions – a combination of good golf and a tired opponent. It stands as a new record for a winning margin in an 18-hole final – with Woods’ 8-and-6 win over Stewart Cink in 2008 coming when the final was played over 36 holes. “I really don’t think it was pressure,â€� Watson said of Kisner’s performance. “I think it was just energy. I don’t think I scared him on the first tee. I think it was just his energy was gone after a couple of holes. And he was fighting, but just didn’t have the fight that he really wanted and needed.â€� Kisner had gone 19 holes in his semifinal against Alex Noren, a grinding match he probably should have lost, but showed great guts to win. Watson needed just 16 holes to oust Justin Thomas and had a comfortable lead for most of that match, expending much less physical and mental energy. “I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful. I couldn’t hit anywhere close to where I was trying,â€� Kisner lamented. “Long week. A little tired, probably. Lose some legs, and just didn’t have it. And finally made a few good swings coming in, but those were too little, too late.â€� In the final, Watson opened with five straight wins – the first player to do so all week. It all began with a birdie for him on the opening hole, setting the tone for the match. He even had a short putt to make it six in a row but proved human by missing on the low side. Another win on the seventh hole had him firing again and the now 11-time PGA TOUR winner had looks from 18 and 14 feet on the eighth and ninth, respectively, to win those holes only to let them slip. Another birdie on 10 followed before Kisner slightly delayed the inevitable with a long-range birdie and win on the 11th. Another Watson birdie on the 12th hole secured his second career WGC title and second TOUR win this season. “It’s absolutely amazing,â€� Watson said after moving to fourth in the FedExCup. “You don’t think about lists or anything, you just think about trophies and trying to win. And having two majors, and now having two World Golf Championships … the closest things to majors … what an honor and a privilege, overwhelming sensation to know that I have another trophy at the house.â€� CALL OF THE DAY SUPERLATIVES Best Match: The semifinal between Kevin Kisner and Alex Noren needed an extra hole to decide it. After the two traded some stunning golf early in the match it became a grind late. At one stage, Noren made five straight birdies but won just one hole. On the back nine, Kisner won the 12th, and then won it again in overtime to claim the win. Noren had multiple short putts to win holes, including on 18 in regulation, but couldn’t get it done. Read all match recaps here. Most Dominant Performance: Clearly it was the 7-and-6 rout Watson handed Kisner in the championship final. Most Holes Won: The eight holes won by Watson in the final was the pick of the four Sunday matches. Least Holes Won: Kisner at least got on the board with his long birdie bomb on the 11th hole in the final … the only hole he won. Best Learning Experience: FedExCup leader Justin Thomas had the chance to get to world No. 1 if he could beat Watson in their semifinal on Sunday morning but instead struggled to bring his best. Thomas admitted it got to him – an experience he can certainly learn from. “I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much. And that really sucked. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest,â€� Thomas said. QUOTABLES Well, yeah, there’s only two of us. Jell-O.If we do our job well, we think we’re good enough to beat the other guys. In the end it might be a good thing going to Augusta without that. I get to go do what I was going to do and let DJ have all that pressure. It was one of the hardest losses probably ever for me.

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