Fantasy advice for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Here are nine tidbits from the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 picked golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO. I bemoaned last week why more players in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO did not play Hideki Matsuyama. It’s good to see that I won’t be wondering aloud this week why Johnson was so lightly owned! WOW! I’m going to write “82.2 percent” down somewhere and see if we ever see a higher number the rest of the year. A smooth 67 (-5) at Spyglass Hill sees “Mr. Popular” lurking T6, just two shots off the lead. Three-Course Meal Every pro and their amateur partner will get a chance at all three courses this week before the top 60 will battle it out at Pebble Beach on Sunday. With perfect weather Thursday, the top 70 players were two-under-par. The weather is NOT expected to shift so there are two more chances for redemption. Annually, Spyglass Hill plays the most difficult of the three, but six of the top-15 scores on day one were posted there, including T1 and a pair of T3 rounds. Pebble Beach played the most difficult today (71.308) with Spyglass (71.231) right behind. MPCC (Shore Course), as usual in great weather, was a pushover (69.558). Leading Actors Kevin Streelman and Beau Hossler set the pace with matching 65’s. Streelman (-7) was bogey free at Spyglass Hill and got up-and-down an incredible seven times from seven attempts. He’s yet to MC this season, and it looks like that streak is well on its way to continuing. As for Hossler, loyal readers of this column (thank you!) will remind you that this is NOT surprising on any level. If you are tired of reading about him, I’m going to suggest that he’s not in your lineup. That’s a YOU problem! Hossler was also bogey free in his opening round, but his was on Pebble Beach where the California native was second in strokes-gained: putting. Family Affair After taking a couple of months off to close 2017, Rory McIlroy seems to be refreshed and raring to go in 2018. He’s paired with his father, Gerry, this week in his first attempt at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Ulsterman opened his year T3 and second in the Middle East. He wasn’t his sharpest today as he only painted 10 of 18 GIR but hitting 10 of 14 fairways at Spyglass Hill is beyond decent. He’ll play three new courses in tournament action three days in a row, and that will tell gamers just how well he is dialed in. Eyes on Wise The former NCAA champ from Oregon, Aaron Wise, is playing out of the Web.com top 50 reshuffle this season and has eight starts to his name. Half of those have cashed checks with all four finishes T32 or better. He’s trying to move up the ranking, which will be reordered the Monday after the Genesis Open. He’s off to a flying start (T3) as he found 16 of 18 GIR and didn’t square a bogey or anything worse in opening with 65 (-6) at Monterrey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course). Where There’s a Will… Will Zalatoris left early with MC at Farmers Insurance Open on the number while making his professional debut at Torrey Pines. After circling six birdies against only one bogey at Spyglass Hill, he’s put himself into the top 10 (T6) after 67. He’s under the tutelage of Cameron McCormack, Jordan Spieth’s long-time teacher, and that should answer most of your questions about him. His next project is establishing status as he currently is void of that on either the Web.com or PGA TOUR. He’ll need sponsor exemptions (limited), Monday qualifiers or top-10 finishes to make that happen. Know this before you add, trade, etc., for him. Opportunity for Oppenheim Rob Oppenheim has only played 30-something TOUR events in his career. The 38-year old has picked up only two top-10 finishes during that stretch and exactly half of them are at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He cashed T8 last year and that was, despite bogeying three of his last seven holes on Sunday after being 12-under-par at one time. He opened with 67 at Pebble Beach today and is T6. Star Search Jordan Spieth continues to struggle with his putter as he needed 32 whacks today to post E (72) at Spyglass Hill. He only made one birdie. I’m going to suggest he bounces back in a big way in Round Two. … Adam Scott made his season debut and looked like it. He took a whopping 37 putts and was only 1-of-6 scrambling. His 77 didn’t provide much hope for gamers in any format in Round One. … Brandt Snedeker, two-time champ and tournament record holder, opened with 71 (-1) at Spyglass and is currently T71. Study Hall Patrick Cantlay was four-under-par through his first three holes, buoyed by an ace on No. 11 at MPCC. He’s currently T6 after his 66 (-5). … Robert Garrigus almost aced the par four, No. 17 last week at TPC Scottsdale. He gave the cup another scare today on No. 7 on Pebble Beach but had to settle for a tap-in two. #DialedIn. … The Web.com is playing the Club Colombia Championship this week in Bogota. After Round One, four players are tied for the lead with 66 (-5). … Event No. 2 of the PGA TOUR Champions begins tomorrow at the Boca Raton Championship. Read more about PGA TOUR Champions Fantasy golf here.

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