Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Fantasy Sleeper Report

Just when you thought that one former major champion that had fallen on tough times was going to win, along came another to steal his thunder.

A footnote from the Waste Management Phoenix Open is that Jordan Spieth is hitting his irons like a king again, but he’s still not finding fairways with any regularity and so Brooks Koepka was able to slip in the back door and claim the trophy.

He overtook Spieth, Xander Schauffele and James Hahn on a manic Sunday, and as the birdies dropped he looked increasingly likely to be the victor – and especially so when all around him were hitting tee shots into the water.

In the end, Koepka clinched his eighth PGA TOUR title – look out for him come major season.

Embed from Getty Images

But the Tour grinds on to the AT&T Pebble Beach….and you will notice that the ‘pro-am’ has been dropped from the name. There will be no Bill Murray and no Larry the Cable Guy this year, and there will be no Monterey Shore either – the usual trio of courses on rotation has been cut to two.

The first, Pebble Beach, will take on host duties for three rounds, and while this event is normally known for pro-am hi-jinx this is still a track with teeth – it hosted the U.S. Open in 2019, remember. It will presumably be set up a lot easier than that this week, but you can’t turn the wind down and the stiff breeze, plus the small Poa Annua greens, cold temperatures and possibility of rain, and so the winning score will surely be less than the usual late teens under par.

A short Par 72, Pebble Beach is a tough coastal stretch that promises slow greens but ones that are tough to hold from the rough – no wonder so many players take woods and irons off the tee.

A quick word about Spyglass Hill, the other host course this week. Slightly further inland and tree-lined, this is less exposed than Pebble Beach and features more amenable Poa Annua greens. Another short Par 72, you’re looking for your selections to make hay on their turn here.

The great news for bettors is that this is an event that is ripe for the picking for long odds winners, with Nick Taylor, Ted Potter and Vaughn Taylor all winning at astronomical prices in recent years. The lack of the pro-am format may affect things on that front, but with a weak field there is an opportunity for another sleeper-sized pick to lift the trophy come Sunday.

So who’s on our sleeper shortlist for the AT&T Pebble Beach?

[membership level=”0″]

You must be a Premium Member to view our exclusive fantasy golf picks.

Already a member?  Sign in Here.

[/membership]

[membership level=”1,2,3″]

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Fantasy Sleeper Report

Kevin Streelman – 50/1 – For a player of his undoubted ability, it’s patently obvious that Kevin Streelman should have won more than his two PGA TOUR titles.

He’s got stacks of close shaves, however, and a number of them have come at Pebble Beach – he finished fast here 12 months ago to take solo second, and that was his fourth top-10 here in his last eight visits.

Streelman looked in good order in his T22 at the Phoenix Open, hitting some outstanding approaches, and so he will have a spring in his step as he heads to a layout that he loves.

Max Homa – 50/1 – Much improved ball-striking lately has carried Max Homa to some eye-catching performances.

Tops-25s at Mayakoba, the Farmers and the American Express were followed by T42 at the Phoenix Open – not that great, on first look, but he ranked third for SG: Approach in Arizona and that offers an idea that he is still in excellent form.

Five trips to Pebble Beach have yielded three top-30s – including T10 and T14 – so the omens are good this week.

James Hahn – 75/1 – A lot has been written about how a lack of crowds has impacted golf, and while not proven beyond doubt it’s no coincidence that James Hahn has improved of late.

Maybe that has coincided with a shift to the West Coast, where he seems to thrive, and make no mistake Hahn really ought to have won the Phoenix Open when he found himself clear at the top of the leaderboard deep into Sunday.

With a T3 at Pebble Beach to his name, Hahn’s lack of power is less of a hindrance here and his short game is reliable enough to carry him to victory – aided, of course, by a complete absence of patrons on site.

Matthew NeSmith – 80/1 – This young man continues to impress with his excellent ball-striking, and like many he remains a hot hand with the putter away from a concerted effort on a PGA TOUR title.

That improvement came last week in Phoenix, where strokes gained on the dancefloor took him to a T7 finish.

Take a look at some of his best efforts on the PGA TOUR – AT&T Pebble Beach, RSM Classic, Puerto Rico Open and the RSM Classic. Seem familiar? All are short, coastal tracks exposed to the elements. Will NeSmith strike again?

Peter Malnati – 90/1 – When he starts rolling the rock, Peter Malnati looks capable of winning any event.

Of course, that putting stroke needs to be matched by efficient tee-to-green play, and that has been in evident lately in an impressive run of form – solo second in the Sanderson Farms, T5 in the Shriners, T10 at the Farmers Insurance Open and T14 at the Sony Open have all arrived in the past few months.

Another who loves these squally coastal tests, Malnati looks primed to strike in a weak field event and this week seems as ripe as any.

[/membership]

Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”2.50%” bar_text=”2 out of 85 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “13.75%” bar_text=”11 out of 85 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”31.25%” bar_text=”25 out of 85 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=0%” bar_text=”0 out of 17 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”12.50%” bar_text=”2 out of 17 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”81.25%” bar_text=”65 out of 85 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

---

Cover photo via Instagram