One thing feels totally different in regards to the PGA Tour this week, and that’s as a result of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy — two gamers ranked among the many prime three on this planet — are making their season debuts on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am, the second Signature Occasion of the season.
Jordan Spieth returns to motion, too, his first time doing so since he had surgical procedure on his wrist final August. The three-time main winner final performed on the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the place he labored to a T-68 end.
Different notables at Pebble Seaside this week embrace Ludvig Åberg, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas, however Xander Schauffele stays sidelined on account of a rib harm. Gabby Herzig of The Athletic reported that Schauffele tweaked his proper facet throughout a exercise towards the tip of 2024, and he tried to play by way of the ache at The Sentry. Nevertheless it has continued to trouble him for the reason that season-opener in Maui, which explains why he has wanted time to recuperate over the previous few weeks. Fortunately, docs have cleared Schauffele to observe as soon as extra — maybe signaling a return sooner fairly than later.
AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am Odds:
Listed here are the most recent odds for gamers to win the 2025 Pebble Seaside Professional-Am, courtesy of FanDuel:
Scottie Scheffler +450
Rory McIlroy +1100
Justin Thomas +1400
Collin Morikawa +1400
Ludvig Åberg +1800
Patrick Cantlay +1800
Hideki Matsuyama +2200
Sungjae Im +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +3300
Jason Day +3500
Sam Burns +3500
Keegan Bradley +5000
Viktor Hovland +5000
Will Zalatoris +5000
Wyndham Clark +5000
Corey Conners +5000
Taylor Pendrith +5000
Robert MacIntyre +6000
Tom Kim +6000
Sepp Straka +6000
Russell Henley +6000
Max Greyserman +6000
Tony Finau +6000
Maverick McNealy +6000
Jordan Spieth +6000
Shane Lowry +6000
Taking part in By’s Picks:
Jack Milko — Employees Author, Golf
Pebble Seaside isn’t solely one of many shorter programs on tour, however it additionally has the smallest greens, which locations a hefty premium on ball placing. Due to this fact, placing is the important thing to success as a result of gamers should benefit from the alternatives they offer themselves. Look no additional than what Wyndham Clark did throughout final yr’s last spherical, as he made 189 toes value of putts to set the Pebble Seaside course file with an outstanding 11-under 60. Positive, inclement climate shortened the match to 54 holes, however Clark’s putter proved to be the distinction.
And that helps clarify why I’m going with the most effective putter on this planet to win for the primary time this week. Denny McCarthy, who has completed among the many prime 4 in strokes gained placing in every of the previous three seasons, will lastly break by way of at Pebble Seaside — a course that fits his sport completely.
McCarthy is certainly not a protracted hitter, averaging a mere 292.9 yards off the tee to date in 2025. Nevertheless, he hit the inexperienced in regulation 77% of the time throughout his first two begins at The Sentry and the Sony Open in Hawaii, tying for forty sixth and sixteenth in these occasions, respectively. However now that he has had just a few weeks off, McCarthy arrives within the Monterrey Peninsula refreshed and able to go. Plus, the previous Virginia Cavalier has had success at Pebble Seaside earlier than, posting a T-12 in 2022, a T-4 in 2023, and a T-26 a yr in the past. He’s the proper longshot for this week.
FanDuel Odds: McCarthy to win at +10000
RJ Ochoa — Senior Producer, Running a blog the Boys
Forgive me for being extremely chalk in what seems like the primary respectable occasion of the 2025 PGA Tour season, however I’m going to go along with Scottie Scheffler right here.
Is Scottie getting back from an harm that might theoretically influence his skill to play golf? Sure.
However is Scottie additionally Scottie and, subsequently, an auto lock in most situations, particularly when counted out? The reply is an enormous sure.
Nowadays, I’m extra assured than ever that Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Mahomes will win something they play in. They’re each about to have a few good weeks.
FanDuel Odds: Scheffler to win at +450
Mark Schofield — Employees Author, NFL and System 1
For some unusual purpose, the powers that be determined to let the NFL author turned F1 author make some golf picks. So this could go over very effectively…
However earlier than we get too loopy, we are able to come out of the gate with a considerably chalky decide. Given the adage of Pebble Seaside being a “ball striker’s paradise,” Collin Morikawa looks as if a secure play. He’s coming off a strong displaying at The Sentry, the place he completed solo second, hitting 91.7% of greens in regulation and solely notching a pair of bogeys over his 4 rounds, each of which got here on the difficult Par-4 sixth, the place the crosswinds got here into play. He solely tied for 14th at Pebble Seaside a yr in the past, however that got here throughout his rocky begin to 2024. Along with his sport in kind heading into this week, I feel he’s an excellent guess.
FanDuel odds: Morikawa to win at +1400
Mike Smeltz — Particular Tasks Director, SB Nation
After I was rising up, my residence course was a public spot referred to as Fairway Hills. This isn’t meant to slander the superb people at Fairway Hills however to present you a way of how a lot care went into this 6,000-yard 18-holer; I used to be a part of the grounds crew as a excessive schooler, a freedom that led 16-year-old me to be fairly irresponsible. I might select pin placements each day, which, after all, I abused and put some holes in the midst of slopes on the greens. And one time, I put diesel gasoline in an unleaded mower.
That is all to say that Pebble Seaside is Maverick McNealy’s residence course. It’s a large deal for Mav to play at Pebble on this occasion, and never an insignificant benefit realizing the course in addition to he does. A part of me is solely rooting for McNealy to do effectively due to how good of a narrative that might be. However there’s a window of chance with the Stanford grad, provided that he gained the RSM Basic a bit of over two months in the past.
FanDuel Odds: McNealy to win at +5000
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.