The 2008 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am got underway Thursday where PGA players are paired up with various celebrities and rich people. The tournament takes place on three separate courses, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills. Each player plays each course until the cut is established. After that Pebble Beach is the main course for the final two days. BodogLife.com had Phil Mickelson as the favorite at 4 to 1 to repeat as champion.
The first day leader board read like a “Who the heck is that guy” of the leader board. Leading the pack is Kent Jones at -6 (PB), Jones has played in 270 tournaments and has yet to finish in the top 5. Three other no-namers are tied at -5, Nationwide Tour grad Roland Thatcher, Q-school grad Brad Adamonis and John Mallinger.
Can these guys last three more days dealing with weather issues and pressure? In fact the top 14 players on the leader board have a combined ten wins compared to the top five players who have ten wins amongst themselves. The only notable on the leader board, in the Top 10, that has won on the PGA Tour so far is J.B. Holmes who shot a -4 (SH). Holmes recently beat out Phil Mickelson in a one hole playoff at the FBR Open last weekend for his first PGA Tour victory.
The players favored to win the AT&T didn’t fare as well as hoped, but it is day 1. Heavily favored Phil Mickelson (T-44) is sitting at -1 (PH) and he wasn’t happy. Poppy Hills has five par-5s and Phil played the first three 2 over. He can still forge forward. Vijay Singh is sitting like a tiger ready to pounce on this inexperienced field. He is currently T-26 after shooting -2 (PB). Jim Furyk is also T-44 and sitting at -1 (SH) while Mike Weir is T-135 after shooting +2 (PB).
Checkout the 2008 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Betting Preview from Expert Handicapper Scott Burgess.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Day1
Day 2: Fri, Feb 8, 2008 11:30 AM ET
