DFS preview: Expect Xander Schauffele to keep rolling at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The annual trip up the California coast, from Torrey Pines to the Monterey Peninsula, features the third consecutive week of multi-course events.

Unlike the previous two weeks, Pebble Beach Golf Links, with help from neighboring Spyglass Hill Golf Course, will host the second of eight Signature Events in the 2024 PGA TOUR FedExCup Season.

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the winter break stop since 1947, won’t have the same three-course format and 54-hole cut as most previous years.

The field of just 80 players will have two rounds, one on each track with their amateur partner before the final two rounds at Pebble Beach Golf Links determine the winner. Here’s a look at some of the players you should consider from a DFS perspective for this week’s star-studded event — and those that you might want to leave out of your lineups.

Top of the board

Xander Schauffele ($10,000 at DraftKings): Rolling in from San Diego, on the back of three consecutive top-10 paydays, the Californian is dialed in tee-to-green. Last week, not even an ice-cold putter, ranking 73rd of 79 players, could slow him from cashing in the top 10 (T9). Fix the putter on the Poa greens and away he goes.

Jordan Spieth ($9,400): If the breeze and rain are the stars of the show this week, I will rely on his decade-plus experience in this part of the world. Hitting the podium in two of his last three, the 2017 champ has played every event since 2013. Shot-making, plus his ability around the greens, has earned my attention this week.

Caution: Overvalued or undervalued

There’s no question that the games of Rory McIlroy ($11,500) and Scottie Scheffler ($11,400) will travel. It’s fascinating that the players listed No. 1 (Scheffler) and No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking have played this event once combined. Scheffler is making his debut, while McIlroy returns for the first time since he cashed T9 at the U.S. Open in 2019. I don’t believe it will take either one much time to get acclimated, and there is no cut, but I am not paying the premium to find out.

Patrick Cantlay ($9,700) is one of the few top players with a bag of positive course history at Pebble Beach (T4, 2022; T3, 2021). Readying for his breakthrough performance at The American Express, but a final round 76 (T52) killed any hopes that week. Opening with 67 on the North Course last week, he closed with three rounds over par on the South Course. The streak will end at some point – right?

When Max Homa ($9,200) tees it up in his home state of California on Poa, I’m full go. Returning to an event where he produced T7-T14-T10 over his last three visits from 2019-2021, his streak of top-15 paydays on TOUR has reached 13 straight events worldwide. Sturdy foundation to build from.

I will add Tommy Fleetwood ($8,600) to the players who won’t mind grinding out 18 holes in the breeze and rain. The tougher the conditions, the tougher the Englishman will get stuck in. A winner three weeks ago in Dubai, he is making just his third start at Pebble Beach, but at a price I can handle. Justin Rose ($7,500) became the first European to win this event last season.

Jason Day ($8,400) is fresh off a long weekend after coming up short in the first two rounds at Torrey Pines (MC). While the cut is not in play this week, the Australian has very rarely been close to missing out on the Monterey Peninsula. A run of seven consecutive years of T11 or better ended with T24 in 2022, his last visit.

The J.T. Poston ($7,900) express is rolling. In the first three events of the season, he took home checks for T5, solo sixth, and T11 before putting his feet up last weekend.

Makers or breakers

Beau Hossler ($7,800): The California native has produced three top-10 paydays from his last six as he picked up T6 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and T6 last week at Torrey Pines. Cashed T11 and third in the last two years at Pebble Beach.

Stephan Jaeger ($7,300): Hitting the podium for the first time in his career on TOUR, the German will look to build on a great week at Torrey Pines. Hitting just half of the fairways last week, he finished eighth in Stroke Gained: Approach. Onward, upward.

Kevin Yu ($7,200): Followed his career-best TOUR result of T3 at La Quinta with T6 at Torrey Pines. Hat-trick in store?

Denny McCarthy ($7,500) and Brendon Todd ($7,000) shared the lowest total in two rounds on Pebble Beach for the 2023 edition at 11 under. Todd finished T2 and picked up his third top-10 from five weekends. McCarthy posted 64 at Pebble Beach and cashed T4 money after T12 in 2022.

Taylor Moore ($6,400): Armed with a fantastic short game, the winner at a difficult Copperhead Course (Valspar Championship) last year has turned out T15 and T16 the last two seasons here.

Maverick McNealy ($6,200): Meeting the terms of his medical exemption last week at Torrey Pines, the Stanford grad can now put his head down and go. Playing Pebble Beach as his home course growing up, the native son has a solo second and T5 to show from his experience.

The lineup

Here’s a look at how I would build a six-man lineup this week at DraftKings under the $50,000 salary cap:

• Xander Schauffele ($10,000)
• Jordan Spieth ($9,400)
• Max Homa ($9,200)
• Tommy Fleetwood ($8,600)
• Mark Hubbard ($6,300)
• Maverick McNealy ($6,200)

Good luck!

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