It took Justin Thomas only a few seconds to encapsulate the collective golf world’s thoughts on Pebble Beach Golf Links.

“There's arguably no place better in the world when it's like this,” he said in Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

The PGA TOUR returns to that famous little slice of heaven set along the coastline of the Monterey Peninsula this week, with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am taking center stage as the season’s second Signature Event.

The world’s best, an iconic venue and an event steeped in eight decades of history: That’s what’s in store at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Five examines the top storylines to follow this week.

How will the Pebble Beach newcomers fare?

Whether it be schedule conflicts or newly minted PGA TOUR membership, several of the world’s top players will make their AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am debut this week.

Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama and Cameron Young will make their first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am appearance, having only played Pebble Beach during the 2019 U.S. Open. Ludvig Åberg, Tom Kim, Nicolai Højgaard and Nick Dunlap have never played the course in any PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.

In total, the field includes 11 players who have never teed it up at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Seven additional players, including Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Thomas, haven't played the event for at least five years.

How their games translate to Pebble Beach, one of the more unique courses on the PGA TOUR, will be a highlight of the viewing experience. Pebble Beach is perennially one of the shortest courses on TOUR, known for neutralizing the importance of distance. In 2022, just over 20% of drives traveled more than 300 yards, the fifth-lowest percentage on TOUR. For players like McIlroy, Åberg and Højgaard, that diminishes one of the skills that make them most successful. Meanwhile, approach play and around-the-green performance are statistically more important than an average week on TOUR. Pebble Beach is known for having the smallest green complexes on TOUR, which will put a premium on ball-striking. On the greens, Pebble Beach is one just five annual TOUR stops that features poa annua. The fickle grass gives players fits, especially as the week progresses and the greens get bumpier and more unpredictable.

Per Data Golf, Pebble Beach’s closest PGA TOUR course comparisons are TPC Southwind (FedEx St. Jude Championship), Plantation Course at Sea Island (The RSM Classic), TPC Craig Ranch (THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson) and Colonial Country Club (Charles Schwab Challenge).

So, while nearly every golf fan can recall famous shots and moments at Pebble Beach, this will be a rare opportunity to see some of the game’s very best test their skills.

Can Pebble’s Horses replicate success?

In that same vein, a significant number of TOUR pros make Pebble Beach a yearly stop. Could they have an advantage over the newcomers this week, even though they’ll face a stiffer field?

Here’s a look at the players who rank the best in Strokes Gained: Total over the last five years of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Note: This list only includes players who have made at least three appearances.)

Only Cantlay and Homa are currently ranked inside the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. McNealy, following an injury-riddled 2023, is 197th in the OWGR yet has the best track record of anyone in the field. Hoge and Taylor are recent winners of the event.

Rory returns

He may be the world No. 2, but nobody is playing better right now than McIlroy, who will make his 2024 PGA TOUR season debut at Pebble Beach this week.

McIlroy began his year, as he traditionally does, with the DP World Tour in Dubai. In back-to-back weeks, he finished runner-up to Tommy Fleetwood at the Dubai Invitational and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He was a combined 32-under in those two weeks with a pair of sub-63 scores.

Really, though, McIlroy’s dominant run of golf began last summer. The 34-year-old has not finished outside the top 25 in his last 15 worldwide starts. He’s had 12 top-10s and two wins in that span.

There’s little reason to believe that won’t continue as he returns stateside, though his minimal track record at Pebble Beach would be the place to start this week. McIlroy has played Pebble Beach three times since he turned pro 17 years ago – the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2019 and the 2018 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. After two missed cuts, he finished solo ninth at the 2019 U.S. Open.

McIlroy has committed to five PGA TOUR events ahead of the Masters in April. In addition to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week, McIlroy is expected to play The Genesis Invitational, Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, THE PLAYERS Championship and Valero Texas Open.

Opportunity abounds for Signature Event status

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the only new addition to the PGA TOUR’s Signature Events slate in 2024. It’s also the only one with a set field size. In keeping with the long history of the pro-am format at Pebble Beach, the field list was set at 80 players.

The field size of the remaining six Signature Events will be variable, depending on how the various exemptions shake out. There were 59 players at The Sentry earlier this month. The Genesis Invitational field is currently 72 players.

The final nine spots in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am were awarded to the top finishers in the 2022-23 FedExCup standings, not otherwise exempt. Those players are:

• Alex Noren
• Thomas Detry
• Mark Hubbard
• Erik van Rooyen
• Brandon Wu
• Davis Riley
• S.H. Kim
• Keith Mitchell
• Hayden Buckley

That creates a unique opportunity for this group to jump-start their season and potentially secure their spot in future Signature Events. The simplest path would be to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, ensuring their spot in all Signature Events in 2024. It’s not the only way, though. With 700 FedExCup points up for grabs this week, a high finish gives players more points than that same finish in a Full-Field Event. That will become important after The Genesis Invitational when the Aon Next 10 standings reset and the top players in the 2024 FedExCup standings, not otherwise exempt, will earn spots in upcoming Signature Events.

Outlasting the weather

The first month of the PGA TOUR calendar has played out in relatively perfect conditions. Although occasional rain showers at The American Express and early-week rain at the Farmers Insurance Open affected course conditions, the weather has largely remained benign during competitive play.

That might change at Pebble Beach this week. Preliminary forecasts indicate wet and windy conditions are coming for the Monterey Peninsula. There is an 80% chance of rain on Thursday, with 2-3 inches expected between Wednesday and Thursday. Thunderstorms are likely to affect the first round. Scattered showers are expected to continue Friday, with gusts up to 25 mph. Dry conditions are forecasted on Saturday, with the possibility of rain popping up again for Sunday’s final round.

Pebble Beach is no stranger to wet conditions. December, January and February typically yield over 50% of the Monterey Peninsula’s average total precipitation. And it looks like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner will have to outlast more than just the field. The winner will conquer the weather, too.