Dustin Johnson started the week as Pebble Beach Pro-Am favourite, but the world number one has chosen to follow up his Saudi International victory with a few days lounging around his Florida mansion, and his Monday night withdrawal has thrown the tournament wide open.
Patrick Cantlay assumed market leadership after DJ opted out – the world number 11 is on offer at 7/1 – and there must be every chance that the Californian ace justifies that status in his home state.
Home State Here Tough to Ignore
Cantlay’s last two starts in California have yielded first place in the Zozo Championship and a runner-up effort in The American Express.
He fended off the attentions of Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas down the stretch to win a high-class Zozo at Sherwood Country Club, then almost snatched the American Express title from Si Woo Kim with a dramatic 11-under-par final-round 61.
Cantlay has won three PGA Tour titles and he could easily build on a solid Pebble Beach record by claiming victory number four on Sunday.
Zalatoris on the Hunt for Tour Breakthrough
Will Zalatoris was a dominant force on the Korn Ferry Tour last season – and this rising star also managed to get himself in contention when handed invites to the main circuit as well.
Sixth place in the US Open showed that Zalatoris has rapidly become an elite player and there must be every chance that this supreme ball-striker goes close to a PGA Tour breakthrough on Sunday.
The odds of 16/1 will interest plenty of punters, given Zalatoris has made a bright start to 2021, finishing seventh in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, before following up with 17th spot in last week’s Phoenix Open.
The 24-year-old Tour newcomer also has some experience of this week’s venues to draw upon. As world number 1,935 in 2018, Zalatoris finished 68th in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, carding a first-round 67 at Spyglass Hill.
Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are the two courses being used this week, so Zalatoris, who has moved up to 49th in the world rankings, can hit the ground running. The San Francisco-born swinger also relishes poa annua greens.
Purring Putnam Could Be an Outsider to Follow
Andrew Putnam put a new set of irons in his bag for last week’s Phoenix Open and was thrilled with the results as he tied first for greens in regulation in Phoenix.
The 2018 Barracuda Championship winner went through 72 holes at TPC Scottsdale without dropping a shot, ending the week in seventh place, and confidence has rocketed going into the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Putnam, generally accurate and with a silky putting touch, is the sort of player who can do plenty of damage at Pebble Beach and the 80/1 quotes next to his name may tempt plenty of each-way interest.
The 32-year-old lost his game last year, suffering a few injury problems and getting understandably distracted by the birth of his first son in October, but he has started 2021 focused and firing.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
