GARETH BALE adds some much-needed star appeal to this week’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where world No 10 Matt Fitzpatrick is the top ranked player in the field.
There are plenty of bets available on how Bale will perform, and the 50-1 on him to win the team prize at the first time of asking may be over-priced, in view of how much golf he plays.
The Pebble Beach Pro Am takes place this week
And while I usually steer well clear of short prices, the 6-4 on offer for the former Wales captain to break par at least once in the four rounds may not be a bad bet either.
Pebble itself is no picnic. But the other two courses used this week – Spyglass Hill and Monterey – offer two handicapper Bale decent opportunities to show off the talents that impressed Jon Rahm at Torrey Pines last week.
The main event features US Open champion Fitzpatrick’s first outing since he finished in a tie for seventh at the 39-man Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, and the English star disputes favouritism with Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth.
Spieth was runner-up to Tom Hoge last year, blowing a two shot lead over the closing holes, while Fitzpatrick was not far behind in a share of sixth.
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Hovland was in terrific form towards the end of last year, rounding it off by showing off in front of host Tiger Woods with a successful defence of his Hero World Challenge title in the Bahamas.
So all three have plenty going for them. But they are not the only ones.
Hot shot: Maverick McNealy, 18-1.
It is surely only a matter of time until the 27 year old California native breaks his PGA Tour duck – and after finishing fifth here in 2020 and second a year later, this looks as good a place as any.
McNealy is not the longest off the tee, but he a is deadly putter – and his type tend to be well rewarded in this event.
Two top tens in his last four starts means he will turn up at the Monterey Peninsula full of confidence.
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Mid price: Andrew Putnam, 28-1.
The bookies are not taking any chances with Putnam, but as another player who excels with the putter and is the best scrambler on the PGA Tour at the moment, that is understandable.
He also arrives in decent form – no missed cuts in his last 14 starts, a run that includes a second place at the Zozo Championship and fourth in the Sony Open a few weeks ago.
Throw in the fact that he was tied for the lead here after 54 holes last year – before slipping back to finish alongside Fitzpatrick in sixth – and he looks a good fit for this.
Long shot: Robby Shelton, 80-1.
This latest crop of Korn Ferry graduates have not been disgracing themselves in the big league, and Shelton is another of the new kids on the block who has caught my eye.
He went into the notebook as a potential winner with two Korn Ferry victories last year – taking him to four in all – it is almost as tough to win there as it is in more regular PGA Tour stops.
Shelton, 27, did not stick around long after his previous victories in 2019 earned him a first tilt at the top tier. But top tens in the RSM Classic and the AmEx suggest he will make a bigger impact this time.
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