Ace’s Golf Tips: Chesson’s chasing a big win

THIS week the PGA Tour is back in California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and thankfully this is the last of four events contested over multiple courses.

Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill are both par 72s with Monterey Peninsula a 71, with none reaching more than 7000 yards. Adverse weather can sometimes throw selections up in the air but with fine weather forecast for the weekend it looks like it should be a fairer test all round. GIR and Putting Average could be important this week.

Courses

Pebble Beach: 6816 yards, Par 72 – stunning track has held the US Open five times and is the shortest course on the PGA Tour.

Spyglass Hill: 6953 yards, Par 72 – it's completely different from the other two as it not on the coastline and the fairways are tree-lined.

Monterey Peninsula: 6887 yards, Par 71 – this  is where scores can be made with the largest greens of the three, nearly twice the size of Pebble Beach.

Chesson Hadley

He really impressed me last week when finishing T5 in Phoenix. When you look at his stats for last week there isn’t much wrong with his game, maybe driving accuracy was his weakest stat, but that won't really be a problem over the Monterey Peninsular courses.

The RSM Classic, followed by the CareerBuilder Challenge and Farmers Insurance, are the only blots on this season’s card but he also has four top fives. The 6ft 4in 30 year-old had a exceptional year in 2017 on the Web.Com and Wem.Com Playoff and carried that on to the PGA Tour this season.

He has got good form on the Monterey Peninsula, finishing 10th here in both 2014 and 2015, also a second in the 2013 Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational. He seems to be quite comfortable on Poa annua greens so I have no hesitation to making him a selection here.

• GIR: 72.41% (37th). Putting Average: 1.711 (17th).

Jordan Spieth

Having won or played well on these courses in the past is a good pointer to picking a winner, also those who can putt well on the Poa grass. With that in mind I like the look of defending champion Jordan Spieth.

Although his putting hasn’t been great this year, culminating in him missing the cut last week, I think returning to the Poa greens he likes will benefit him immensely. All other aspects of his game seem to be okay so if he gets his putter going he will be in contention. He has never been worse than T22 in his appearances at the AT&T and that was on his debut. In five outings he has three top sevens, including his win last year. Is a good fit for Pebble Beach.

• GIR: 81.67% (1st) Putting Average: 1.796 (153rd)

Recommended Bets

• 1.5pts ew Chesson Hadley (50-1, bet365 50-1)
  1.5pts ew Jordan Spieth (12-1, betfair 12-1)