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talkSPORT betting tips – Best golf bets and expert advice for Pebble Beach Pro-Am
The first signature event of the PGA Tour season takes place at Pebble Beach in California this week and it will be the first time in 2026 that world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy square off.
The Northern Irishman claimed a two-shot victory last year, seeing off close friend Shane Lowry, but Scheffler has already won the American Express this year and looms ominously after recovering from a poor start to finish third at last week’s Phoenix Open.
However, there are 78 other players in the field who will be playing alongside amateur partners this week, and there are those who have strong claims of gaining a notable success on one of America’s most famous courses.
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Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tips
Henley can grab another signature success
Russell Henley knows what it is like to taste glory in a PGA Tour signature event following his victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in March and we can expect another strong challenge from the Georgian this week.
Henley’s fifth spot at last year’s Pebble Beach gathering was his best in six course visits and he opened with a round of 64 at Spyglass Hill, which shares hosting responsibilities.
The main track is less than 7,000 yards long which means accuracy could be the recipe for success and that will play to Henley’s strengths.
He has finished in the top 20 in each of his last 10 tournaments, which included second places at the Travelers Championship and in August’s Tour Championship.
A 19th-place finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii and eighth at the AmEx mean his 2026 has got off to a decent start and we can expect a bold bid.
Hovland is coming into form
Viktor Hovland was 22nd at Pebble Beach last year after starting with a 65 and the Norwegian heads to California in much better form this time around.
The Ryder Cup star had a strong end to the FedEx Cup playoffs and his fifth-place finish at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth was also encouraging.
Hovland has started the new year in a similarly strong vein, finishing 14th at the Dubai Desert Classic and 10th at last week’s Phoenix Open, a performance that included a Saturday 65 which was the joint best round of the day.
Kim has been the model of consistency
Si Woo Kim again came close to winning at Phoenix and would have made an even strong push for glory had he not handed winner Chris Gotterup a 10-shot advantage at the end of the first round.
The South Korean has not finished worse than 11th in his last six tournaments and his Friday 62 at Scottsdale made everyone sit up and take notice.
He was runner-up to Justin Rose at the Farmers Insurance Open the week before, and Pebble Beach showings of 14th and 12th in the last two years point towards another strong challenge.
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