FANTASY GOLF: AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, California

Purse – $6,400,000

Winner Share – $1,134,000

FedEx Cup Points – 500

Course – Pebble Beach Golf Links (PB), Monterey Peninsula CC Shore Course (SC), Spyglass Hill GC (SH)

Defending Champ: DA Points

Par: 72 at PB & SH; 70 at SC

Course Record – 62 at PB; Tom Kite (1983), David Duval (1997); 62 at SH; Phil Mickelson (2005), Luke Donald (2006)

In the age of instant everything – messaging, shopping, coffee – it was still shocking to see redemption come Kyle Stanley’s way at warp speed. Sitting six strokes behind leader Spencer Levin on Sunday, it was going to take a combo effort of great play from his side and a full-on collapse from Levin to exorcise the demons brought on last week at Torrey Pines. Well, it happened. Stanley destroyed TPC Scottsdale all Sunday afternoon making the turn three-under, and piling up another three birdies coming in. He walked off the green on 18 with a 65 on imprinted on his scorecard and a giant paycheck waiting for him – unless Levin holed out for an eagle-two from the 18^th fairway.  Since that didn’t happen, Stanley walked away victorious, just one week after surrendering a seven-shot advantage the previous Sunday. Now, you have to feel bad for Levin, because he basically pulled a Stanley.

Guess who’s back… back again. Tiger’s back… tell a friend – if she’s a moderately attractive female! Photo Credit: Paddybriges

Levin treaded water on the front nine, making a birdie at the par-5 third before bogeying two of the next three holes. And then he made the turn. After a 15-foot par save on 10, the four-year PGA Tour cardholder was clearly feeling the pressure of capturing his first PGA win and it was getting to him. Generally, major television networks go out of its way to prevent any image of a cigarette on the screen, but it was impossible to avoid it during Levin’s breakdown. It was like watching John Daly in his prime. Every time Levin stepped up to size up his shot, there was a new, freshly lit smoke dangling from his lip. Now, lots of players smoke, but few inhale with the veracity of Levin. His cigarette wasn’t for pleasure, no, it was clearly to relieve the stress of the situation. I know – I’ve been there before. If you’re smoking for pleasure, the cigarette doesn’t immediately get back in your mouth as quickly as you’ve discharged a plume of cancerous smoke from your lungs. Another giveaway? Opening and finishing that pack in the span of an hour and a half.

Over that time, Levin shot three-over on the final eight holes – including a devastating double bogey on the par-5 15^th which included using a putter on his second shot, a piece of a cactus stuck in his torso and a hilariously bad 5-iron approach that found itself wetter than Namond did, when the balloon exploded. Levin ended up finishing third, after a final round 75.

So does Levin get his redemption this week at Pebble? Why not? It only took Stanley a week to shake the losing stink off himself. Levin performed pretty well here last year – finishing in a tie for fourth.  There’s just one problem…

TIGER’S BACK

Well, maybe it’s not a problem. The Stanley meltdown was all the rage among all those who follow golf for a week straight. Interviews, replays and more interviews flooded sports-talk radio and studio shows on the Golf Channel, but that’s not going to happen to Levin. As much as everyone enjoys the recovery period for any athlete after a monumental breakdown, it’s not the story people care about. That would be Tiger teeing off in America for the first time this season – and he’s coming in hotter than he’s been in years. He placed third at both the Australian Masters and HSBC Championship, won the Chevron Challenge and played pretty well at the Presidents Cup. A win this week will go a long away in getting Tiger back to his once dominant form.

Tiger was a winner on this site in 2000, but hasn’t played in the AT&T since 2002, but don’t count on a poor showing. Remember when Tiger was making his initial comeback in 2010? All that time ago. The U.S. Open was played at Pebble that year and Tiger finished fourth. And this was during the stretch where he could barely find a fairway. Despite his recent strong showings, Tiger still hasn’t strung together four straight quality rounds. This is the week he does. Promise!

PICKS

Spencer Levin – I rolled the dice on Stanley last week and it paid huge dividends. As previously mentioned, Levin tied for fourth at the site last year and has actually been playing quite well all year, outside of last week’s back nine.

Tiger Woods – He’s Tiger. Get him in your lineup.

Nick Watney – Watney didn’t have the strongest showing two weeks ago at the Farmer’s, but that’s being nitpicky. A final round 74 makes the tournament seem a lot worse than it really was. He’s ultra-consistent and is as close to a lock as you can get to play the weekend.

Dustin Johnson – DJ has won here two of the last three years and held the 54-hole lead the 2010 U.S. Open. The difference for Johnson in those weeks? Putting. The same thing that has been his downfall this season. DJ is clearly familiar with the greens at Pebble and should have no problem giving himself plenty of birdie opportunities, he just needs to roll them in.

Bryce Molder – Molder missed the cut at the Humana, but as been electric on the course in his other three events this year. He’s pulled a Top 15 trifecta in those tournaments and pulled off a tie for sixth here last year.

Hunter Mahan – Mahan already has a top 10 in his only start this season and proved he can compete at Pebble after a silver medal last year.

DA Points – He’s the defending champ and has played very consistently so far in 2012. Plus, he may be playing with Bill Murray again!

Bud Cauley – Cauley is safe, having yet to miss a cut in 2012, young, only 22 and, most importantly, ready to break through on Tour. He’s an excellent putter whose iron game should allow him to be a force on the weekend.

Sang-Moon Bae – Bae has shown off why he’s been such a force internationally the last couple years in his three events so far this season. His game shows no holes from tee-to-green and his first Tour victory is coming soon.

Phil Mickelson – Phil’s been wildly inconsistent so far in 2012, but he is a three-time winner here, holds the course record and can get that low again, in any given round.

Pat Mayo was nominated by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for both Golf Writer of the Year and Humor Article of the Year in 2011, but came away empty handed. Either way, don’t let that stop you from listening to him on RotoExperts’ Fantasy War Room, Thursdays at 8pm ET.

Have a question? Need to complain? Harass Pat on Twitter @thepme or send it to patmayo@rotoexperts.com.

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