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Celebrities mix it with the pro's againThe celebrities get their second chance in three weeks to mix it with the US Tour stars but serious golf punters will be more interested in the weather at this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. Who says we're a boring bunch?
Twice in the last three years this tournament has been ravaged by the elements and last year we had the bizarre occurrence of the final round taking place seven months after the previous one.
Two years earlier - those of you who backed Jeff Maggert with Stan James will remember it fondly - the tournament was called off at halfway so recent form figures are dubious to say the least.
The good news is that Pebble Beach was bathed in sunshine during Tuesday's practice round and is forecast to stay that way up to the start of the tournament.
But the bad news is that black clouds are set to drift in on Friday with the heavens opening over the weekend.
Phil Mickelson is the defending champion here but the betting is dominated once again by the top two in the world, Tiger Woods and David Duval.
The bookies are at odds as to who to grant favouritism with Woods having outgunned Duval last week as they continue their battle at the top of the world rankings.
The tournament is played over three courses over the first three days before the cut is made. The final round is held at Pebble Beach although the leading amateurs continue to play on.
THE LEADING CONTENDERS
Tiger Woods: Woods, who won seven of his first 37 tournaments has now gone 13 in a row without a victory and added to his catalogue of near misses with his third place in Phoenix. As well as the disappointment Woods was also party to an uncomfortable incident where a fan heckling him was detained by police after they discovered he was carrying a handgun. Woods was tied second here in 1997 after an explosive finish although he was one of many who didn't turn up for the third round last year after falling out of contention. Also fifth in the season-opener, Woods' winning turn can't be too far away but his putting continues to undo all his other hard work.
David Duval: Duval's exploits this year should be well known by now but as well as his nine-shot victory in the Mercedes and his remarkable 59 in the Bob Hope his chances here are boosted by two second place finishes in 1995 and 1997. Despite all that Duval is only second favourite in many lists this week and the bookies must feel that his tied 18th in Phoenix last week was a sign that he's just taken his foot off the gas. That's a dangerous viewpoint, especially as he holds the course record (62) at Pebble Beach and a third Duval win of 1999 is a live possibility.
Mark O'Meara: The undisputed king of Pebble Beach. O'Meara has won this tournament an incredible five times (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1997) and his form over the last year hints heavily at win number six. The US Masters and Open champion started the season with a second place in the Mercedes Championship and was tied 12th in the Hawaiian Open. With all those good vibrations he has to go on any short-list.
Justin Leonard: Leonard produced his trademark final round charge in Phoenix last week but his 66 came up short as Rocco Mediate held his nerve superbly. That runners-up spot added to a fifth-place in the Mercedes Championship so he's started the season as well as he's ever done. However, he's never made any impact here, finishing well down the field in 1995 and 1998 and missing the cut in 1997. In theory he should put that form behind him this week but it remains something of a gamble if you fancy him to do so.
Jim Furyk: Furyk's performances here have been getting better and better. From a tied 29th in 1994 he was tied 21st in 1995, fourth in 1997 and tied third last year. Clearly his straight-hitting game and ability to handle the wind are important factors at Pebble Beach and he comes here on the back of a tied sixth in Phoenix - his best finish of the year. Two previous starts resulted in a top ten and a top 20 so it looks business as usual for one of the Tour's most consistent players.
Davis Love: Love made a bright start to the year with an eighth and a tied second in the two Hawaii tournaments and conditions here should be similar so expect the 1997 US PGA champion to thrive. He's twice gone close to the title here ( tied fourth 1991 and tied third 1995) while he was just one off the lead when it was abandoned in 1995. Those look excellent credentials for another serious challenge.
Vijay Singh: Singh withdrew from the Phoenix Open after an opening round 74 last week but he makes a swift return. Produced an eye-catching fourth place in the season-opener but then faded away to tied 38th the week after. Hasn't really got going in this event although tied 24th (1994) and tied 15th (1997) could be pointers to an improved showing this year.
Fred Couples: Couples cruised to a top ten finish in the Mercedes but never made it to the final round in a disappointing defence of his Bob Hope Classic title two weeks ago. Couples has a fine record in celebrity events but you have to go back over a decade to find his best finishes here - a tied third in 1984 and a tied fifth in 1987. Couples can turn it on at any time of course but he looks best left alone this week.
Phil Mickelson: The left-hander won this in bizarre circumstances last year when he took advantage of an eight-month delay to emerge from a pack of chasers and take the title by a shot. But is Pebble Beach the same course in September that it is in January? Certainly, if the winds blow this week, and they normally do at this time of year, then Mickelson's chances will be reduced and that explains why his record in this event prior to last year's success was relatively poor. Mickelson finished with the stragglers at last week's Phoenix Open after shooting a final round 80 and his chances of a defence look remote.
BEST OF THE REST
With Duval and Woods at such short odds there's a host of 40-1+ shots who take the eye. Payne Stewart has five top fives here in the past and is in decent nick with successive top 20s. Paul Azinger is a former champion here having lifted the trophy in 1991 and has finished tied seventh and tied third in the last two years. He tied 14th last week looks a useful build-up. Stuart Appleby has three top 20s from four starts and is a fine wind player while the same applies to Aussie compatriot Robert Allenby who played well in Phoneix last week (tied 11th). Kenny Perry has finished twice and third here and was tied sixth last week while Harrison Frazar excels in the wind and made the top ten in Phoenix.
SUMMARY
If Phil Mickelson's victory - an unreliable guide due to its unique circumstances - is cast aside then it's no secret that this tournament has been dominated by experienced players down the years.
And with that in mind this week's selections have a wealth of experience with plenty of it of the winning variety.
Headline status goes to Davis Love who looks ready to have another big year based on his two performances so far in 1999.
A promising tied eighth at the Mercedes showed fears over his bad back could be put to one side and he gave further evidence of that with a tied second in the Hawaiian Open.
That included a superb third round 63 and it came as something of a surprise when he couldn't finish the job off on Sunday despite taking the lead early on.
It's been something of a similar story for him in this event with tied fourth and tied third place finishes in 1991 and 1995 leaving him with a feeling of what might have been. And to complete the theme he was one off the lead when the tournament was abandoned two years ago.
Clearly, Love has a Pebble Beach title in him and it should be a matter of when rather than if.
You'll get around 20-1 on Love to finally nail the elusive title this week and we are confident that he'll give it a real go.
Much of that Love story applies to Jim Furyk who has finished fourth and tied third in the last two years.
Furyk has kicked off his season in fine form, recording finishes of 9-19-T6, and is a man immune to the forecast weather changes this week. Rain or shine Jim'll be somewhere in the top ten for sure.
With nothing better than 20s we'll go win only. If he does fall just short he'll at least make a vital contribution to his Money List funds which we have a vested interest in having tipped him at the start of the season.
One of the basic rules of golf betting that should be taught in all primary schools is that Mark O'Meara must be backed in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am if showing any signs of form.
Well two recent Major victories and a tied second and a tied 12th from two starts this year pretty much answer that question so he simply has to be included in our staking plan.
With five wins here, O'Meara may count himself a little unfortunate that the tournament isn't named after him. A sixth win may go a long way to righting that and thanks to the presence of David Duval and Tiger Woods he's an attractive 14-1.
Of the bigger-priced outsiders the two that take the eye most are Payne Stewart and Robert Allenby.
Stewart had an incredible string of results here in the 1980s, finishing tied fifth and runner-up twice between 1985 and 1987.
And he's also shone in this decade with a tied third in 1990, a tied ninth in 1993, a fifth in 1995 and yet another top 20 last year.
Stewart's bubbled under nicely so far in 1999 with two tied 18th place finishes and on a course he loves expect him to step up on those efforts now.
The former US Open champion sits in third place on the putting stats this year which bodes well for his chances and at 50-1 he is excellent each-way value.
Allenby went into the notebook after his promising tied 11th place finish at the Bob Hope Classic,
Rounds of 70-70-67-70-66 suggests he's more than comfortable with the pro-am format and Ladbrokes look to be out of line by quoting him at a massive 80-1.
The Aussie has the class to win a US Tour event this year and his ability to handle windy conditions will be a real plus on the Pebble Beach links. This could be his week.
The two market leaders - Woods and Duval - have obvious chances but Woods continues to be dogged by his poor putting while Duval's 59 has to remain as some kind of peak which he may just struggle to climb back to for the foreseeable future.
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