AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026: This sneaky pick could win with the ‘Rory McIlroy game plan’
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Alex Goodlett
For the third consecutive year, the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links has been awarded Signature Event status as a star-studded field descends upon this iconic venue. The opening two rounds will feature a Pro-Am format, with all players in the 80-man field paired alongside celebrities while rotating between Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.
The Signature Event designation means there will be no cut, allowing all 80 players to advance to the weekend for the final two rounds at Pebble Beach. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the best field to date this year, also highlighted by the 2026 PGA Tour debut of defending Pebble Beach champion Rory McIlroy.
Let’s dive into my top 10 contenders to watch as the best in the world take center stage at the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
10. Jake Knapp
One of the keys to unlocking low scores at Pebble Beach is dominating the par 5s, as evidenced by Rory McIlroy’s two eagles last year that propelled him to victory. Enter Jake Knapp, the current leader in par-5 scoring average over his past 40 rounds.
Knapp has become a familiar name on Sunday leader boards this season, posting three T-11-or-better finishes in all of his 2026 starts. He’s unbothered by the pesky Poa annua greens, ranking fourth in the field from inside 15 feet on Poa. Bomb it far and putt it well, Knapp will look to deploy the McIlroy game plan this week at Pebble.
9. Russell Henley
Icon Sportswire
A shorter golf course, difficult-to-hit greens and excellent course history: Russell Henley checks every box at Pebble Beach. Nearly half of the approach shots come from inside 150 yards, playing directly into the strengths of the world’s No. 6-ranked player.
Henley boasts a remarkably high floor, producing top-20 finishes in each of his past 10 PGA Tour starts. Pebble is an ideal fit for his game, and a course where he gained +7.5 strokes with the putter in 2025, his best putting performance of the past two years.
8. Maverick McNealy
Cue the “home game” narrative. Maverick McNealy grew up with a home just off Pebble Beach and considers this his favorite tournament of the year. His course familiarity is second to none, but it’s his trending form that earns him a spot among my top contenders.
McNealy has gained strokes on the field in all four major statistical categories in each of his three starts in 2026. His consistently strong approach play and tendency to spike with the putter give him real upside for anyone looking deeper down the odds board.
7. Chris Gotterup
Justin Edmonds
Since the summer of 2024, only Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have more PGA Tour wins than Chris Gotterup. His rapid ascent continued with his second victory of 2026, making birdie on six of his final seven holes to win the WM Phoenix Open in a playoff.
He’s built for the moment, relishing opportunities to take down the game’s titans and proving he has the clutch gene. His dominance off the tee alone can carry him to victory. The sky is the limit for Gotterup, and this rocket ship shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
6. Si Woo Kim
A T-3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open once again left Si Woo Kim backers empty-handed after he shared the lead for much of Sunday in Scottsdale. Still, the world-class ball-striking continues, and it feels like only a matter of time before the putts finally fall when it matters most.
Eventually, this hourglass of elite form will run out. Until then, Kim led the field tee to green last week and continues to put himself in contention regardless of course style or location. One of the tour’s most aggressive players, his moment is coming during this run.
5. Viktor Hovland
Alex Goodlett
Pebble Beach is often won on the back of precise, demanding approach play into the smallest greens on the PGA Tour, and that points directly to Viktor Hovland. He attacked the treacherous pin locations at TPC Scottsdale, firing a 9-under weekend to vault himself into a top-10 finish.
Hardcore golf fans will remember the 2018 U.S. Amateur, held at Pebble Beach and won by a free-spirited, immensely talented young Norwegian named Viktor Hovland. He looks well-suited to add another victory on the Pacific cliffs and reestablish himself among the world’s elite.
4. Justin Rose
Twenty-six years after making his professional debut, Justin Rose sits No. 3 in the world at age 45. It’s truly amazing. Rose captured his 13th PGA Tour title two weeks ago at Torrey Pines, surpassing $75 million in career earnings along the way.
It’s been an extraordinary career, and Rose remains a legitimate threat any time he tees it up. At this stage, he chooses his spots carefully, and Pebble Beach is always circled. A winner here in 2023, he’s more than capable of adding another trophy this week.
3. Tommy Fleetwood
Andrew Redington
It’s been just over five months since Tommy Fleetwood’s last PGA Tour start, arguably the feel-good moment of the season, when he finally shed the monkey off his back by winning the 2025 Tour Championship.
He followed that up with another victory on the DP World Tour in October and enters 2026 primed for a run toward the top. Fleetwood’s elite wedge play on a shorter-than-average course gives him a real chance to neutralize the game’s biggest hitters at the top.
2. Rory McIlroy
Pebble Beach. The Players. The Masters. The Irish Open. The Ryder Cup. 2025 was a dream season, the best of Rory McIlroy’s career, and it all started here. McIlroy dismantled Pebble Beach, overpowering it with driver and taking unimaginable lines over doglegs en route to a comfortable two-shot victory.
He returns to defend his title, making his PGA Tour season debut after eight consecutive DP World Tour starts. Does he have enough in the tank for another heavyweight battle with Scheffler in 2026? Like most golf fans, I can’t wait to find out.
1. Scottie Scheffler
Alex Goodlett
In the opening round of the WM Phoenix Open, Scottie Scheffler finally looked human. He spotted the leader 10 shots through 18 holes and still nearly won the tournament. We saw his worst, and only two players in the 123-man field managed to beat him in the end.
If that doesn’t illustrate the massive gap between Scheffler and the rest of the PGA Tour, nothing does. He’s a deserving, prohibitive favorite once again, continuing his reign as the best player walking the planet. Scottie Scheffler sits atop my power rankings, and it isn’t particularly close.
Joe Idone is a Read The Line contributor and host of the Preferred Lines podcast.