Purse: €6.4 million (€1.15 million to the winner).
Where: Monterey Peninsula, California.
The courses: Pebble Beach Links – 7,051 yards Par 72 and Spyglass Hill – 7,041 yards Par 72 - are the two courses that will be used over the opening two rounds, with players alternating. Pebble Beach, designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, will be used for the final two rounds over the weekend. Pebble Beach occupies a spectacular clifftop location overlooking the Pacific: the Par-3 seventh hole is spectacular, playing downhill from tee to green; while the Pa- 5 18th along the ocean is a risk/reward finishing hole.
The field: A number of high-profile withdrawals, notably world number one Dustin Johnson, has hit the strength of the field with no player from among the world's top-10 featuring. Patrick Cantlay, the world number 11, is the leading player, although course specialist Phil Mickelson and back-to-form former world No 1 Jordan Spieth are playing. The pro-am team part of the event has been cancelled this year.
Quote-Unquote: "My game's in a good spot, my processes are all really good, and if I can make a bunch of putts like I did [in shooting a final round 61 in the American Express, finishing runner-up to Si Woo Kim], look out!" – Patrick Cantlay – who has finished 2nd-13th-17th-1st in his last four tournaments – in bullish mood.
Irish in the field: Only Séamus Power. Pádraig Harrington had been scheduled to play but was forced to withdraw after contracting Covid-19. Power, seeking to arrest missed cuts in each of his two events so far this season, starts out at Spyglass Hill in the first round (off the first in a group with Aaron Baddeley and KJ Choi) at 5.58pm Irish time).
Weather forecast: Cool temperatures with rain expected for the first three days.
Betting: Patrick Cantlay's form of late justifies favouritism although the odds of 15-2 are a tad tight . . . better value may be found with course specialist Phil Mickelson at 40-1 as Lefty chases a sixth win in the tournament . . . Andrew Putnam went 72 holes at the Phoenix Open without coughing up a bogey and is worth an each-way look at 70-1.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports from 8pm. Featured groups from 4.30pm.
