AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am preview

The PGA Tour heads for California this week and one of its most famous tournaments. Phil Mickelson defends the title in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Phil Mickelson defends Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Getty Images)
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Lowdown: The PGA Tour heads for California this week and one of its most famous tournaments. Phil Mickelson defends the title in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

After his popular victory in last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open, Mickelson will look to continue his good run of form in a tournament he's won four times in the past. In last season's event he produced a scintillating final round of 64 to beat Charlie Wi by two strokes.

It's set to be a chilly week and the forecast is for reasonably strong winds (often a factor at Pebble Beach) and possibly rain later in the week.

Jimmy Walker - Solid record at Pebble Beach and playing very consistently on the PGA Tour currently. He's made 13 cuts in a row.

Ryan Palmer - He's on a great run of form at the moment with a tied sixth and fifth place finishes on his last two PGA Tour outings. Look for him to continue in the same vein this week. Key hole: 7th at Pebble Beach. Only 106 yards, the key to negotiating this hole is managing the wind. Some days it can be a flick with a sand wedge, others it'll require a knocked-down 7-iron. Skills required: Versatility. Players will have to contend with the different challenges posed by three courses as well as playing with amateur golfers.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?