Sepp Straka’s timing couldn’t have been better at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He carded a second consecutive 7-under 65 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, taking advantage of relatively calm conditions for most of his round on Friday. That’s pushed him to a three-shot lead, but Saturday’s forecast suggests holding onto it won’t be easy.
The Austrian played most of his round in benign conditions while later starters like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler battled strengthening winds. Now the tables are turning. Saturday’s tee times have Straka going off at 1:35 p.m. local time – right when Mother Nature plans to flex her muscles.
The weather outlook isn’t pretty. The PGA Tour’s meteorologists are calling for sustained winds of 14-20 mph starting around noon, with gusts hitting 28 mph through mid-afternoon. There’s also a 60% chance of rain, and temperatures won’t crack 60 degrees. That’s exactly when Straka, who’s also fighting off the flu, will be in the thick of his round.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
Sepp Straka
165
21
$17,823,037
Early starters are already making their moves. Scheffler, teeing off well before Straka, raced to 3-under through his first five holes to get within four of the lead.
“Just kind of accepting bad shots, that’s where the patience comes in,” Straka said. “You’re going to get the wind wrong every now and then if it gusts up, and these greens are tiny, so small mistakes can have a big outcome.”
The tournament’s using split tees and threesomes to try speeding up play, but Straka’s still got the tougher end of the draw. He’ll be teeing off nearly two and half hours after the first groups – right when conditions are expected to be at their most challenging.
