AT&T Pebble Beach preview: Vijay Singh is a worthy favourite

Life would be so much different if I was Luke Donald. For a start I wouldn’t be cursing global warming for heaping several inches of snow on my car this morning. On the other hand I’d be going slightly round the bend as a result of everyone shouting Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke at me all the time. And thirdly, instead of freezing in England I’d be warming up in California on the latest round of my bid to prove I’m the greatest golfer in the world.

I use the term ‘warming up’ very loosely, as you have to in these days of messed up weather. Apparently the AT&T golfers will be cursing the weather almost as much as I am. It’s going to be wet and windy, which is going to call for an especially patient game from this week’s winner. Patience is generally the key to these pro-am events anyway. Being nice to “celebrity” partners as they drag you round at a snail’s pace can take its toll.

Which is why past competition form assumes more than normal significance. The other key stat is putting, which was certainly king last year, while accuracy off the tee was much more of an advantage than distance. Donald himself says this week that the wet conditions will make the greens particularly hard to play.

So yes, maybe we should look to Luuuuuuuuuuuke to start fulfilling his promise. His record in the last three years is 17th, 11th and seventh, the latter on the back of a Spyglass course record 62. My worry is that he actually made rather heavy weather of the bad conditions over the next three days, shooting over 70 each time. And his putting stats aren’t going to melt any snow round my way.

If you are looking for tournament form two players stand out: Mike Weir and Vijay Singh. Weir should have won last year, but bottled the Sunday with a 78. He has never actually won this but on his last four outings has been third, fourth, second and third.

Singh on the other hand won three years ago and showed renewed signs of life with last week’s seventh place - last three rounds in the 60s and finishing on a low. His putting form is pretty sharp too and there are few more patient players, so it’s not hard to see why he’s favourite.

Other big names to have prospered here are Phil Mickelson (best wait for him to find his form again), Davis Love III (not showing many sparks so far this season), Rory Sabbatini (second last year but very disappointing so far this) and Tom Lehman ( another to finish seventh last year but two missed cuts in his last two starts). Jim Furyk was fifth here in 2003 and a solid fourth at the Sony last month, but I’m leaving him alone.

A few tipsters are going for Nick Watney - another of those tied for seventh last year and having a decent season - but I can’t share their enthusiasm. I am going to keep the faith with Charles Warren, because he is the form man at the moment and tops the putting table.

There are a few others worth considering, but I’ve really got to rescue my motor!

PS: I tried to shed a tear over the demise of The International but couldn’t. Its revised Stableford scoring system was never one I could warm too as it seemed to punish good play as much as reward it. Not a few golfers felt the same way. It may be too late now, but wouldn’t it be nice if the Canadian Open could take its slot and be rescued from having to live in the shadow of the mother of all Opens? Maybe next year eh?