About the Event: This will be the 70th edition of the tournament and the field this week contains 12 of the top-50 golfers in the world rankings along with seven former champions.

Course Characteristics: Apart from Pebble Beach, which features the smallest greens on the tour, Spyglass Hills and Monterey Peninsula CC are also used. The pros are partnered by amateurs at each of the tracks for three rounds and then the cut is made for the finale at Pebble Beach. The latter has 92 bunkers and nine holes run along the rocky shores of Carmel Bay.

The Main Men

Tiger Woods (11-2): Took the title at the beginning of this century but it's not a regular stop-off on his schedule. Starting to show something of his old self if his third in Abu Dhabi is anything to go by.

Phil Mickelson (24-1): A three-time winner of the Pebble Beach Pro-am and has posted top-10s in each of the last two seasons. Showed signs of returning to form when ranked second for putts per round on his way to tying for 26th at Scottsdale on Sunday.

Hunter Mahan (25-1): Closed with a 66 to occupy the runner-up position in the 2011 edition of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am. Missed the cut in Qatar last week but is better judged on a sixth in the Farmers Insurance Open earlier.

Nick Watney (25-1): Has not missed a cut for six successive seasons in this tournament and has posted a couple of top-10s during that time with the most recent being sixth in 2011. Began this term with a steady 12th in Kapalua and is another Californian to bear in mind.

Rickie Fowler (28-1): Only start to date in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am produced a finish just outside the top-25 in 2010. He would love to register his first PGA tour win in his home state so has to be one for the short-list.

Brandt Snedeker (28-1): Course form is nothing special with just a solitary top-25 to show after five efforts. However, was back in the winner's enclosure at Torrey Pines a couple of weeks ago and could figure again.

Zach Johnson (35-1): Another who doesn't visit Pebble Beach that often, but a tied eighth last time out in the Humana Challenge, where he was fifth for GIR and 10th for fairways hit, which means he arrives in good form and could go well.

Martin Laird (40-1): Missed the cut on both occasions he's taken part in this, but the Glasgow-born golfer is better judged on a second in the Hyundai Champions event and a tied 14th in the Humana Challenge.

Spencer Levin (40-1): No missed cuts in three starts with last year's fourth being his best return. Just finding his form in 2012 as demonstrated by his third last Sunday in the Phoenix Open.

Kevin Na (45-1): His record in this is nothing special but showed a return to form when fifth in the Phoenix Open last week, in which he was ranked third for birdies and fifth for putts per round, and is worth considering.

Rory Sabbatini (45-1): Finished second at the 2006 Pebble Beach Pro-am and was ranked 10th for both birdies and driving distance when 15th in 2011. Steady start to 2012 with three successive cuts made and a ninth in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Sean O'Hair (66-1): Came home in 10th spot three years ago and comfortably made the cut in each of the two subsequent seasons. One to consider on that form and on his runner-up in the Sony Open last month.

Ryan Palmer (110-1): Just a solitary top-25 at Pebble Beach, however began the Phoenix Open with a 64 before falling away but was ranked seventh for birdies at Scottsdale.

Jimmy Walker (110-1): Was ranked in the top-10 for birdies and in both putting categories when tying for ninth last term. Disappointing in Scottsdale but worth another chance to show the form that led to an eighth at Torrey Pines.

Tom Gillis (250-1): Topped the GIR rankings in the 2011 edition of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am and was second for fairways hit on his way to third spot and that was proceeded by an eighth in 2010. Obvious chance on that form but has to bounce back from three successive missed cuts.