Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy has won more than two dozen times on the PGA Tour, but it seemed different Sunday.
McIlroy shot a 6-under-par 66 in the final round on the way to winning his first tour start of the year, capturing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, Calif.
“Some people would argue that the golf courses I have won on are not up to like a Pebble Beach or an Augusta,” he said. “To win at one of the cathedrals of golf, it’s really, really cool.”
McIlroy, buoyed by an eagle late in the round, secured the title at 21-under 267 for a two-stroke victory at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
It’s McIlroy’s 27th victory on the PGA Tour and a good start to 2025 after he won twice last year.
“I’m just as determined this year as I have been in any of the years I have been out here on the PGA Tour,” he said. “To get this win this early, it means a great deal.”
A day earlier, McIlroy, 35, said he rarely played well during the tour’s early California swing, but he certainly was up to the task in the windy and sometimes chilly conditions.
“To have that walk up 18 and sort of take it all in was very cool,” he said.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry birdied the last hole for a 68 and a four-round total of 19 under to take second place. Lucas Glover (67) and England’s Justin Rose (68) shared third place at 18 under.
Russell Henley (67) and Australia’s Cam Davis (69) tied for fifth place at 17 under, while South Korea’s Tom Kim (70) and third-round leader Sepp Straka of Austria (72) were seventh at 16 under.
“I knew today was going to be tough, it was going to be exciting, there was so many guys around the lead,” McIlroy said.
By the back nine, much of the excitement involved McIlroy.
The eagle on the par-5 14th hole gave him a 4 under score across the first five holes of the back nine, stretching his lead to four strokes. He reached the green with a driver and 7-iron before sinking the 26 1/2-foot putt. He had parred the hole the previous two days after what he described as exceptional tee shots.
He followed through this time.
“The previous two times this week I didn’t take advantage of them,” he said. “I was determined to take advantage of it today. I hit a perfect 7-iron after that drive. … That really gave me a cushion to play the last four holes.”
Then McIlroy tacked on a birdie on No. 15 and even Glover’s birdies on the final two holes weren’t enough to catch him. Nor was Rose’s chip from the fringe that rolled in for an eagle on No. 18.
Straka slumped with just one birdie — but two bogeys — across the first 13 holes. He had three more birdies and two bogeys on the final five holes as he was denied picking up his second victory of 2025, following last month’s win at The American Express.
Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1 in his first tournament of the year, shot 67 in the final round and finished among three golfers tied for ninth place at 15 under.
–Field Level Media
