AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Collin Morikawa edges PGA Tour thriller after Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy produce big finishes | Golf news

Collin Morikawa won a first PGA Tour title since 2023 with a dramatic one-stroke victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Scottie Scheffler threatened a historic comeback.

Morikawa started Sunday two behind Akshay Bhatia and fell further behind with a slow start to his final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links, where tee times were moved up due to the threat of bad weather.

The two-time major champion reached the turn in 34 and moved to the top of a crowded leaderboard by following a 10-foot birdie at the 11th with back-to-back gains at the 15th, giving him a two-shot lead with two to play.

Morikawa recovered from a bogey at the par-three 17th to birdie the final par-five, tapping in from close range to complete a five-under 67 and finish at 22 under ahead of Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka.

Scheffler carded a round of 63 to tie for fourth alongside Tommy Fleetwod and close out an 18th consecutive top 10 on the PGA Tour, while Rory McIlroy completed his title defense with an eight-under 64 to claim a share of 14th.

How Scheffler threatened a historic comeback

Scheffler was 13 shots out of the lead at the halfway point and eight shots ahead of the final day, where he climbed the leaderboard by sinking a 15-footer at the first, then making the par five and landing another shot at the par-four third.

He responded after missing a point-blank birdie chance at the fourth by sinking a 15-foot holeshot to save par at the next and making an eagle at the par-five sixth, then canceled out a birdie at the par-three seventh with a bogey at the next to get a 30 on the front nine.

Scheffler made back-to-back birdies starting at the 10th to briefly close in on the lead and bounced back from a bogey at the 12th by scrambling for a par at the next, with the world number 1 taking advantage of the par-five 14th to take a share of the lead.

A bad bogey at the 15th and missed opportunities over the next two holes forced Scheffler to require an eagle on the final hole, which he delivered after hitting a spectacular iron shot to within three feet of the hole.

“I had to do something special today to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said. “I was playing really aggressive, a little more aggressive than usual, so a few bogeys on the card.

“I felt like I was fighting all week just to give myself a chance, and then for special things to happen today and me to put myself in the clubhouse with a chance, it’s always nice.”

Morikawa resists group ranking

Three other players were still on the course at 20 under when Scheffler made his eagle, with Morikawa, Jacob Bridgeman and Sam Burns having five, four and three holes to play respectively.

Morikawa went up and down the green to scramble the pars at the 13th and 14th before holed out from 30 feet to take the lead at the next par four, then undid his birdie at the 16th by making bogey on the next par three.

Lee birdied four of his final six holes to put the clubhouse at 21 under and move level with Morikawa, who had to wait 19 minutes to play his approach shot in the par-five final as the group in front struggled to finish the hole.

Morikawa found the right edge of the green and dragged a putt from the fringe a foot short of the target, then tapped in to win a first PGA Tour title since the Zozo Championship in Japan in October 2023.

Lee was joined at 21 under by Straka after the Austrian played his final three holes in four under, with Fleetwood birdieing four of his final six holes to join Scheffler two shots behind Morikawa.

“I continued to believe in myself,” Morikawa said. “It didn't seem possible at the beginning of the week, but with the right steps and good faith, I was able to put one foot in front of the other, hit some great shots and make some great putts.”

Burns briefly led after six birdies in his first 13 holes, but bogeyed the par-three 17th to finish tied for sixth with day leader Akshay Bhatia, while Bridgeman bogeyed two of his final three holes to fall into a share of eighth.

McIlroy made eight birdies in his only bogey-free round of the week, including four in a five-hole stretch on his first nine, with the world No. 2 – who finished five shots back – pleased with his game ahead of a busy stretch of the PGA Tour season.

“There were some destructive tee shots yesterday, but everything looks pretty good,” McIlroy said. “But overall there were some really good things this week and I'm pretty encouraged for next week, that's for sure.”

What's next?

The PGA Tour remains in California for the Genesis Invitational, another marquee event, with the Tiger Woods Foundation hosting the event at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.

Ludvig Åberg returns as defending champion, with live coverage on Thursday from 3.15pm on Sky Sports Golf before full coverage from 9pm. Get Sky Sports Or stream without contract NOW.

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