Collin Morikawa clinched his first PGA Tour title since 2023 with a dramatic one-shot victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, beating a rally from Scottie Scheffler that threatened to rewrite the leaderboard at Pebble Beach. The final round unfolded under a weather watch, with tee times moved up to avoid worsening conditions, and Morikawa began Sunday two behind Akshay Bhatia before a steady, late surge tightened the chase.
Morikawa started the day slowly, posting a 34 on the front nine. After reaching the turn with momentum, he grabbed a crucial stretch of gains at the 11th, followed by consecutive birdies at the 15th, which vaulted him into a two-stroke lead with two holes to play. He would finish the day five-under 67, ending at 22 under overall and finishing ahead of Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka, who both finished at 21 under.
Scheffler delivered a spectacular charge, firing a round-of-the-day 63 to move into a tie for fourth, tying his streak of 18 straight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy closed his title defense with an eight-under 64 to finish in a share of 14th. The drama wasn’t over, though, as Morikawa, Jacob Bridgeman, and Sam Burns were still on the course with the potential for a late collapse or a dramatic finish as Scheffler sought a historic comeback.
How Scheffler nearly erased the deficit
Scheffler arrived on Sunday far behind the leaders, 13 strokes off the halfway mark and eight back entering the final round. He electrified the back nine with birdies and eagles, starting with a 15-foot birdie at the opening hole, followed by an eagle at the par-five second. After saving par with a 15-foot putt at the fourth, he rolled in another 15-foot birdie par-savers at the next two holes and capped a front-nine 30 with an eagle at the sixth.
Despite a bogey at the seventh, Scheffler kept the momentum, with back-to-back birdies from the 10th, then a run that put him within a stroke of Morikawa briefly. He grabbed the lead by birdieing the 14th and looked to be in a position to finish strong. A costly bogey at the 15th and missed chances on the next two holes left him needing an eagle on the final hole, which he delivered with a precise iron shot that left him within three feet of the cup.
Morikawa’s decisive moments and late theatrics
Morikawa answered the pressure with a pair of pars on the 13th and 14th, then hit a clutch 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th to reassert the lead. He briefly watched the group ahead as the weather and nerves built, and he stalled his approach into the 18th, awaiting the result. With a 19-minute wait, he finally found the right edge of the green and lagged a decisive putt from the fringe to within a foot, tapping in for the completing birdie and sealing the win.
The field’s late push
Lee’s late surge helped him reach 21 under, tying Morikawa after a run of four birdies in six holes to close. Straka also ended strong, matching the pace with a three-under finish that left him two strokes off Morikawa. Fleetwood joined the late group with four birdies in the final six holes to finish two behind Scheffler, who had already finished but could not overtake Morikawa.
Post-round reflections
Morikawa reflected on the week, saying, “I kept believing in myself. This didn’t feel possible at the start, but with the right steps and belief, I could keep one foot in front of the other, hit great shots, and convert putts when it mattered most.”
McIlroy, whose eight birdies highlighted a clean, bogey-free round, felt encouraged despite finishing five behind Morikawa. He noted that he saw solid rhythm and momentum heading into a busy stretch of the season, especially after some challenging moments the day before.
What’s next
The PGA Tour stays in California for the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Ludvig Åberg defends the title, with early coverage Thursday afternoon and full coverage later in the evening. If you’re planning to watch, Sky Sports offers live coverage, or you can stream via NOW for a contract-free option.
Bottom line
The Pebble Beach weekend delivered a high-stakes finish with Morikawa’s resilience overcoming Scheffler’s explosive Sunday, underscoring how quickly the leaderboard can swing in big-field events where the weather, nerves, and precision shots all matter. As Morikawa celebrates his return to the winner’s circle, the rest of the field heads to Riviera with renewed belief and a reminder that the PGA Tour’s calendar is full of opportunities to surge late in the season. Would you side with Morikawa’s steady, steadying approach or Scheffler’s fearless, aggressive charge when the stakes are this high? Share your thoughts in the comments.
