Rory McIlroy earned his 27th PGA TOUR victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

TEEING OFF

MCILROY TAKES HOME 27TH CAREER VICTORY IN FIRST START OF 2025

The Monterey Peninsula has provided a majestic backdrop for golf’s greatest players to make magic through the years. Rory McIlroy added his name to that list Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, carding a final-round 66 at Pebble Beach Golf Links for a two-stroke victory over Shane Lowry (with whom he teamed up with to win the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans) at 21-under total. McIlroy trailed Sepp Straka by one stroke into Sunday, hung near the top of the leaderboard throughout the day and delivered a crucial blow with an eagle at the serpentine-like par-5 14th, set up by a booming drive and 7-iron to 26 feet. He added a birdie at the par-4 15th, set up by a flip wedge from the rough to 4 feet, and closed with three pars for his 27th PGA TOUR title. It’s his first TOUR win since the Truist Championship last May, and it’s the first time he has won on TOUR before the month of March. McIlroy found the winner’s circle at Pebble Beach with a blend of power (leading the field in Driving Distance at 336.7 yards, 17 yards ahead of No. 2 Gary Woodland) and putting prowess (ranking seventh in Strokes Gained: Putting). It was a well-rounded showing for McIlroy in his first TOUR start of 2025, and it bodes well for a big season ahead. “There are some venues in this game that just mean a little bit more than others,” McIlroy said Sunday afternoon. “To win at one of the cathedrals of golf is really, really cool.”

TOUR RETURNS TO FAN-FAVORITE WM PHOENIX OPEN

The PGA TOUR stays in Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open, where Corey Conners is defending after the event was cancelled in 2020. Dustin Johnson, the reigning FedExCup champion, returns to Valero for the first time since 2015, when he finished T6. Johnson made his TOUR debut here as a sponsor exemption in 2007. Jordan Spieth will make one more start before Masters week and will join Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, and Danny Willett as former Masters champions at TPC San Antonio. Sponsor exemptions include Sam Bennett, Austin Eckroat, Mac Meissner of SMU, and 18-year-old Akshay Bhatia. Others in the field looking to keep rising in the FedExCup standings include Tony Finau, Abraham Ancer, and Hideki Matsuyama. The winner will receive 500 FedExCup points.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry card first-round aces at AT&T Pebble Beach

THE TURN

		MIC CHECK
		“It's one of those deals where immediately after it happened I was mad at myself because I was like, ‘Gosh, that's so stupid.’ But you just don't think about it when you're in the moment. It really wasn't like terrible, but I knew I kind of messed something up just because the way my hand wasn't really moving much and if I did, it hurt pretty bad.” – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on the Christmas Day cooking accident that led to the delay in his start to the 2025 season.

BY THE NUMBERS

The PGA TOUR has identified four impactful ways to support “California Rises,” assisting ongoing relief efforts in California in the wake of the tragic wildfire. Fans are encouraged to support the Genesis Inspiration Foundation, the California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen and the American Red Cross.

1	After another week atop the WAGR standings, Florida State junior Luke Clanton now needs just one more point to receive his PGA TOUR card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. Clanton, who stands at 19 points, will play the WM Phoenix Open on a sponsor exemption.

8	Ahead of the Feb. 1 kickoff of Black History Month, eight collegiate golfers from HBCU programs enjoyed the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour at one of the game’s most iconic venues, Pebble Beach.

16	Josh Teater won The Panama Championship for his second Korn Ferry Tour title and first victory in nearly 16 years, dating back to the 2009 Utah Championship.