Rory McIlroy claimed his 27th PGA Tour win and his 37th as a professional when he put on a masterclass on the back nine and closed with a six-under 66 to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots from Shane Lowry on 21-under-par.
The Holywood star (35) etched his name alongside legends Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods by winning at the iconic Monterey Peninsula venue.
His big goal is to peak for the Masters in nine weeks, but he was thrilled to join compatriot Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, as a winner by Stillwater Cove after holding off a spirited late charge from the Offaly man to win $3.6 million.
“Some people would argue that the golf courses I have won on are not up to a Pebble Beach or obviously an Augusta or whatever but to win at one of the cathedrals of golf is really, really cool,” McIlroy said.
“I knew today was going to be tough, it was going to be exciting with so many guys on the lead. And I guess with it being Pebble Beach, I had to put that to the back of my mind and just go out there and try to shoot a score, which I was able to.”
He has his sights set on winning the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam in April and he feels he has given himself momentum now after winning in his first start on the PGA Tour this year.
“I said to Harry walking up the last, ‘Start as you mean to go on’,” McIlroy said. “You know I’m just as determined this year as I have been in any of the years I’ve been out here on the PGA Tour.
“To get this win this early, it means a great deal. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going into Torrey Pines in a couple of weeks’ time, setting the tone for 2025.”
The Co Down man pointed to his eagle at the 14th as key to his victory but he also paid tribute to Lowry and was pleased to see him win an extra $600,000 after his birdie at the 18th saw him break out of a three-man tie for second.
“I’ve hit three really good tee shots up 14 the previous two times this week and I didn’t take advantage of them,” he said. “I was determined to take advantage of it today.
“I had a perfect seven iron after that drive. And to hole a putt like that across that green. It’s a bit of a bonus. But, you know, that really gave me a cushion to play the last four holes and I was really proud of myself.
“I made that bogey on the eighth hole, and then to play the next few the way I did, that gave me the cushion for it to be pretty comfortable coming down the last few holes.
“There’s still a few scenarios that are playing through your head. If Shane had a birdied 17 and made that putt, you know, a three shot lead on 18 compared to two shot lead is a little bit different.”
McIlroy opted to lay up with an iron on the 18th and play the hole as a three-shooter.
“Getting the job done is, ultimately what I needed to do. It was also good to see Shane make four to finish second on his own. So that’ll make our flight home a little bit better for both of us.
“But yeah, I know, just a really cool day to win in California, a place that I haven’t historically played that well before. It’s obviously a really cool way to start the season.”
McIlroy and Lowry were tied for second overnight, one stroke behind Ryder Cup teammate Sepp Straka.
Conditions were perfect for golf at a sun-bathed Pebble Beach, caressed by a fresh sea breeze, but it was underwhelming from the final three-ball for much of the front nine.
Straka went out in level and McIlroy one-under, mixing birdies at the second and seventh with a bogey at the eighth to share the lead with Straka and Tom Kim on 16-under.
But he moved up a gear on the back nine, making an 18-footer for a birdie at the 10th and a nine-footer for a two at the 12th to lead by two shots on 18-under from Lucas Glover, Tom Kim and Lowry, who rallied with birdies of his own at the 11th and 12th.
McIlroy put one hand on the trophy at the 571-yard 14th, ripping a 339-yard drive over the trees before rifling a sky-high 221-yard seven iron to 27 feet before brushing in the eagle putt.
That gave him a three-shot lead on 20-under from Lowry, who two-putted for his third birdie in four holes.
But the Offaly man couldn’t match McIlroy’s birdie three at the 15th, where he flaunted his improved wedge play by firing a 104-yard approach inside three feet to move four shots clear.
Lowry cut the gap to three by curling in a nine-footer at the 16th and applied more pressure by hitting his tee shot to eight feet at the 17th.
McIlroy had a 13-footer to go four clear there, but while he missed to open the door, Lowry couldn’t convert either.
It was still an excellent week for the Clara man, who looked tentative for much of the front nine, hitting just four greens in regulation as he turned in one over to find himself two shots off the pace.
He birdied the second to match McIlroy and tie for the lead, but he three-putted the third, then followed a birdie four at the fourth with bogeys at the sixth, where he pushed his second into the penalty area, and at the eighth, where he was bunkered greenside.
Lowry did well not to fall further behind at the tough ninth, where he had to make a 13-footer for par to turn for home in seventh place.
He was two shots behind Kim, Straka and McIlroy, who led by a shot from Glover, Rose and Cam Davis on 16-under.
But he loosened up and showed his class on the back nine, finishing with an up and down birdie from 86 yards, rolling in a five-footer for a 68 to jump out of a tie with Lucas Glover and Justin Rose and turn a possible $1.49m pay-day into $2.16m.
World number one Scottie Scheffler closed with a 67 to finish joint ninth on 15-under, while it was also a good week for Séamus Power, who shot 69, holing a bunker shot for a two at the 17th as he tied for 17th on 11-under to earn $272,000.
Straka shot 72 to share seventh on 16-under.