Rory McIlroy produced a surprising back-nine scoring burst to make a profitable begin to his PGA Tour season with a powerful two-shot victory on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.
McIlroy went into the ultimate spherical a shot behind Ryder Cup team-mate Sepp Straka and was tied for the lead on the flip, solely to tug away from a congested leaderboard with a surprising begin to the again 9.
The Northern Irishman performed a six-hole stretch in 5 below – together with a superb eagle on the par-five 14th – to open a four-stroke benefit, then closed out a six-under 66 to complete on 21 below and declare a twenty seventh PGA Tour victory.
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Rory McIlroy eagled the par-five 14th to increase his benefit through the last spherical at Pebble Seaside
McIlroy’s profitable margin was diminished by Shane Lowry’s quick end, with 5 birdies within the final eight holes serving to him to solo second, whereas Justin Rose’s beautiful final-hole eagle lifted him to tied-third alongside Lucas Glover.
Tom Kim – who held a share of the lead for a big chunk of the ultimate day – dropped again into tied-seventh with Straka, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler marking his return from harm by claiming a share of ninth place.
Remaining leaderboard from the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am
McIlroy beats Ryder Cup team-mates to PGA Tour win
Straka instantly misplaced his in a single day benefit when he didn’t rise up and down to save lots of par from the sand on the first, with the Austrian falling one behind his enjoying companions when McIlroy and Lowry each birdie the par-five second.
McIlroy briefly held the solo lead when Lowry three-putted from lengthy vary to bogey the third, just for Lowry to reply with a birdie and Rose additionally to choose up a shot on the fourth to make it a three-way tie on 16 below.
Rory McIlroy performed alongside Shane Lowry within the last spherical of the PGA Tour’s Signature Occasion
A 3-putt par from McIlroy on the par-five sixth was cancelled out by a 12-foot birdie on the iconic par-three subsequent, briefly restoring his one-shot benefit, just for him to bogey the following and see him attain the flip tied with Lowry and Straka.
McIlroy edged again forward by changing from 18 ft on the tenth and responded to lacking a birdie likelihood on the subsequent by holing an eight-foot birdie on the twelfth, doubling his benefit, earlier than leaping additional clear on the par-five 14th.
Rory McIlroy ended the week on 21 below after a six-under 66
He reached the par-five inexperienced in two and drained the 25-foot putt for eagle, with a close-range birdie on the par-four subsequent extending his result in 4 strokes and transferring him with a shot of Brandt Snedeker’s 72-hole match file.
Lowry posted three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the eleventh and made one other from 9 ft on the sixteenth, solely to overlook an opportunity from nearer on the par-three seventeenth to see McIlroy head to the ultimate gap with a three-shot cushion.
McIlroy elected to put up on the par-five final and two-putted from 30 ft to substantiate match victory, his first on the PGA Tour since Might’s Wells Fargo Championship, whereas Lowry birdied the 18th to complete solo second forward of Glover.
Glover missed a string of birdie alternatives on the again 9 of his final-round 67 and completed on 18 below alongside Rose, who combined 4 birdies and two bogeys with an unbelievable final-hole eagle, whereas Russell Henley and Cam Davis rounded off the top-five.
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Justin Rose completed off his last spherical at Pebble Seaside with this monster putt with a three-wood, securing an unlikely eagle
McIlroy pleased with victory at historic venue
McIlroy’s victory is his first in California for the reason that 2015 WGC Match Play, with the 35-year-old now having not less than one PGA Tour victory in every of the final eight seasons.
“Some folks would argue the golf programs I’ve gained on are lower than a Pebble Seaside or an Augusta, however to win at one of many cathedrals of golf is basically, actually cool,” McIlroy informed CBS.
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Rory McIlroy hopes to take momentum from his early-season victory into the remainder of the 12 months after a two-shot victory at Pebble Seaside
“I knew at the moment was going to be powerful, it was going to be thrilling, there have been so many guys across the lead and I suppose with it being Pebble Seaside I needed to put that to the again of my thoughts and go on the market and attempt to shoot a rating, which I used to be in a position to. Actually cool to have that stroll up 18 and take all of it in.
“I mentioned to Harry (Diamond, his caddie) strolling up the final, begin as you imply to go on. I am simply as decided this 12 months in any of the years I have been out right here on the PGA Tour and to get this win this early it means a fantastic deal and hopefully simply maintain the momentum going into Torrey Pines in a few weeks’ time.”
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Rory McIlroy tells Sky Sports activities’ Nick Dougherty that he’s feeling good on the golf course and is near being at his finest
What’s subsequent?
The PGA Tour strikes to Arizona for the WM Phoenix Open, the place world No 1 Scottie Scheffler – a two-time winner of the occasion – headlines and Nick Taylor returns as defending champion after final 12 months’s play-off victory. Early protection begins on Thursday from 2.15pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 9pm.
McIlroy might be again in TGL motion for Boston Frequent on Wednesday morning (2am begin UK time), reside on Sky Sports activities, earlier than that includes on the PGA Tour on the Genesis Invitational from February 13-16. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
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