Rory McIlroy was in superb form in the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am as he held off Shane Lowry to win the title for the first time.
The four-time Major winner began the day tied for second with Lowry at 15-under. One ahead of the pair was Sepp Straka, with the likes of Justin Rose, Tom Kim and Cam Davis all in contention.
By the second hole, the pair shared the lead after their first birdies of the day, while Straka's uncertain start continued with par.
From there, McIlroy continued to feel his way into it, steadying himself with four successive pars as Lowry struggled for consistency. He bogeyed the third to give McIlroy the outright lead, before his second birdie of the day came immediately after. At the sixth, Lowry then went out of bounds before ultimately making bogey as his chance threatened to slip away.
That left an opportunity for McIlroy to assert himself with an eagle putt, but he left himself four feet to the hole then missed the chance for birdie. He soon made amends on the iconic par-3 seventh with a beautiful left-to-right putt into the right side of the hole to move one clear at 17-under.
McIlroy and Lowry then each blotted their copybooks with bogeys at the eighth as we headed towards the turn none the wiser as to who would win, with others including Tom Kim, Cam Davis, Lucas Glover and Straka far from out of it.
At the 10th, the lead was shared by McIlroy, Kim and Straka, and they were joined by Glover following a brilliant chip-in for birdie at the 12th. However, within seconds, McIlroy made his third birdie of the day to move one clear. That became two on the 12th, as he assuredly roled in his birdie putt from nine feet.
If there were any lingering doubts that this was to be McIlroy's day, by the 14th, they were all but extinguished. At the par-5, McIlroy found the green in two and, from 26 feet, he holed a brilliant eagle putt to briefly move four clear. That was reduced to three almost immediately after with Lowry's fifth birdie of the day, but McIlroy never looked like relinquishing control from there.
On the 15th, his lead became four again with another birdie fashioned from an exquisite second shot that left him just four feet to go, which he duly completed.
Lowry asked a question of the leader on the 16th, reducing the deficit to three with a birdie, but this was the confident McIlroy that we saw for his most recent PGA Tour title in May, when he made winning the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time look effortless.
Rory McIlroy beat Shane Lowry by two shots
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Up ahead, Rose then produced the shot of the day to draw level with Lowry with an incredible eagle putt from off the green using a 3-wood to complete his round. While the crowd went wild for that moment, it was far more sedate back on the fairway.
McIlroy sensibly played it safe from his tee shot at the par-5 before making the green in three. Lowry then reclaimed solo second with a birdie to reduce the gap to two before McIlroy, after missing his birdie putt, completed the formalities for his maiden Pebble Beach Pro-Am title.
Given the nature of his win, it's no surprise that McIlroy is confident his 27th PGA Tour win will mark just the start of a good season. Afterwards, he outlined his ambition to reach 30 PGA Tour wins this year.
He said: "Getting to that number is really cool. I think for me it's even more meaningful that I don't really play a full, full schedule on the PGA Tour either. I spend my time between here and the DP World Tour. Yeah, I think I'm up over 40 or 40 worldwide wins, which is a pretty cool number.
"Yeah, absolutely, 27 is a cool number on the PGA Tour. Hopefully I keep adding to that and break a 30 barrier at some point this year and keep going from there."
Straka, McIlroy and Lowry have begun their final rounds, and all three have found the fairway - a great start.
However, the Austrian dumped his approach into the sand, Lowry watched his zip back and fall off the green to the short side, and McIlroy pulled his left into the rough. Not so good.
In the meantime, thank you very much for joining us. We will endeavour to bring you all of the key moments as they happen from Pebble Beach until a champion is crowned later on.
After some pretty average golf from the final group, Lowry and McIlroy tidy up for par with short-range putts. Straka isn't so lucky, over-doing his downhill bunker shot and sending his ball across the green and into the rough on the short side. From there, he gets up and down, but it's an opening bogey and we're tied at the top!
NERVY START CONTINUES
It's not been vintage from the final group so far as Scottie Scheffler saves par on the fourth, remaining at 10-under as he hopes to gatecrash the leaders' party later on.
Fairways and greens are always the order of the day, but especially in the final round when mistakes are magnified. McIlroy has gone bunker-rough on the par-5 second while Straka has punched his ball over the back of the green after hitting the fairway. Lowry also found the rough from the short grass, but only just, and has a green-light special for a chip-in.
He doesn't find the hole with his third, but the Irishman does via his fourth to move up to -16. Meanwhile, after Straka flicks his ball out of a precarious position to set up a birdie chance, the overnight leader misses his birdie attempt to lose ground. McIlroy chips close and also makes a four to join Lowry at the top.
WEAK WEDGE SHOTS
McIlroy has a shot into the green at the par-4 third, but it wasn't where he planned to be after hooking one towards the fans off the tee. Lowry and Straka are on the opposite side of the fairway with the ball just above their feet. Straka will be more pleased than Lowry with his approach, though, with both players' wedge shots zipping away from the pin. Lowry is right at the front, but Straka is about half the distance closer. McIlroy - compromised by the unfavorable position he found himself in - is also looking at a two-putt for par from range.
BRUTAL BREAK FOR DAVIS
Lucas Glover is looking good for a second birdie of the day at the fifth, floating a superb tee shot into the par-3 hole. He's joined Tom Kim and Cam Davis on -14. Speaking of Davis, the Australian gets really unlucky as his approach into the fourth cracks the top of Rose's ball some six feet away from the hole and flies away off the green. That is brutal.
RORY LEADS
Back with the final group, McIlroy judges his lag putt beautifully and taps home for par to remain at 16-under. The same cannot be said for Lowry, who batters his putt six feet or so past the hole. Left with a tricky downhill effort for par, the Irishman misses short and right, giving McIlroy the solo lead as Straka makes a comfortable four.
ROSE INTO CONTENTION
In an attempt by the golfing Gods to prove they're not as mean as everyone thinks they are, Davis chips in from his unfortunate break just now. Rose - whose ball he hit - also finds the bottom of the cup with his third to jump up alongside McIlroy.
The unluckiest of breaks turned into a birdie.The golf gods are looking out for @CamDavis. pic.twitter.com/kkOLOGbybbFebruary 2, 2025
LOWRY RESPONDS
A superb approach from Lowry presents him with the chance to make up for that three-putt on the last. From the fairway, his wedge shot bumped in off the left edge of the green and rolled back towards the centre. The 37-year-old then stepped up to calmly roll it home.
Meanwhile, McIlroy can't quite chip in from an almost identical position to Davis just now and he walks off with a par. Still no dice for Straka.
BRAVE FROM MCILROY
The par-3 fifth hole is playing just 140 yards today, but the flag is right on the ocean side and players want nothing to do with it. Only Lucas Glover has really got close so far, although McIlroy has a good birdie chance from 12-15 feet. His playing partners err on the side of caution and go left of the green with a chip to come.
Elsewhere, Scheffler is up to 11-under and Horschel moves onto 13-under. There are a lot of players in front of them, though, so it seems unlikely they'll factor at this stage. But you never know - especially with Scheffler...
NO GOOD
The camera angle from behind McIlroy's putt showed it wiggle around like a sea snake in the ocean close by as it tracked towards the hole, but the ball didn't drop and it's a par for the co-leader. Lowry and Straka successfully get up and down from off the green, so it's as you were...
LUC AWAY
Lucas Glover had a really good chance to join the leading trio at the par-5 sixth, but his short-range putt hooked left and danced around the edge of the hole before staying above ground. That's a tough one.
VARYING DRIVES FROM EUROPEAN TRIO
McIlroy steps up to the par-5 sixth with driver in hand but might not be able to hit the green in two after finding the bunkers way down the left. Straka is just short of them - and he is by no means short off the tee. Lowry caught one a little out of the neck and is miles back down the right half of the fairway.
NOT SO ROSE-Y
Big mistake from Rose at the sixth. The Englishman found the Pacific off the tee but still managed to give himself an outside chance of a birdie after his third shot landed just short of the green. He couldn't find a birdie, though, and that's a missed opportunity to pile more pressure on McIlroy and Lowry.
LOWRY GOES OB
Lowry's tee shot wasn't great, but his second shot was even worse - he's gone OB to the right and the search party begins to form.
Meanwhile, Straka was in prime position and makes the most of it, laying up just short of the green. The best was saved until last as McIlroy, playing out of one of the fairway bunkers, blasts a long iron up towards the putting surface and watches it skip out to the back portion. He'll have one of the longest eagle putts he could have out here.
NO LUCK FOR THE IRISH
Playing his fourth, Lowry sends his wedge shot forward with purpose but sees it check up in the fringe and spin back off the front. Straka shows him how it's done and clips a beautiful shot to a matter of inches. The Austrian is back to 16-under. Moments later, Lowry saves his bogey and drops back to -15.
McIlroy's eagle putt is decent, but he's left himself maybe four feet to the hole. Not the birdie putt he would have wanted, exactly. And he proves that theory when the birdie putt bobbles a couple of times and clips the left edge of the hole but stays above ground.
In the group ahead, Tom Kim responds to a frustrating six with a lovely birdie two at the 7th.
EVERYONE SAFELY ABOARD
Playing 112 yards today, according to the TV broadcast, the iconic par-3 7th looks incredible as ever. All three players in the final group have birdie chances, too.
The iconic par-3 7th hole is playing 106 yards today. pic.twitter.com/RlEuFN9D9sFebruary 2, 2025
MONEY FROM MCILROY
After watching his playing partners fail in their attempts to snatch a birdie from this beautiful piece of land, the World No.3 rolls a lovely left-to-right slider into the right side of the hole. He's out in front on his own now - 17-under.
Solo leader at Pebble Beach. pic.twitter.com/gjQbSV9RXsFebruary 2, 2025
MISTAKES MOUNTING
As the leaders tee off on number eight, Scheffler makes bogey on the ninth. The World No.1 is back to 11-under. While we're on the subject, Justin Rose also loses ground on McIlroy via a bogey on the ninth shortly after. The putt was a decent one from Rose, but gravity didn't help him out. To complete the hat-trick, Lucas Glover can't find par at the same hole.
LEADER LAPSES
No problems off the tee for McIlroy, Lowry and Straka, but their respective approach shots aren't quite as tidy as Lowry and Straka both find the sand to the right of the green and McIlroy goes into the left rough.
The latter nudges one into about 10 feet but can't sink his par putt, so McIlroy falls back into a share with Straka who saved par. The AmEx champion faced a plugged lie in the bunker but blasted it out and watched his ball collide with the pin before bouncing a couple of feet away.
Lowry's putting troubles continue via another two-putt and he cards another bogey ahead of the difficult par-5 ninth.
KIM INTO THE MIX
The par-4 ninth has caused a lot of issues today, but not so for Tom Kim who puts his name on top of the leaderboard alongside McIlroy and Straka with a wonderfully-judged birdie putt.
PAGING DR CHIPINSKI
The 13th is certainly not proving unlucky for some, with Tony Finau and Billy Horschel having both chipped in from nowhere just now. That's the sort of thing you need to get a round going. Horschel is on -13 through 13 holes, so he's not out of it just yet...
PAR JUST FINE
Lowry comes up short in his approach to the ninth but eventually escapes with a par via a good mid-range putt. That should hopefully boost his confidence.
Meanwhile, McIlroy gets a little lucky with his own approach, which earned a nice kick off the bank to the left of the green. He can't take advantage, though, and makes do with par as well. Straka seals the third par courtesy of a perfectly-judged chip from just off the right edge.
A par at the ninth is no bad result, let me tell you...
LUCAS ON THE MOVE
At the par-4 10th, McIlroy has just driven his tee shot 289y ards in the left fairway bunker, while Straka is just behind the bunker from his tee shot. Those two are level at the top of the leaderboard with Tom Kim, who's just finishing on the 10th and looking at a par.
Now Lucas Glover is in the mix after a birdie at the 11th to take him within one of the leaders.
CALM FROM KIM
As expected, Tom Kim makes his par putt at the 10th. That keeps him level with McIlroy and Straka, who are further back on the same hole. Kim is looking for his first PGA Tour win since the 2023 Shriners Children's Open.
A minute or two later, McIlroy plays a superb shot from the bunker to leave a birdie chance, albeit with a relatively sizeable putt.
Straka is in more trouble. He has to settle for the fairway with his second, and his third takes him to the edge of the green. Not ideal.
RORY IN CONTROL
It's all change at the top, with Straka's valiant effort from the edge of the 10th green narrowly missing its target. Lucas Glover then drags himself joint top of the leaderboard with a second successive birdie after a brilliant chip-in. Seconds later, though, McIlroy birdies the 10th to move to 17-under and one clear.
Lucas Glover has entered the chat. pic.twitter.com/hTck8nWEeKFebruary 2, 2025
KIM COMES UP JUST SHORT
A beautifully judged right-to-left long putt by Tom Kim on the 11th comes up agonizingly short and he has to settle for par. He remains one off leader McIlroy. Off the tee, McIlroy sends his drive 268 yards down the fairway. He'll have 108 yards to the hole. There's frustration for Straka though - and he shows it - with his ball landing left of the fairway.
AGONY FOR TOM KIM AT THE 12TH
Now on the 12th, Tom Kim attempts a shot from a greenside bunker that is, to quote the TV commentary team, "pretty much impossible." Not a bit of it. The South Korean digs it out perfectly and rolls the ball to seven feet off the hole. He's looking for par to stay within one of the lead, but his effort goes narrowly left. Bogey.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry pulls a shot back with a birdie at the 11the to move him just two behind McIlroy.
PARS ALL ROUND AT THE 13TH
Straka has over 40 feet for birdie. His effort looks good enough, but seems to break right with a few feet to go and heads past.
McIlroy's next from 31 feet. It's too short and you can see the frustration on his face as he knows that could have been better. He should still make par.
What can Lowry do? He's looking at a 27-foot birdie chance. It's the best of the bunch but again falls short. The Irishman taps in for par.
It's a 571-yard par 5 at the 14th, and, after Lowry finds the fairway via a conventional line, McIlroy has gone right of the fairway over the trees again. This time, it's only 339 yards but still pretty incredible considering the state of play. Straka's on the fairway with his tee shot, too.
NOT QUITE HAPPENING FOR KIM
Just off the 14th green, Tom Kim eyes an eagle chance but comes up short. He may not even get his birdie from there as he has some 11 feet to go... and it goes left. Par for Kim to leave him two behind with four to play.
Cam Davis then makes birdie at the 14th to join Lowry, Kim and Lucas Glover at 16-under.
MCILROY TURNS THE SCREW
McIlroy has made a mockery of this par-5. His second shot lands plum on the green and leaves around 26 feet for eagle. He's turning the screw.
Lowry's second shot is just short of the green and his third is a lovely chip within five feet. Three back is Sepp Straka. His third shot from 41 feet - an eagle putt - is nice, but doesn't have enough and he takes a birdie.
And what about McIlroy? He's eagled it from 26 feet! That moves him four clear... briefly. Lowry responds with a birdie to move to outright second, three away.
RORY CONFIDENT
McIlroy's tee shot on the 388-yard par-4 15th is fine, landing 297 yards marginally right. He strides purposefully down the fairway. As he does, there's a touching moment as Tony Finau, having completed his final round of 73, is on commentary duties and talks us through footage of his family meeting their newest arrival - a third daughter.
Now back to the course and Rory's second shot is... incredible. He's almost holed out but is almost certain to make a birdie from there. It's only four feet to the hole.
RORY ON A ROLL
Lowry's chance to keep the pressure on McIlroy goes awry as his birdie putt narrowly misses. You get the feeling without a charge soon, this will get away from him.
McIlroy, moments later, casually rolls in his birdie putt to move to 21-under and four clear. Incidentally, he's now six under for his last six holes...
Sepp Straka claims his second successive birdie to join Lowry in second. Soon after, Tom Kim rejoins the party with a beautiful putt on the 15th, before Lucas Glover gets involved too.
The problem? The rapidly growing chasing pack has four shots to make up on McIlroy, and he's not in any kind of mood to relinquish his lead.
LIFELINE FOR LOWRY
Onto the 16th and McIlroy has yet another birdie look, albeit from around 23 feet. Mind you, I doubted he'd make an eagle on the 14th from 26 feet and we know what happened there.
Kim's on the 17th, somehow needing to claw back four shots. That's not going to help his cause as he finds a spot just in front of a bunker at the par-3.
Back on the 16th, Lowry has a birdie putt from a similar distance to McIlroy, while after three, Straka needs to hole his putt for par.
McIlroy's birdie putt goes left but he should make par, but Lowry does better and the lead is reduced to three. Straka then bogeys, and McIlroy makes par, as expected. Two to play!
LOWRY AND MCILROY BATTLE IT OUT
Onto the par-3 17th we go, and Lowry, three behind, is the first to go. He finds the green with a wonderful tee shot to ask a question or two of McIlroy.
The leader's next and it's a case of anything you can do... OK, he has a little further to go for his birdie putt than his friend, but you'd back him to make it with the form he's been in today.
Rory's around 13 feet from the hole, Shane's nearer eight.
On the 18th, meanwhile, Tom Kim has found the beach. He has a look for it, but concludes it's been taken by the ocean.
MCILROY ALMOST THERE
McIlroy's birdie putt at the 17th misses narrowly left and he makes par, and needing a birdie, Lowry's effort misses right. McIlroy's three clear with one to play.
STEADY FOR MCILROY - BRILLIANCE UP AHEAD FROM DAVIS AND ROSE
Off we go at the 18th, a 527 par-5 as we conclude one of the most iconic stretches in golf. Lowry is first and sends his tee shot right towards a clutch of fans.
McIlroy just needs to play things safe from here, and he does just that, finding the middle-right of the fairway, 238 yards on.
Further on, Cam Davis somehow digs his ball out from an entanglement of tree roots to leave him about a foot from the hole and a chance of a birdie! Shot of the day? Justin Rose thinks "Hold my beer," as he putts from way off the green - with a 3 wood - 61 feet from the hole, and finds it for eagle! Suddenly, he's in a tie for second!
NO PROBLEM FOR RORY
Shane Lowry has 240 yards to the hole, and he lays up. Meanwhile, for Rory, it's turned into an ocean stroll in the late afternoon sun, such is the lack of pressure he's under.
His second shot lands 107 yards from the hole on the fairway and with his third - using a pitching wedge - he leaves it in the middle of the green. He'll take a birdie if he can, but a par will do.
RORY MCILROY WINS PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM FOR FIRST TIME!
Lowry's third, 86 yards from the hole, is better than McIlroy's. He's got an excellent chance of birdie and outright second.
McIlroy, minutes from his first PGA Tour title since May's Wells Fargo Championship, waves his hat appreciatively towards the spectators as he walks to the green.
His birdie putt goes left but he won't mind about that. He has a couple of feet to win it.
Straka's next and makes birdie to finish on 16-under in seventh.
Lowry's got his sights on solo second, and his birdie putt ensures that very satisfying end.
Now Rory to complete the formalities. In it goes and he has his first-ever Pebble Beach Pro-Am title!
ADVANTAGE MCILROY!
At the par-3 12th, both Lowry and McIlroy produce highly satisfactory tee shots to leave genuine birdie chances from around eight feet. Straka's last of the final group to go. He's on the green, but quite a way back of the other two, with 29 feet to go. He'll need something a little special to make it count here.
Straka takes his time with his putt, as well he might needing to find two shots on the leader. It's nice, too, but lands around a foot short.
Now it's McIlroy's chance to move two clear of Lucas Glover. Wonderful from the four-time Major winner and he moves to 18-under!
Shane Lowry then follows suit to move to 16-under along with Glover. Meanwhile, at the 16th, Billy Horschel makes a late charge for the title, moving to 15-under. Surely he's running out of holes to properly contend though.
Rory now leads by two @ATTProAm 👀 pic.twitter.com/r6RarAdl96February 2, 2025
ALL TO DO AT THE 13TH
At the 13th tee, he sends his drive 342 yards down the fairway, stopping just left.
Further along, on the green, Tom Kim moves back to 16-under with an excellent long putt to keep his name in the frame.
Lowry then joins Sepp Straka on the green, but each are facing long birdie putts. McIlroy's second shot then falls between the two.
THE STATE OF PLAY
It's fair to say it would take a disaster from here for McIlroy to not win on the PGA Tour for the 27th time. He's three clear of playing partner Shane Lowry heading to the 18th. Lucas Glover, level with Lowry, is back in the clubhouse.
The final group has had to wait a bit while Tom Kim takes his tee shot again after losing his ball to the waves with his first attempt.
While we're waiting, here's McIlroy's brilliant eagle putt on the 14th...
