After four regular tournaments to begin the year, the first of eight Signature Events on the PGA Tour schedule comes from California with the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Two courses host the tournament, the iconic Pebble Beach and its close neighbor, Spyglass Hill.
Both courses are in use over the first two rounds, where 80 professionals play alongside 80 amateurs, but for the final 36 holes, only the professionals compete, with Pebble Beach taking center stage.
Along with four other Signature Events, there is no cut at the tournament, giving every pro who finishes all 72 holes a share of the $20m prize money.
A year ago, Rory McIlroy took the biggest chunk of that sum when he beat his friend Shane Lowry by two to wrap up his 27th PGA Tour title and first at the event.
That was just the start of a stunning year for McIlroy, who went on to win The Players Championship, The Masters, the Amgen Irish Open and complete his fourth successive Race to Dubai title, with victory at the Ryder Cup thrown in for good measure.
Rory McIlroy is the defending champion
(Image credit: Getty Images)
He’s back to defend his title, and will be hoping the week marks the catalyst for a similar run in 2026 in what is his first PGA Tour event of the year
As a Signature Event, that will be easier said than done, given the huge quality of the field.
One player who McIlroy, as well as everyone else, will be wary of is Scottie Scheffler, who already has one title this season, The American Express, and made a late charge at the WM Phoenix Open before settling for T3.
Scheffler can’t count the Pebble Beach Pro-Am among his 20 PGA Tour wins, but few would bet against him doing it this year.
Scottie Scheffler is yet to win the event
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Another player in great form is Justin Rose, who won the Farmers Insurance further south along the California coast two weeks ago. He’s looking to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the second time, having taking the title in a Monday finish in 2023.
Only one more player has won on the PGA Tour this season, Chris Gotterup, who took the Sony Open in Hawaii title and followed that up with a playoff victory over Hideki Matsuyama at the WM Pheonix Open.
The latest win saw him rise to a career-high fifth in the world…
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