Bold opening: Scotty Schefflerâs round at Pebble Beach wasnât just impressive â it redefined what a single day can do to a leaderboard. But hereâs where it gets controversial: three eagles in one round, and a final score that still left him two shots shy of the win, raises questions about whether power and momentum can overcome a late surge from a fellow star.
Original recap, rewritten for clarity and freshness:
Scottie Scheffler electrified Pebble Beach with a spectacular Sunday, chasing down the leaders after starting seven strokes back in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He exploded for a 9-under 63 that included three eagles, finishing with a closing par at the 18th to reach 20 under par. Yet Collin Morikawa fired a 67 to finish at 22 under and claim the title, leaving Scheffler tied for fourth.
Even though Scheffler, the world No. 1, had already piled up a streak of top-10s spanning 17 straight PGA Tour events, he wasnât focused on extending that run. His round featured 151 feet of putts made, his most in a single Tour round, despite four missed putts inside seven feet that produced three bogeys. A surprising twist: amid the scoring frenzy, he still managed to convert crucial moments with precision, especially on the back nine where he converted a late eagle that changed the dynamic of the round.
The day began under favorable conditions, with unsettled weather looming later on. Scheffler opened with a birdie, followed by an eagle on the second hole, then another birdie, creating early momentum and demonstrating his attacking mindset â almost like a high-stakes âwolf gameâ where the aim is to birdie as many holes as possible.
Key turning points included a second eagle at the par-5 sixth after a 256-yard approach that settled 25 feet from the hole, and a precise 9-foot putt on the par-3 seventh that moved him to 18 under for the tournament. He briefly trailed 54-hole leader Akshay Bhatia, who started his final round strong, but Bhatiaâs own challenges â bogeys at the fourth and sixth â allowed Scheffler to close the gap.
After a bogey at the 12th and a birdie at the 14th, Scheffler found himself two behind late on the back nine. His answer came at the par-5 18th: a towering tee shot 329 yards, an approach within three feet from 186 yards, and another eagle to cap a historic round â the first time Scheffler has carded three eagles in a single Tour round.
This was Schefflerâs third start of the season. He opened with a win at The American Express, bounced back from a slow start at the WM Phoenix Open to place third, and has been in the top 10 in all recent events, including an eight-match stretch of top-5 finishes.
In reflecting on the week, Scheffler acknowledged the rough start in the prior two tournaments but emphasized resilience. âFrustrating beginnings, but Iâm proud of sticking with it,â he said. He credited his caddie, Ted Scott, for keeping him in the hunt and noted that while the scorecard fell a few shots short of the winner, the way he fought all week was the real takeaway.
