The sun-drenched cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula provided a dramatic backdrop for the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Collin Morikawa finally ended his nearly three-year winless drought in style. This first signature event of the PGA Tour season lived up to its billing, bringing together the world’s top ten players and a host of hungry challengers, all vying for their share of a staggering $20 million purse. But when the final putt dropped on Sunday, it was Morikawa who stood alone atop the leaderboard, his seventh PGA Tour title secure and his emotions running high.
Morikawa’s journey to the winner’s circle was anything but straightforward. Entering the week, the two-time major champion hadn’t tasted victory since his triumph at the Zozo Championship in 2023, and the pressure was mounting. Yet, after a blistering Saturday 62 vaulted him into the final pairing, Morikawa’s confidence seemed to surge at precisely the right moment. “62 yesterday, a great field, a great leaderboard looking at the entire day. Just to be able to pull off those last two shots ... it feels great,” Morikawa told CBS as he fought back tears on the 18th green. “I’m slowly trying to smile now, because the tears I think are going away.”
The final round was a rollercoaster ride, with weather conditions turning wicked and the leaderboard in constant flux. Morikawa started Sunday two shots behind Akshay Bhatia, who had clung to a six-shot lead at one point on Saturday. But as the wind picked up and the rain began to fall, Bhatia faltered, opening the door for the chasing pack. Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, made a furious charge from eight shots back, firing a jaw-dropping 9-under 63 that included three eagles and three bogeys. His eagle at the par-5 18th sent him to the clubhouse at 20-under, momentarily tying for the lead and putting real pressure on the groups still out on the course.
Yet, it was Morikawa who kept his nerve when it mattered most. After making the turn at 2-under for the day, he rolled in a clutch 30-footer for birdie on the par-4 15th to seize the solo lead at 21-under. He backed it up with an 8-foot birdie at 16, suddenly giving himself a two-shot cushion. But golf rarely goes according to script. Min Woo Lee, playing just ahead, birdied the 18th to reach 21-under, and Morikawa’s tee shot at the par-3 17th found thick rough, leading to a bogey and erasing his advantage. The pressure was palpable as Morikawa stepped up to the iconic 18th tee, needing a birdie to clinch the title.
After a short drive and a nearly 20-minute delay—caused by Jacob Bridgeman’s struggles ahead—Morikawa’s second shot landed just short in the rough. Undeterred, he calmly two-putted for birdie, securing a 5-under 67 and a 22-under-par total, one shot clear of Lee and Sepp Straka, who eagled the last to join Lee in second place. The victory was worth a cool $3.6 million, the largest payday of Morikawa’s career, and capped a weekend of sensational golf that saw him shoot 62-67 to outlast a field stacked with stars.
“We’re actually expecting later this year, in a few months, and we just started telling people this week,” Morikawa revealed in a touching interview with CBS, his wife Katherine Zhu joining him for the celebration. “We said, ‘What a better way, the best way to announce it to the world if I was able to come out and win?’ There’s so much to life, there’s so much to enjoy. I’m hard on myself ... I’m just so thankful for the people around me.”
For Scottie Scheffler, Sunday was a day of what-ifs. His final-round heroics marked his 19th straight top-10 finish on Tour and his 18th round of 63 or better in the past five seasons—five more than any other player in that span. He became the first golfer in four decades to make three eagles in a single round at this event. But a trio of bogeys, including two on the back nine, cost him dearly. He ultimately finished tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, two shots back of Morikawa, both earning $877,500 for their efforts.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who led the field early in the week alongside Scheffler, couldn’t quite keep pace through the weekend. McIlroy settled for a tie for 14th at 17-under, pocketing $342,750. Other notable names in the top ten included Sam Burns and Akshay Bhatia, who tied for sixth at 19-under and each took home $690,000. Rising pro Jacob Bridgeman, after his struggles on the 18th, finished in a tie for eighth at 18-under, earning $515,000 alongside Ryo Hisatsune, Shane Lowry, Nico Echavarria, Jake Knapp, and Hideki Matsuyama.
The payout breakdown at Pebble Beach was as eye-popping as the setting itself. The $20 million purse saw second place—Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka—each receive $1.76 million. The financial incentive matched the fierce competition, with 80th place still claiming a respectable $32,000. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, once known as the Crosby Clam Bake, has certainly come a long way from its celebrity-heavy, light-hearted roots. Now, it’s a battleground for the world’s best, offering massive rewards and the chance to etch one’s name into golf lore.
For Morikawa, the win is a validation of perseverance and talent. He missed only three cuts last season and notched a pair of runner-up finishes, but the elusive seventh victory kept slipping away. Ranked No. 19 in the Official World Golf Rankings entering the week, Morikawa’s triumph at Pebble Beach signals a return to form and reasserts his place among the game’s elite. “Shoot, we’re at Pebble Beach,” Morikawa said, gazing out at the Pacific. “So I’m going to enjoy this one.”
Looking ahead, the PGA Tour’s best will now turn their attention to the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, another signature event with plenty at stake. But for now, the spotlight belongs to Collin Morikawa, whose resilience, skill, and timely birdies have once again made him the talk of the golf world. The cliffs of Pebble Beach have witnessed plenty of drama over the years, but on this Sunday, it was Morikawa’s moment to shine—both as a champion and as a soon-to-be father.