Collin Morikawa ended a long wait for victory in spectacular fashion at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, clinching his seventh PGA Tour win and first since 2023 with a dramatic birdie on the 72nd hole. The Californian’s triumph on February 16, 2026, capped a thrilling final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links, where windy and rainy conditions kept the leaderboard in constant motion and fans on the edge of their seats.
Morikawa’s 5-under 67 on Sunday brought him to a 22-under total for the week, just one stroke clear of a surging field that included Min Woo Lee and Sepp Straka. The victory not only snapped a winless drought dating back to the 2023 Zozo Championship, but also marked Morikawa’s first signature event title and his first win on U.S. soil since the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession.
The final holes were anything but routine for Morikawa. After a steady front nine, the two-time major champion caught fire late, rolling in a 30-foot birdie on the par-4 15th to take the solo lead for the first time. He followed that up with another birdie from eight feet on the 16th, giving himself a two-shot cushion. But with the wind howling off the Pacific and pressure mounting, Morikawa bogeyed the 17th after missing the green left, dropping back into a share of the lead with Min Woo Lee, who had just posted a clubhouse lead of 21-under after a birdie at the last.
With everything on the line at the 18th, Morikawa’s nerves were put to the test by an unexpected 20-minute delay. Jacob Bridgeman, playing in the group ahead, found the beach with his approach and spent an eternity sorting out a ruling, leaving Morikawa pacing the fairway and soaking in the tension. When play finally resumed, Morikawa found the rough short of the green with his second shot, but calmly executed a two-putt birdie to seal the win. His celebration was heartfelt, as his wife Katherine Zhu joined him on the green. The couple had just started sharing the news that they are expecting their first child later this year.
“We’re actually expecting later this year, in a few months, and we just started telling people this week,” Morikawa revealed in an emotional interview with CBS, wiping away tears. “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.”
Morikawa’s road to the winner’s circle was anything but smooth. He started the final round two shots behind 54-hole leader Akshay Bhatia, who had seemed poised for a breakthrough of his own. But Bhatia faltered early, playing his first seven holes over par and never regaining his footing, ultimately finishing tied for sixth at 19-under. Meanwhile, the leaderboard was a carousel of contenders. Jacob Bridgeman made a charge with four birdies in his first six holes, even grabbing the solo lead at one point, but could not sustain the pace.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was the story of the early afternoon, mounting a furious rally from eight shots back. Scheffler played his first seven holes in seven under par, including three eagles on the day—a feat unmatched in this event for more than four decades. He finished with a 9-under 63, his 19th consecutive top-10 on Tour and 18th round of 63 or better in the last five seasons. Scheffler’s three eagles included a dazzling approach on the par-5 18th, but three bogeys proved costly, leaving him tied for fourth at 20-under. “It’s amazing, in a sense, I played three really good rounds these weeks,” Scheffler said. “One of my skills... is getting in the round when I haven’t had my best stuff. Just proud of how I fought all week.”
Min Woo Lee, the electrifying Australian, birdied his final two holes to post a 21-under clubhouse lead, his best result since his first Tour win last season. Sepp Straka matched Lee’s score with an eagle at the last, ensuring that Morikawa would need a closing birdie to avoid a playoff—the first in this tournament in over two decades.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy put together a flawless final-round 64, finishing tied for 13th at 17-under. “One of the first starts back of the year, trying to get the sloppy stuff out of the way, which I feel like I did,” McIlroy said, noting his three double bogeys and a triple earlier in the week. Jordan Spieth, a former champion at Pebble Beach, finished tied for 29th at 13-under after a roller-coaster weekend, while Viktor Hovland provided viral entertainment—though not for his play—finishing tied for 58th at 6-under after a week that included a failed attempt to knock a ball out of a tree with his umbrella.
The weather played its part, with rain and gusty winds making the already iconic Pebble Beach layout even more treacherous. Tee times were moved up for the final round in anticipation of the challenging conditions, and players were forced to adapt on the fly. The drama was palpable throughout, with fans and players alike unsure who would emerge from the crowded pack until the very last putt dropped.
For Morikawa, the win is a validation of perseverance and talent. He entered the week ranked No. 19 in the Official World Golf Rankings, having missed only three cuts last season and notched a pair of runner-up finishes. Yet, the elusive seventh win had remained just out of reach—until now. “Pebble Beach was a course that you just wanted to come and play, and you wanted to come and play against the pros and play against the best in the world,” Morikawa said, gazing out at the Pacific. “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. I’m slowly trying to smile now, because the tears I think are going away.”
With his breakthrough at Pebble Beach, Collin Morikawa not only returns to the winner’s circle but also announces a new chapter in his life—both on and off the course. Golf fans, take note: the champion is back, and the season has only just begun.