Rex Hoggard ‘struck’ by what Rory McIlroy did on the 14th hole on Sunday at Pebble Beach which leaves him ‘very optimistic’

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Rory McIlroy’s fine form continued at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am as the Northern Irishman sealed his 27th PGA Tour victory.

Fresh off challenging for the Dubai Desert Classic, the Northern Irishman cruised to victory at the iconic US Open venue, finishing two shots clear of Shane Lowry.

McIlroy cut a relaxed figure walking down the 18th after he opted to take an iron off the tee to ensure he avoided any serious trouble. The tournament was one long before the 72nd hole, however.

What Rory McIlroy did on the 14th at Pebble Beach

McIlroy’s eagle on the extremely challenging par-five 14th was the decisive moment during Sunday’s play. The Northern Irishman’s booming drive set up a seven-iron approach. McIlroy would then role in the putt for three.

Rex Hoggard, speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, was particularly impressed with what McIlroy did on the par-five.

“It was the Rory from 2012, is what I got struck with. There was a moment on the 14th tee where he was up by four strokes. He easily could have just laid back, and I think in that moment, it felt like Kiawah in the PGA Championship in 2012 all over again. Back then he kept hitting drivers, not because he had to, just because he could. And this is Rory when he is in full flight. When you look statistically, this is Rory at his absolute best.

“First in the field in strokes gained off the tee, third in the field in strokes gained tee to green, seventh in putting. This is how he gets dominant wins by multiple strokes. It goes back to when he was at his absolute best.

“The things that he worked on at the end of last season, whatever it is that transformed between the end of last season’s PGA Tour season and went on the DP World Tour when he locked himself in a closet and decided I am going to do this a different way. If this is the result you have to be very optimistic going into this season.”

Is Rory McIlroy back to his best after AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am win

When at his very best, very few players can match McIlroy. His distance off the tee, coupled with what is an excellent short game, make him hard to beat.

The signs are undoubtedly positive heading into a busy stretch of golf, which includes The Players Championship and the Masters Tournament.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his win at Pebble Beach, McIlroy admitted he’s getting close to his best: “Yeah, I’m close. I’m pretty close. I feel like I controlled my ball flight well in the crosswinds this week. I drove the ball really well.

“I think I’ll always nitpick, and there are always things about my game that I want to try to get better because that’s who I am. I’m trying to get the most out of myself all the time, but I also have to accept at the same time where my game’s at right now.”

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Where Rory McIlroy can improve after his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am win

The stats from Pebble indicate that McIlroy still has room for improvement. The Northern Irishman was 17th in strokes gained with his approach shots, nearly three shots worse than world number one Scottie Scheffler.

What’s more, McIlroy’s short game wasn’t actually at its polished best. The four-time major champ ranked 33rd around the green and only gained 0.385 shots.

There was also room for McIlroy’s driving accuracy to improve. He was T19 in the field after hitting 38/56 fairways. In major championship conditions, wayward tee shots will prove costly.