Rory McIlroy’s 2025 PGA Tour season is off to a positive start after the Northern Irishman carded 66 at Spyglass Hill on Thursday.
It’s been a busy off-season for the four-time major winner. McIlroy has been working hard on his game whilst also competing regularly on the DP World Tour.
McIlroy’s revamped swing appears to be working well, and a bogey-free six-under-par round at Spyglass Hill is the perfect way for the Northern Irishman to start what he hopes will be a prolific year.
The 35-year-old’s round sprung into life on the par-three 15th after he made a hole-in-one. However, McIlroy would have to wait until the sixth (his 15th hole) to register his first birdie of the back nine. Two more would follow on seven and nine to leave McIlroy two shots back of leader Russell Henley.
What Rory McIlroy has said about Pebble Beach
McIlroy will now play Pebble Beach for three consecutive days. During his press conference on Thursday, he was asked about the famous Monterey Peninsula course.
A reporter asked: “Beyond the ocean, what makes Pebble so magical to you? Is it the history? Scottie was talking about the variety of different kinds of shots, not just let it fly. What do you distinguish Pebble beyond the scenery?”
McIlroy replied: “I think it’s a golf course that is — is it 7,000 yards, maybe not even, 6,900 something? When it’s set up correctly, it still holds up as one of the best tests in golf. Right now, with it being not quite as firm as, say like, a US Open and not as penal if you miss, every time I play Pebble, I get over my second shot on one, and I’m like, jeez, this green is small.
“It always surprises me how small the greens are, always. And that’s a really cool part of it. I think because of that, it has stood the test of time. Especially with technology and how long everyone’s hitting it now, it makes you play the game a little bit of a different way.”
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am first-round leaders
It wasn’t just McIlroy who impressed on day one. Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Jake Knapp and Cam Davis all shot 65 at Pebble Beach on Thursday. Englishman Rose made five back-nine birdies to edge his way into contention. The 2013 US Open winner won the AT&T Pro-Am two years ago.
Elsewhere, world number one Scottie Scheffler is positioned nicely after shooting 67 (five under) at Spyglass Hill. Scheffler, who is playing his first event of 2025, started his PGA Tour season with a bogey on the 10th but bounced back nicely on his back nine.
Near the bottom of the leaderboard, Swede Ludvig Aberg is five-over and appears to be struggling with sickness, which impacted him at the Farmers Insurance Open. Defending champion Wyndham Clark is two over after shooting 74 at Pebble Beach.
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