Rory McIlroy’s best three shots en route to winning at Pebble Beach identified as he’s labelled as from ‘a different planet’

Add as preferred source on Google

After seeing Rory McIlroy win at Pebble Beach this week, it’s safe to assume that he’s very much back to being somewhere near his very best.

McIlroy produced some sublime golf in treacherous conditions at Pebble to secure his first win at the venue and pick up a win on the PGA Tour for the 8th successive year.

McIlroy appeared calm and relaxed as he strode up the 18th fairway to secure his victory and it very much sent a message to the rest of the field that he means business in 2025.

• READ MORE: Rory McIlroy posts message on Instagram after winning the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach

Of course, one of the biggest aspects of McIlroy’s game this week was some of the phenomenal tee shots he was hitting. McIlroy regularly took it over the trees on 14 all week in a stunning display of length and according to Smylie Kaufman, that shot, plus a few others, separated McIlroy from the field.

Rory McIlroy told the three best shots he hit to win the AT&T at Pebble Beach

Speaking on the latest episode of his Smylie Show podcast, Kaufman assessed McIlroy’s game and picked out the trio of shots that got the job done for him.

“Well, I think with Rory, it was obviously, it was really impressive. I think showing up, you kind of knew what you had to do, which was shoot somewhere between four to six under and hope nobody else got hot. Playing with Sepp Straka, who had a one shot lead, didn’t have his best day, and Shane Lowry, good buddy,” Kaufman said.

“So a really comfortable Ryder Cup European pairing in that final group. But I just felt like Rory’s back nine was just, he hit all of the right shots. And when he drove in that fairway bunker at 10, he had a six iron from 178 with the little lip he had to go over and hit this like hold fade up against this in off the right wind to 20 feet, makes a putt for birdie.”

Continuing the praise for McIlroy,

“And then 12, which I think is a par hole, par three out at Pebble, he stuffs it right after Shane Lowry hit a beautiful one in there and makes a birdie. So right then and there, when you’re up near the top of the leaderboard, he hit the shots, man. That’s like understanding what you got to do on a Sunday to win.

“We talk all the time about what’s it take for a guy to go win, to get over the hump, whether it’s a Colin Morikawa or this or that. It’s hitting shots like this on a back down on a Sunday and he hit three of them, man. It’s that fairway bunker shot at 10, the iron shot he hit at 12, and then the drive he hit at 14.

“When you fly at 338 yards and taking a line like you’re talking about, that Rasmus said, I don’t see it. Well, nobody else does either. So hitting seven-iron. Rasmus (Hojgaard) is not short. He is not a short player. He’s [Rory] on a different planet.”

Rory McIlroy trying to be more like Scottie Scheffler pays off

After round three, McIlroy spoke about how he is trying to be like Scottie Scheffler in not making mistakes and staying in contention.

“One of the things I really — I want to do this year is try to limit my mistakes and play bogey free. Three of my last four rounds have been that way, last round in Dubai, first round here and now this round. Just really try to limit the mistakes and play smart golf and be a little more like Scottie Scheffler basically,” McIlroy said.

The 35-year-old did just that. Indeed, his tee shot on 18 was a clear indication of that sensible approach being put into play. McIlroy simply played two iron shots to within wedge distance before making a comfortable par to finish the job.

If he can do more of this throughout 2025, then that fifth major and more wins will 100% be coming his way.