PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Collin Morikawa had gone 28 months since his last victory, and he was reminded Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am why it’s never easy.
He was among six players who shared the lead at one point in a wild and windy final round, with one name catching everyone’s attention – Scottie Scheffler – who nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in tournament history.
Tougher was still standing on the fairway on the 5th 18th, a cold Pacific breeze whipping the ocean to his left, and he had to wait 20 minutes as Jacob Bridgeman had to figure out how to play on the beach to get his shot into the ocean.
He said he went down to the beach and came back about 10 times.
“I tried to think about anything other than golf,” Morikawa said. “Thank you, you had the best background you could ask for so it was very easy. For me, it was how I stay relaxed, how I stay warm and not just think about the gun.”
Morikawa delivered when it mattered, birdies back to take the lead, and one last birdie with a 4-iron from 235 yards had to start over the seawall and let the wind blow it back to the green.
Two putts from the collar gave him a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory over Sepp Straka and Min Woo Lee.
“A beautiful stadium, a beautiful leaderboard – you look at it all day,” Morikawa said. “And to be able to pull off those last two shots, it feels good.”
The two-time major champion finished at 22-under 266. He had started 45 matches since he last won the Zozo Championship in Japan in October 2023.
He can only hope for great things with a new outlook on golf – play the game for fun, not technique – and life. Morikawa took advantage of the big win to announce that he and his wife are expecting their first child this spring.
“There is so much in life, so much to enjoy,” he said.
Scheffler started the final day a shot behind and was 7 under through seven holes before the wind picked up. He had three eagles in his round of 63, the last of which was a 6-inch 30 on the final hole that allowed him to tie Morikawa for the lead.
“I knew Scottie Scheffler’s score well today. I mean, what a player he is,” Morikawa said.
Scheffler didn’t think it would be enough, and it wasn’t.
Moments later, Morikawa holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th to take the lead. He followed with a 6 iron to 8 feet for another birdie. But a bogey on the 3rd 17th – his tee shot was near the beach left of the green – and Lee completed a birdie-birdie at 65, forging another tie.
Throughout the match, it was especially tense on the 5th 18th as Morikawa waited. And he waited. It was 20 minutes from hitting his tee shot to hitting his 4-iron, a long wait considering what was at stake.
“I was able to pull off a big 4-iron,” he said. “And man, I need a drink.”
Akshay Bhatia, the 54-hole leader by two shots, made just two birdies over his last 29 holes. He took the lead after four holes and never held back, closing with a 72 to finish three back.
Scheffler was 10 shots behind after the first day when he shot a 72. He was shot 13 times at one point on Friday. He managed to be a great danger. He tied for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood (66), extending his streak to 18 PGA Tour starts in the top 10.
“I had to do something special to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said. “After the ninth, I felt like I had to get to 21 or 22 (under). I played a lot more aggressive than I usually am. It was a fun day overall. These are the weeks I’m proud of. I felt like I was fighting to give myself a chance.”
Among his regrets was a back-pin line on the 15th that was a foot from turning back to cover the distance. It bounced violently over the green. He jumped to 6 feet and missed the par putt.
Morikawa chipped in with a 62 on Saturday to within two shots of Bhatia, and did enough to stay close — six players had a share of the lead at some point in the final round — until finally delivering.
The Cal alum won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour since turning one week before the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach. The win at Pebble takes him to number 5 in the world.
