Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, is back in the running at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he can't shake off the feeling of missed opportunities. In a sport where every shot counts, McIlroy's 'wasteful' mistakes have left him six shots behind the leader, Akshay Bhatia. Despite his impressive tee shots, including a nearly-aces 112-yard shot on No. 7, McIlroy's three-putts and missed birdies have cost him dearly.
'I feel like I've been a little bit wasteful the last two days,' McIlroy admitted. 'I got off to a really good start, but stalled on the back nine.' His miscues were evident on Thursday, with double bogeys due to avoidable three-putts, and Friday, where he dropped shots at the 10th and 14th holes. The par-5 14th hole proved particularly challenging, with McIlroy's chip shot flubbing into the bunker, costing him a potential birdie.
Despite the setbacks, McIlroy remains optimistic, stating, 'It's very low scoring, it's soft. Hopefully if I can get off to a good start again tomorrow and pick up a few shots early I'll be right in the mix.' However, his performance so far serves as a reminder of the rust that players must shake off after the offseason. McIlroy, who played on the DP World Tour to begin 2026, is making his first TOUR start of the season this week, and his putting performance has been middling, costing him more than two strokes on the greens.
McIlroy joins a star-studded pack at Pebble Beach, with no major champions within four shots of the lead, but several top players, including Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, McIlroy, and Tommy Fleetwood, all within six shots. Will McIlroy be able to shake off the rust and make a comeback? Only time will tell, and we invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below. But here's where it gets controversial... Could McIlroy's putting struggles be a result of his recent change in equipment? And this is the part most people miss... The key to success in golf often lies in the subtleties of equipment choice and technique.
