Morikawa holds off Scheffler to end trophy drought

Stimpmeter · February 16, 2026, 7:00am

Collin Morikawa claimed a tense victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on Sunday, fending off a final-day charge by world No 1 Scottie Scheffler that included three eagles.

The two-time Major winner had not triumphed on the PGA Tour since 2023, but started the day in joint second and birdied the 18th hole in blustery conditions to win by a stroke on 22 under par.

“It’s special for a lot of reasons,” said Morikawa, who used his win to announce that he and his wife are expecting their first child.

“We just started telling people this week, and we said, ‘what better way … to just announce it to the world, if I was able to come out and win,’” he said.

Back in the state where he was born and raised, Morikawa pulled clear of a crowded leaderboard down the stretch with a superb 30-foot putt for birdie on the par-five 15th, followed by another birdie on the 16th.

With benign conditions turning gusty in the final hour, Morikawa hooked his tee shot on the 17th and could only manage a bogey from the oceanside rough.

He then faced an agonising 20-minute wait on the 18th fairway as Jacob Bridgeman, in the preceding group, played a shot from the beach that ricocheted off a cliff and back into the ocean.

A birdie on the 18th was enough to seal a one-stroke win over Australia’s Min Woo Lee and Austria’s Sepp Straka, with Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood a further shot back.

The two South Africans in the field, Aldrich Potgieter and Garrick Higgo, finished in five under (T60).

The Morikawas are expecting

There is no better time to make the announcement! pic.twitter.com/yklxM40MnL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 15, 2026

“I tried to look out in the ocean as many times as I can. I love being out here,” Morikawa said of the delay. “Pebble Beach … not many places can beat this place in the world.”

Lee, chasing his second PGA Tour win after his breakthrough victory in Houston last March, shot a 65, finishing with birdies on the final two holes.

It was in stark contrast to Saturday, when the 27-year-old bogeyed the final two holes and tossed his ball into the Pacific Ocean in frustration.

But the day’s best round came from Scheffler, who started Sunday eight shots off the lead in joint 22nd and charged up the leaderboard.

He began in blistering fashion with two eagles and three birdies in his first seven holes.

Pushing hard, Scheffler missed long on four consecutive holes, picking up two bogeys in that stretch.

Still, he finished with another eagle for a nine-under 63 to reach 20 under par, just as the winds picked up for the remaining players.

3 eagles in 1 round for Scottie!

186 yards to 3 feet to tie the lead for Scottie Scheffler.

CBS pic.twitter.com/YMNUsPs6De

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 15, 2026

It was not quite enough for a famous win.

“Anytime you’ve got three eagles in one round, good things are happening … Proud of the way I played today,” said Scheffler.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy also produced a superb final round of 64, but was never in contention after three doubles and a triple-bogey earlier in the week.

“I wish I could have those four holes back this week. I played 68 really good ones,” said the world No 2.

“But all in all, some really good stuff this week. Pretty encouraged going into next week for sure.”

Morikawa’s two Major victories came at the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship.

Wins had dried up in recent years and he began this season with a missed cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii, before surging back into form at Pebble Beach.

– AFP

Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

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