In the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Friday, Sepp Straka completed the most of his work before the weather began to change. He fired another 7-under 65 to take a three-shot lead that forced Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and everyone else to chase after him.
Following a victory in the California desert two weeks prior, Straka demonstrated a game that performs admirably at sea level under less than perfect circumstances, especially in the last hour.
The beanies and mittens came out. The temperature dropped along with a little rain.
Before completing his insane back nine at Pebble Beach with a 25-foot eagle putt to salvage a 70 that left him six strokes behind, McIlroy went from contending for the lead to making four bogeys in a six-hole period.
On the 18th hole, Scheffler walked down the shore and, after jumping down two rock ledges to the sandy soil, he was able to retrieve his ball back into play and hit a 6-iron to the green, converting a possible bogey into a par. He was seven behind after shooting 70.
From the very first tee, Andrew Novak earned his first PGA Tour victory—not a trip to the Masters, but a plaque on the wall. To win the pro-am, Novak paired up with Philippe Laffont, a rich investor.
Only the 79 pros are allowed to spend the weekend at Pebble Beach. Last week at Torrey Pines, Ludvig Aberg had to withdraw due to an illness that impacted even the most resilient players.
Spots of rain are predicted, coupled with gusts of up to 30 mph. In bad weather, Pebble Beach—that fortunate intersection of land and sea—becomes a beast.
“Went from zero to about 20 miles an hour pretty quickly,” Straka said of his last four holes at Pebble Beach, which included a 4-iron into 30 feet for a two-putt birdie at the last and missing a 3-foot par putt on the 16th for his sole bogey of the round.
At 14-under 130, he was three shots ahead of Australian Cam Davis, who shot 68 at Spyglass Hill, and Russell Henley, who shot 69 at Pebble Beach.
“It’s going to change Pebble a lot,” said Tony Finau, who finished in a big group at 10-under 134 after shooting 67 at Spyglass Hill.
“It’s bad because Pebble is extremely pure at the moment. Playing at Pebble is, in my opinion, quite amazing whenever the ball is bouncing. We’ll need to adapt, just like we do out here, and that will only need to be done over the weekend.”
Despite not getting anything out of it, McIlroy was fantastic with the driver. Nevertheless, he started the scoring stretch at Pebble with four birdies in seven holes. However, he missed the green on the par-3 12th hole, shot it hard out of the fairway bunker on the 13th hole, and was out of position off the tee on the 15th and 16th holes, all of which resulted in bogey.
He was still in the mix after his round ended with an eagle.
Scheffler made three consecutive birdies in 2025, including a shot to two feet on the challenging eighth hole, despite having to postpone his debut due to minor surgery on his right hand for a strange puncture wound sustained while making ravioli. The par saved him, but it was the last of his birdies.
On the par-5 18th hole, he tee-shot left, heading for the worst water hazard in golf. Scheffler failed to observe the ball splash in the Pacific Ocean or bounce off the rocks. He decided to walk 300 yards and have a look since he had no other choice than to proceed to the end of the tee box.
He was able to move enough seaweed and tiny rocks to get the golf ball he had spotted on the beach to the fairway and score par.
“The most difficult part,” Scheffler stated, was the uncertainty. “After the tee ball, I definitely would have taken a par, no complaints.”
Straka, who seemed to be gaining some momentum from his win in The American Express, also didn’t have many. He ascribes a large portion of that to a minor adjustment in his putting technique, switching to a skinnier grip and raising his hands a little.
“Palm Springs was the first time in a long time I felt that I had four really good putting rounds in a row,” Straka stated. “Yeah, I think that’s definitely made a huge difference.”
When questioned if he was on a big run, however, he backed off.
It was “a six-round run,” he announced. “I mean, that’s not what I would call a run. I believe Scottie Scheffler is running.
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.