Coastline Contradictions: Morikawa’s Long-Awaited Win and Scheffler’s All-Too-Familiar Start

If the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am taught us anything, it’s that Mother Nature remains the only true scratch golfer on the Monterey Peninsula. In a week where the weather transitioned from “serene coastal postcard” to “unhinged wind-tunnel experiment,” Collin Morikawa emerged on February 15, 2026, as the primary benefactor of both talent and timing.

Entering the week, Morikawa was laboring under a 28-month winless drought that Jim Nantz described as “interminable”—a word usually reserved for Tolstoy novels or airport security lines. After a surgical 10-under 62 on Saturday, Morikawa navigated a frantic Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links to finish at 22-under par.

The victory was sealed with a tap-in birdie on the 18th hole, shortly after he revealed that he and his wife are expecting their first child—proving that even a two-time Major winner can have a productive February.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler spent Sunday morning playing a different game than everyone else. After starting the tournament ten shots back, Scheffler recorded three eagles in a single round, playing his first seven holes in 7-under par. He eventually set the clubhouse lead at 20-under, leaving Morikawa to sweat through a 20-minute wait in the 18th fairway while the group ahead reconsidered their life choices.

The “Am” portion of the Pro-Am remains a fascinating sociological experiment where titans of industry and sport try to look dignified while hitting a small white ball into the Pacific Ocean.

Travis Kelce: The Kansas City Chiefs star brought his 10-handicap and enough “Big Yeti” energy to power the Monterey grid.

The Political Pairing: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (10-handicap) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (13-handicap) provided the diplomatic contingent, though neither could broker a peace treaty with the 30-mph wind gusts on Sunday.

The CEOs: TaylorMade CEO David Abeles had the unique stress of playing with the world’s best golfer, Scottie Scheffler, using equipment he literally signs the checks for.

Final Leaderboard: 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Position           Player                         Score   R1        R2        R3      R4      Total

1          Collin Morikawa                     -22      69        68        62        67         266

T2       Min Woo Lee                          -21        67        65        70        65         267

T2       Sepp Straka                             -21       66        66        67        68         267

T4       Scottie Scheffler                      -20      72        66        67        63         268

T4       Tommy Fleetwood                  -20      67        68        67        66         268

T6       Sam Burns                                -19       63        67        72        67          269

T6       Akshay Bhatia                          -19       65        64        68        72         269

Note: Total Purse was $20 million, with Morikawa taking home $3.6 million.

Radu Roman