Rory McIlroy in Rare Air Winning AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am For 27th PGA Tour Title

Rory McIlroy took a lead on the back nine he would never relinquish en route winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two strokes.

Rory McIlroy became the first to 27 wins on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 2005. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

After his third-round 65 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Rory McIlroy told CBS’s Amanda Balionis that he wasn’t sure he’d ever won in California. 

That’s not true, as the four-time major champion claimed the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play at TPC Harding Park. 

A decade later, however, McIlroy can now say he’s won a stroke-play event in the Golden State. 

The 35-year-old Northern Irishman won at Pebble Beach—one of golf’s most prestigious venues—by two strokes over his Ryder Cup teammate, Shane Lowry. McIlroy finished at 21 under. 

“There’s a few what I would call cathedrals of golf: here, Augusta, St. Andrews obviously, maybe a few more you could add in there,” McIlroy said after a final-round 66. “I had a big fat zero on all of those going in here. To knock one off at Pebble is very cool. I’m a big historian of the game and I remember all the championships that have been played here, and to add my name to that list is pretty cool.”

MORE: Final results, prize money from AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

McIlroy started the final round T2 with Lowry, one stroke back of Sepp Straka, who won the American Express two weeks ago. 

Straka faltered with a final-round 72, but the leaderboard remained crowded for most of the front nine, with Lucas Glover, Justin Rose, Tom Kim, Cam Davis and Russell Henley vying for a come-from-behind victory. 

McIlroy, though, took a lead he wouldn’t relinquish with a birdie on No. 10 and extended it to two strokes with a birdie on No. 12. 

The nail in the coffin was an eagle on the 571-yard, par-5 14th. With an aggressive line over the trees, McIlroy smashed his tee shot 339 yards and then hit a 7-iron 229 yards to reach the green in two. He sank his 26-foot eagle putt for a four-stroke lead and then added a birdie on the ensuing hole for good measure. 

“I think (McIlroy’s) the most impressive player I’ve ever played with,” Straka said Sunday. “He just strikes it unbelievably well, hits it far but also so straight for how far he hits it. That 14th hole kind of sums it up.”

After 72 holes, McIlroy notched his second California win and became a 27-time winner on the PGA Tour. The last player to earn 27 Tour victories was Phil Mickelson at the 2005 PGA Championship.

“Getting to that number is really cool,” McIlroy said. “I think for me it’s even more meaningful that I don't really play a full schedule on the PGA Tour either. I spend my time between here and the DP World Tour …  Hopefully, I keep adding to that and break a 30 barrier at some point this year and keep going from there.”