AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: It’s raining low scores and aces

PEBBLE BEACH — The power of the weather gave the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am a year-awaited reprieve from its often wicked ways Thursday and powered the condensed elite field onto a leaderboard of low scores in the first round.

Russell Henley emerged from the deluge of rounds in the 60s with an 8-under-par 64 at Spyglass Hill Golf Course and leads six players by one shot.

“I feel like today the course was gettable a little bit,” said Henley. “It was a little less windy and rainy than I’ve played in years past.

“I felt like I was reading the greens well and hitting my lines. You know, I’m just really happy with 8 under on any course I play.”

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland acknowledges the crowd after a hole-in-one on the 15th hole during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Spyglass Hill golf course. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

With the first-round final leaderboard changing quickly in mid-afternoon, Jake Knapp, Justin Rose, Cam Davis, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland and Nicolai Højgaard carded 67s. Knapp, Rose, Hovland and Davis played at Pebble Beach Golf Links; Straka and Højgaard played at Spyglass Hill.

“I’m still not happy with my game, how it looks, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have great individual days or great individual tournaments,” said Hovland, who won the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. “So I’m still really pumped to shoot 65, but I know that I’m not going to just let that overlook the problems or the issues that I have in my game. They’re still there, but I was able to overcome it today.”

Henley, whose last of four PGA Tour titles was the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, ended his nine-birdie, one-bogey round with birdies on the 17th and 18th. He finished with consecutive nine-hole scores of 32.

“Yeah, I played them pretty solid,” said Henley of his strong finish. “I had a nice wedge shot on 17 to 8 or 10 feet and feel like I hit my line on my putt and went in the middle.

Russell Henley, the first-round leader, plays a shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

“Then 18 kind of did the same thing, good tee shot, good iron shot to 15, 16 feet and read it right. So, it’s a nice way to finish and definitely excited about how I’m playing.”

The ideal conditions resulted in 53 of the 80-player field shooting below 70. Only eight players shot over par on the overcast, near-windless day and with the temperature peaking in the mid-50s.

Opening-round aces added to the superior scoring during the start of the AT&T’s second year as a Signature Event.

Rory McIlroy, the world No. 3 who finished among seven players at 6-under, aced the 15th hole (his sixth hole) early Thursday at Spyglass Hill. McIlroy’s tee shot landed into the hole on the fly.

Hours later, Shane Lowry recorded the second ace of the first round, hitting a wedge on the seventh hole at Pebble Beach. Lowry’s tee shot landed about 25 yards from the pin and took a sizable bounce toward the hole.

“Honestly, it was lucky, I don’t see many balls nowadays go straight in the hole and stay in the hole,” said McIlroy of the hole-in-one, the second of his PGA Tour career. “I was pretty fortunate because it could have come out and went back in the water or do anything. It was a good swing, a good wedge.”

Scottie Schleffer, golf’s top-ranked player competing for the first time this season, shot a 67 at Spyglass Hill and is among eight players two shots behind the leader. It was Scheffler’s first competitive round since recovering from hand surgery in late December.

Viktor Hovland looks on from the second green during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Defending titlist Wyndham Clarke, the 2023 U.S. Open winner, struggled with two double bogeys, one bogey and only three birdies en route to a 74. He won the event last year when it was shortened to 54 holes via inclement weather.

Jordan Spieth, the 2017 AT&T winner playing for the first since August after recovering from wrist surgery, shot a 70 and is among nine players six shots behind Henley.

Play resumes Friday on the two-course rotation. Amateurs will leave the field on Saturday and Sunday, with the pros playing just at Pebble Beach. Rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.

If you go
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

When: Friday-Sunday

Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course

TV: Golf Channel and CBS

Tickets, more information: attpbgolf.com