Rory McIlroy showed his true colours at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by creating a moment a young fan will forever remember. The Northern Irishman arrived at the tournament as the defending champion and is currently six shots off the lead, as of Saturday morning.
As the world No. 2 departed the 13th at Spyglass Hill Golf Course during his first round, he ended up surrounded by spectators on his walk to the next hole. Golf fans had their arms outstretched and their mobile phones held high, simply hoping to catch his eye after he made par. A young PGA Tour watcher positioned himself as close to the rope as he could with his mobile in hand, which ended up being a prime position.
McIlroy nonchalantly tossed a golf ball towards him as he walked through. The youngster caught it cleanly mid-air, and the Grand Slam champion glanced back before proceeding to hole 14.
The youngster stood motionless, amazed, before instantly filming himself and the experience as his friend beside him erupted with excitement. He leapt up and down, called out his gratitude towards McIlroy, then released a prolonged “oooh” as action continued.
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McIlroy’s act of kindness occurred during the event that also marked his PGA Tour season opener. Even whilst competing internationally, the Northern Irishman has remained vocal on the ongoing PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga.
The world No. 2 is the reigning champion, having won here in 2025 by two strokes over Shane Lowry, ending with a 6-under 66 to end at 21-under 267.
Pebble Beach had been battered by storms just weeks prior to the tournament, nearly threatening the PGA Tour event as the course appeared unrecognisable.
Early January storms and king tides wreaked havoc on the Monterey Peninsula, flooding some of the course and forcing a tough restoration effort from the grounds crew.
By the time tournament week arrived, Pebble Beach had returned to its picture-perfect state. However, wind continued to gust across the exposed greens and fairways.
McIlroy began his run at Spyglass Hill with a four-under 68 and currently shares 17th place after round two at nine-under. Four other players are tied for the position, including Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Gotterup.
McIlroy scored six birdies, three on the front nine and three on the back, featuring a 157-yard approach to four feet on No. 4 and a 120-yard shot to 14 feet on No.2. He sank a four-footer on 17 and achieved an eagle on 14.
However, he also recorded two double bogeys on Nos. 3 and 6, which impacted his leaderboard standings. Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune is leading at 15-under, tied with fellow countryman Akshay Bhatia.