Golf fans, brace yourselves for a dramatic turn of events at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am! Defending champion Rory McIlroy’s title defense took a shocking nosedive on Saturday, leaving him all but out of contention after a triple-bogey disaster on the fourth hole. But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: while McIlroy’s struggles dominated headlines, Akshay Bhatia emerged as the leader, setting the stage for a wild Sunday showdown—complete with forecasted strong winds and rain that could turn the tournament upside down.
McIlroy’s day started promisingly with two birdies in the first three holes, but things unraveled spectacularly on the fourth. A wayward drive, a botched recovery, and a poor bunker shot led to a nightmare seven—three over par. Despite adding four more birdies, a bogey on the 10th, and a double-bogey on the final hole, McIlroy finished the day even, a staggering 10 shots behind Bhatia’s 19-under lead. And this is the part most people miss: even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who played a bogey-free 67, trails by eight shots, leaving his hopes pinned on extending his streak of top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour to 18.
But here’s the controversial twist: Bhatia, who stormed to a five-shot lead by the turn with six birdies in the first seven holes, stumbled late, going two-over in his last 10 holes. Is his lead as secure as it seems, or could the unpredictable weather and a crowded leaderboard turn Sunday into a free-for-all? Bhatia himself admitted, ‘It was a weird day… I felt like I lost some ground toward the end, but it played so much harder for some of the guys in the later tee times.’
Collin Morikawa stole the spotlight with a stunning 62, tying for second with Jake Knapp and Sepp Straka, just two shots behind Bhatia. England’s Tommy Fleetwood sits tied for seventh, five shots off the lead. Meanwhile, the final hour of Saturday’s play hinted at the chaos Sunday might bring. Jacob Bridgeman, three shots back after a 68, played the 18th hole from the beach, while Min Woo Lee faced a 75-yard recovery from the hedges, ultimately taking a penalty drop on the cart path—only to have his ball move on the putt, turning the hole into a 50-minute ordeal.
Here’s the burning question: With Sunday’s tee times moved forward due to the severe weather forecast, will Bhatia hold on, or will the elements crown an unexpected champion? Knapp summed it up perfectly: ‘It’s not going to be pretty… You’re going to have some funky stuff happen, and you just have to deal with it.’
What do you think? Can Bhatia weather the storm, or will someone like Morikawa or Knapp seize the moment? Let us know in the comments—this is one tournament finale you won’t want to miss! Catch all the action live on Sky Sports, with coverage concluding Sunday from 4 PM on Sky Sports Golf. Don’t have Sky? Stream it contract-free on NOW. And if you’re inspired to hit the links yourself, check out the best prices for a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland.
