The 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am kicked off in spectacular fashion on Thursday, and Round 1 delivered both fireworks and surprises. On a gorgeous day along the Monterey Peninsula, Japanese standout Ryo Hisatsune blazed through Pebble Beach Golf Links with a dazzling 10-under-par 62, grabbing the solo lead and setting an early pace. Hisatsune’s bogey-free masterpiece showcased both precision and poise, giving him a one-shot edge over a group of hungry contenders.
As the first Signature Event of the PGA Tour season, this Pro-Am draws a premium field of elite pros playing for bragging rights and a piece of the massive $20 million purse. With no cut and everyone guaranteed four rounds, Thursday’s leaderboard already shows the depth of talent in the hunt.
Hisatsune’s Spectacular Start: Bogeys? None
Hisatsune’s round might be one of the best opening rounds seen in recent Pebble Beach history. The 23-year-old rattled off 10 birdies and zero bogeys, making clutch putts from all over the green — including lengthy rolls of 28 1/2 and 39 feet on the front nine. A chip-in on the par-3 16th kick-started a strong finish, and three straight birdies to close out the round gave him a commanding 62.
Despite losing strokes off the tee and on approach relative to the field’s average, Hisatsune’s short game carried him to the top of the leaderboard. His comfort with the difficult poa annua greens, tough surfaces that can frustrate even the best, helped him keep momentum throughout his round. Afterward, he credited his feel around the greens and overall confidence for such a scorching score.
A former Aon Swing 5 qualifier who earned his spot with early-season FedExCup points, Hisatsune enters Friday with major momentum. He tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for 10th at the WM Phoenix Open in his last two starts, a stretch that’s carried into his play here in California.
Early Chasers: Burns, Bradley, Gotterup and More
Close behind Hisatsune on Thursday were Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley, both carding impressive 9-under-par 63s at their respective courses. Burns lit up the back nine with a 7-under-29 surge at Pebble Beach, while Bradley’s Spyglass Hill test featured an eagle and a string of birdies that kept him within striking distance.
“It’s about as nice of a day as I’ve ever seen out here,” Bradley said. “The greens are soft but that gets them a little bumpy, too. So some of the putts are a little dicey, but definitely scoring is good.”
Chris Gotterup, coming off a WM Phoenix Open win, also posted a low 8-under-par 64. He bolted out of the gates with six birdies in his first six holes, proving he can carry his rich form from earlier events onto the Monterey Peninsula. His ball-striking and course management will be major storylines as the week progresses.
A handful of other stars lurk just off the lead as well.Tony Finau is tied for 4th with Gotterup (-8), while Andrew Novak, Akshay Bhatia, Nick Taylor, and Tom Hoge sit at 7-under-par 65. These scores ensure the leaderboard will be crowded and competitive come Friday.
Big Names, Mixed Results: Spieth, McIlroy and Scheffler
While the leaderboard is filled with red numbers, some of the marquee names delivered mixed performances on Thursday.
Jordan Spieth put together a strong 6-under-par 66 at Spyglass Hill, including a dramatic eagle on the par-4 18th that energized his finish. Spieth’s experience around this course, where he’s contended before, could make him a serious threat as the tournament unfolds. After the first round, he is tied for 11th.
“I thought I was really good on and around the greens,” Spieth said. “I actually didn’t hit many greens for how kind of well I thought I was swinging the club. I pulled a few kind of the wrong clubs. It’s easy to do out here. You can pull a club you think’s going to go far enough, and it just doesn’t go anywhere here. So I’ve got to get a little tighter on some of that decision making, but when I got into trouble, I got out of trouble.
“Obviously, holing a wedge shot was probably the highlight of the day. But I just really plotted my way around. When I missed, I missed in the right spot. I’d like to get a little bit tighter as we go around Pebble, but at Spyglass 6 under may be the best I ever shot around here, so, very pleased.”
Defending champion Rory McIlroy ended the day with a 4-under-par 68 at Spyglass Hill. McIlroy’s round was a roller-coaster affair, featuring an eagle but also a couple of costly double bogeys, particularly on par-3s. Still, the Northern Ireland star stays well within striking range early, currently tied for 28th.
In contrast, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled to find his rhythm. Playing Pebble Beach Golf Links, the 29-year-old needed a birdie at the 18th just to avoid finishing over par, ending his day with an even-par 72. That leaves Scheffler a full 10 shots back of Hisatsune and tying for 62nd place.
“I feel like typically I’m good at scoring, and today I felt like I didn’t score at all,” Scheffler said. “Anything that kind of went wrong seemed to be going that direction. I actually feel like I’m playing pretty well. Just one of those days.”
If he plays anything like he did in Scottsdale last week, we should see Scheffler’s name at the top of the leaderboard in no time.
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Round 1 Recap: Ryo Hisatsune Takes Early Lead