McIlroy Reclaims Top Qualifying Spot After Pebble Beach Win

Rory McIlroy reclaimed top spot in the European Ryder Cup Rankings after his two-stroke victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR.

The Northern Irishman’s victory at the iconic venue was his 27th PGA TOUR title and sees the seven-time Ryder Cup player leapfrog Englishman Tyrrell Hatton to take the top qualifying place on 1,284.07 points.

An eighth consecutive Ryder Cup awaits the 35-year-old, who starred when Europe last won on U.S. soil at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club.

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 02, 2025 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

“I feel like I controlled my ball flight well in the crosswinds this week and I drove the ball really well,” said the four-time Major Champion.

"I think I'll always nitpick and there's always things about my game that I want to try to get better, because that's just who I am. I'm trying to get the most out of myself all the time, but I also have to accept at the same time where my game's at right now.

"I've talked a lot about, this year, trying to limit the mistakes and trying to keep the big numbers and the destructive swings off the scorecard.

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"For the most part this week, I did that. The game can start to become pretty simple and feel pretty easy when you're not making bogeys.

"I know I'm going to hit enough good golf shots to give myself plenty of birdie opportunities, it's just a matter of getting that odd up and down to keep the momentum of the round going. I did that really well this week.”

McIlroy started the day one stroke behind 2023 Ryder Cup teammate Sepp Straka (-16), who had won on his previous start on the PGA TOUR, with fellow European teammates Shane Lowry (-15) and Justin Rose (-14) also in contention.

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Sepp Straka of Austria reacts after a shot from a bunker on the eighth hole during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 02, 2025 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The leaderboard was tight heading into the final nine holes, however three birdies and an eagle through holes ten to 15 saw McIlroy move clear of his Ryder Cup Europe teammates and finish two strokes ahead of Lowry, at 21-under-par.

Solo second place for Lowry sees him join the automatic places for the first time in this qualifying period, where he sits in fourth place at 563.73 points.

The Irishman was full of praise for his friend and teammate McIlroy, adding: “He was just so in control. He drives the ball incredibly well, he always does. He was in control of his ball today and he putted nicely. It all came together.

"He took control of the tournament. When I was making birdies, he was throwing birdies back. Then he made eagle on 14 and that was pretty much it."

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Shane Lowry of Ireland talk on the 17th green during the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2025 at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 02, 2025 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Straka, who carded a final round 72 to finish in a tie for seventh, said: “Rory turned it on for the back nine. I asked him how many [wins] that was for him and 27 is pretty unbelievable. I think he's the most impressive player I've ever played with.

"He just strikes it unbelievably well, hits it far but also so straight for how far he hits it. That 14th hole sums it up, just a bomb drive down there. We both hit seven there, but his was seven-iron and mine was a seven-wood. It's really impressive."

Meanwhile, Rose made it a European podium after his incredible three-wood chip in for eagle on the famous 18th hole at Pebble Beach and moves to 27th in the rankings on 219.91 points.

Laurie Canter also made a big move up the rankings thanks to his dramatic play-off victory at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour, as the Englishman moved into eighth place on 402.42 points.

After Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal made bogey on his final hole, the tournament headed to a three-way play-off between Canter, Larrazábal and Dan Brown.

But it would be Canter who would step up as he played one of the shots of the tournament to set up a short-range birdie putt.

The 35-year-old duly stepped up and nervelessly holed the winning putt to enter the winner’s circle on the DP World Tour for a second time this year after being part of Rose’s victorious Great Britain & Ireland squad at the 2025 Team Cup.

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 02: Laurie Canter of England poses with the trophy after the final round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 2025 at on February 02, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Canter said: “A lot of the stuff I've kind of stumbled on at the beginning of this year, being part of that Team Cup and listening to a few of the speakers and people, how they deal with pressure.

“So I just said 'we've got a job to do here and let's really knuckle into what we're trying to do, hit some quality shots under pressure', which is what we’re practising doing. And I did that great. The two swings I made in the play-off were super and then sort of limped the putt in, so it was nice to win with a three.

“I’m delighted (with how I’m playing). I now head fully into trying to climb the world rankings. This is going to get me some points and I’ve not got many to defend, so I’ll do everything I can to get myself in that top 50 and open up the opportunities that brings. I’m not that far off it now, and it’s great to have a target like that.”

McIlroy currently claims top spot in qualifying on 1,384.07 points, with Hatton (922.84 points), Rasmus Højgaard (766.23 points), Lowry (563.73 points), Matt Wallace (516.22 points) and Niklas Nørgaard (511.73 points) rounding out the automatic qualifiers.

The qualification process will end at the DP World Tour’s Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, which concludes on Sunday August 24, 2025.

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