Ryan Fox of New Zealand plays his shot on the third green during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026 at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Photo / Getty Images
Ryan Fox of New Zealand plays his shot on the third green during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026 at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Photo / Getty Images
Ryan Fox recovered from an early hiccup to card an even par round to start the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, the first of the $33m signature events of the PGA Tour season.
Fox is paired with world No 2 Rory McIlroy for the opening two rounds, with McIlroy onfire early at five-under through the opening nine, while Fox struggled with an early double bogey.
Playing on the Spyglass Hill Golf Course, the first two rounds alternate with Pebble Beach, and starting on the back nine, Fox parred the opening three holes before a double bogey at the par four 13th. A chip with his third shot failed to land on the green before his next attempt left him a 1.2m putt for bogey. But that missed, to see him walk off with a six.
He recovered by sinking a 2.1m putt for birdie at the par four 17th to be one-under at the turn.
A cold putter didn’t see other birdie chances drop, before Fox found the lefthand bunker at the par three fifth and couldn’t sink the near 5m par attempt.
But he bounced back with back-to-back birdies, including a good look at eagle at the par-five seventh. That got him back to even par and left Fox in a tie for 60th in the 80-man field.
Despite his hot start, reaching six-under at one point, McIlroy had two double bogeys of his own on the back nine but finished his round with a birdie to card a four-under 68.
Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune was the early leader after a 10-under 62 at Pebble Beach, a shot ahead of American Sam Burns, who opened with a 63 also at Pebble Beach.
Last week’s winner at the WM Phoenix Open, Chris Gotterup, continued his hot form that has seen him clinch two wins already this year with birdies in his six opening holes.
