Tommy Fleetwood began his 2026 PGA Tour campaign by shooting a five-under-par 67 during the opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday. The English golfer, who has already participated in two DP World Tour events this year, arrived in the United States this week to compete on the PGA Tour after a strong 2025 season.
At 34 years old, Fleetwood’s recent breakthrough win during the 2025 PGA Tour—the Tour Championship in August—established him as a serious contender among the best golfers worldwide. He enters this event looking to build momentum and challenge top-ranked players like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy on the world stage.
Evaluating the 2026 PGA Tour Race: Fleetwood, Scheffler, and McIlroy
The 2026 PGA Tour season raises the question of who will dominate in terms of victories—Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, or Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood, who shook off his reputation of being “too nice to win,” is determined to close the gap on his rivals in the world rankings.
This week at Pebble Beach represents an ideal start to that mission, as a strong finish here could propel him up the leaderboard and bolster his confidence heading into the season.
Tommy Fleetwood’s Reaction Following His First Round at Pebble Beach
Fleetwood’s popularity among PGA Tour fans in the United States was evident as many supporters gathered to watch his first round at Spyglass Hill. His performance included seven birdies and two bogeys, demonstrating solid play. When reflecting on his round of 67, Fleetwood admitted to some inconsistency but was generally pleased with how he executed.
“Yeah, I felt like I hit a lot of good shots. I sort of, I chipped and holed out well today. Like I scored pretty solid. There were still a few shots, like I had one really poor iron shot, I had one really poor drive and then one really poor fairway shot, but in general it was solid. I think yeah, I know the conditions were nice, but I still think it’s a really good score.” ?Tommy Fleetwood, Golfer
Despite favorable weather on Thursday contributing to the scoring, Fleetwood knows that maintaining or improving on this pace will be essential to stay competitive in the coming rounds, especially if conditions remain steady.
Adapting to Variable Course Conditions at Pebble Beach
Fleetwood commented on the challenging shift in course conditions between Wednesday’s practice and Thursday’s official round. Early morning play during practice featured firmer terrain, but rain softened the course by tournament day, affecting ball behavior and strategy.
“I just find it hard to see somebody breaking par yesterday like in the conditions that I played in in the morning in the practice round. There’s always some good rounds, but yeah, it would have been very different. I mean, I haven’t seen the scoring yet today, but by the sounds of it, it’s very, very good. I played here, I played earlier on Tuesday here and it was really firm so I think the rain has softened it up a lot. But even with that, you’ve got to control your spin very well. But also I guess when the course gets softer, even when you almost about hit it in the rough sometimes and it takes the spin off the ball, so I think then that kind of accumulates because you don’t have to drive it amazing to then be in a great position to score and then you can hit a nice shot and then you’re going to be closer and all that kind of stuff. I guess that can accumulate. I don’t know what the scoring at Pebble Beach is like. Yeah, the weather’s been really nice, and the players are just very, very, very good at golf, so lends itself to good scoring.” ?Tommy Fleetwood, Golfer
These weather-related challenges illustrate how vital adaptability and precise shot control are at Pebble Beach, even for top-tier players like Fleetwood.
Current Performance and Outlook for Fleetwood’s 2026 Season
Although Fleetwood’s game during the opening round at Spyglass Hill did not entirely replicate the sharpness he displayed toward the end of 2025, his overall performance was encouraging. His ability to navigate difficult conditions and post a competitive score signals that he is close to regaining his top form.
Fleetwood’s loyal fanbase will watch closely as he attempts to build on this start, aiming to add more PGA Tour victories to his record and contend in major championships throughout 2026.
