Ryo Hisatsune Steals the Spotlight with Scorching 62 at Pebble Beach
Ryo Hisatsune is riding one of the hottest hands in golf right now, and on Thursday at Pebble Beach, he turned up the heat even more. The 23-year-old from Japan opened the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a bogey-free 10-under 62 - the best round of his young PGA Tour career - and grabbed the outright lead in the first Signature Event of the season.
This wasn’t just a hot round. It was surgical.
Hisatsune poured in over 150 feet of putts, including bombs from 42, 31, and 17 feet, and even chipped in for birdie on the par-4 16th to ignite a closing stretch of three straight birdies. That kind of finish doesn’t just reflect confidence - it shows a player who’s fully in rhythm with every club in the bag.
And while this was Hisatsune’s debut at Pebble Beach, you wouldn’t have known it. His previous low on Tour was a 63 just last week at the WM Phoenix Open, where he finished tied for 10th.
That came on the heels of a runner-up finish at Torrey Pines, where he played in the final group on Sunday. In short: this isn’t a flash in the pan.
Hisatsune is stacking experience and showing he belongs in the conversation with the game’s rising stars.
“I love putting on poa annua greens,” he said afterward - and it showed. Still, as sharp as the flatstick was, he knows the ball-striking will need to tighten up over the next three rounds if he wants to convert this momentum into a maiden PGA Tour win. Friday brings a new test at Spyglass Hill.
Burns and Bradley Keep Pace
Just one shot back sits Sam Burns, who matched Hisatsune’s brilliance with a 63 of his own - thanks in large part to a lights-out performance on the greens. Burns led the field in strokes gained putting, picking up over five strokes with the wand. He was in full control all day and took full advantage of the pristine scoring conditions at Pebble.
“Anytime you can go bogey-free, regardless of where you're playing, is always a good thing,” Burns said. “I made a significant amount of putts and felt like I was hitting it pretty nice. It was a good combination today.”
Keegan Bradley joined Burns at 9-under, carding the low round at Spyglass Hill. The former Ryder Cup captain missed a chance to tie the course record on his final hole, but still walked off with a 63 that had him grinning. After a quiet stretch, Bradley looks like he’s rediscovered something in his swing - and his confidence.
Leaderboard Loaded with Firepower
Behind the leaders, the names start stacking up quickly. Chris Gotterup, Tony Finau, and Patrick Rodgers are all at 8-under. Gotterup has already notched two wins this season and continues to look like a breakout star in the making.
At 7-under, there’s a logjam of talent including Nick Taylor, Akshay Bhatia, Andrew Novak, and Tom Hoge. And sitting just one more shot back at 6-under is a group of heavy hitters: Russell Henley, Jake Knapp, Jordan Spieth, Sepp Straka, Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Patrick Cantlay, and Mackenzie Hughes.
But it was Spieth who stole some of the spotlight on Thursday. Playing Spyglass Hill - the tougher of the two courses - Spieth put together a clean, bogey-free 66.
He holed out for eagle on the par-4 9th and was rock-solid on the greens, particularly from inside 10 feet, where he’s been known to get shaky. That wasn’t the case Thursday.
“I thought I was really good on and around the greens,” Spieth said. “I actually didn’t hit many greens for how well I thought I was swinging the club.
Pulled a few wrong clubs - easy to do out here. But I got out of trouble when I needed to.”
One of the highlights? A 12-footer to save par on his final hole and keep the card clean. For a guy who thrives on momentum, this round could be a springboard.
Scheffler Searching for Answers
On the other end of the leaderboard, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finds himself in an unfamiliar spot - 10 shots back after an opening-round 72. That’s the same deficit he faced after 18 holes last week in Phoenix, where he opened with a 73.
This time, it wasn’t one bad hole or a single swing that derailed him. It was a slow, frustrating bleed.
He missed birdie looks from 8 feet on each of the first two holes, rolled one in on No. 4, but gave it right back on No. 5 with a short miss. A birdie on the par-5 6th offered a glimmer of hope, but he wouldn’t make another until the 18th.
In between? A missed par putt from inside 3 feet on No. 12 and a string of uncharacteristically poor iron shots.
Scheffler lost nearly 2.5 strokes on approach - ranking 73rd out of 80 players in the field. That’s rare air for a guy who’s made a living by being one of the most consistent ball-strikers in the game.
He’ll need something special Friday to claw his way back into contention.
Odds Update: Plenty of Value on the Board
As the field heads into Round 2, the odds board is starting to take shape. Keegan Bradley leads the way at 8-1, followed by Chris Gotterup (19/2), Sam Burns (10-1), and Hisatsune (13-1). Matt Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy are both sitting at 17-1, with Jake Knapp and Patrick Rodgers close behind at 18-1.
Scheffler? He’s drifted all the way out to 35-1 after opening the week as a 3-1 favorite. That’s a big number for the world’s top player, but he’ll need a round in the mid-60s on Friday just to get back in the mix.
McIlroy, meanwhile, might be the one to watch. Despite a couple of double bogeys, he still posted a 68 at Spyglass and left several makeable putts on the course. If the putter heats up, he has the firepower to make a serious charge.
Looking Ahead
With scoring conditions expected to remain favorable, Friday could be another shootout - especially at Pebble Beach, which played nearly four shots under par in Round 1. Spyglass Hill, by contrast, played about two shots tougher, so those switching courses will need to adjust quickly.
Hisatsune has the early edge, but with a leaderboard packed with proven winners and rising stars, this tournament is far from over. The next 54 holes promise to be a battle - and if Thursday was any indication, it’s going to be a fun one to watch.