Jeff Rhodes, Co-Managing Partner of TPG Capital, teamed up with Rory McIlroy and together they emerged as the champions of the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. They finished with a score of 16-under 127, narrowly defeating three other top teams by a single shot. Jeff Rhodes displayed exceptional golf skills, especially considering his 9-handicap index.
This was the first time that Rory and Jeff played as a team, and they achieved victory on their very first attempt. Despite Rory’s lack of prior experience in this event, he performed exceptionally well and made significant contributions to their team’s success. Other players, such as [insert names], also performed admirably but fell just short in the two-round tournament.
The format of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am underwent significant changes this year. Instead of including a large number of participants, the event was limited to 80 professional players and 80 amateurs. The tournament was also shortened to just two rounds, and the games were played on two renowned golf courses. Only professional players competed in the final two rounds at one of the courses, deviating from the previous format where the top teams would advance to a final round on Sunday. These modifications added to the overall excitement of the event.
During the golf tournament at Pebble Beach, Rory McIlroy encountered a challenging start. He scored a 71, finishing just one shot below par and placing him in a tie for 39th place. On the seventh hole, he received a two-shot penalty for not correctly dropping his golf ball. Later, on the 16th hole, his ball ended up in some bushes. While attempting to move it for an easier shot, he unintentionally violated a new rule implemented in 2023. Previously, golfers could drop their ball anywhere along an imaginary straight line. However, the revised rule required them to drop it precisely on that line, allowing for some rolling once it hit the ground. McIlroy was unaware of this change and incurred three additional shots as a penalty. Clarifying his perspective, McIlroy stated, “I took an unplayable on 7 and took it back on-line. Then unbeknownst to me, the rule changed in January 2023.”
Following the incident, McIlroy openly discussed what had transpired, admitting that he was unaware of the rule change in January 2023. Mark Dusbabek, a prominent PGA Tour rules expert, explained that McIlroy’s failure to drop the ball precisely on the line resulted in the additional penalty shots. This moment became a notable aspect of McIlroy’s performance at the 2024 event.