"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a golfer play as many bogey-free rounds as Scottie," McIlroy said. "He just doesn’t make mistakes."

Toying with his opponents had come to an end. That seems an exaggeration of Rory McIlroy’s standing and prowess in professional golf, given the past few years have been noted not for what he has done so much as what almost was.

Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 Sunday to win his first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, three days after he made a hole-in-one in the opening round.