PEBBLE BEACH >> Rory McIlroy took command of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with his signature powerful drives, newly found pinpoint approach shots and unwavering putting to win his 27th PGA Tour career event on an ideal weather final Sunday round.

The world’s No. 3-ranked golfer shot a final round 6-under 66 en route to a 21 under par 267 total and a two-shot win over close friend Shane Lowry.

McIlroy began the final round tied for second with Lowry at 16 under, one shot behind 54-hole leader Sepp Straka. But the four-time major winner’s stellar round began with a birdie on the second. He finished day with five birdies, an eagle and one bogey.

“To win (on) one of the cathedrals of golf is really, really cool,” McIlroy told CBS minutes after his win.

“There are some venues in our game that just mean a little bit more than others,” he later added, “and that’s probably to do with the history and the people that have won on those courses and what those people have meant to the game of golf.”

With the final-round leaderboard changing quickly, McIlroy moved into a two-shot lead with a birdie on the 12th and then took over the tournament with an eagle on 571-yard, par 5 14th.

McIlroy hit a strategic tee shot 339 yards over trees. His second shot 7-iron sailed 229 yards to 26 feet, 7 inches.

The win was McIlroy’s second career victory in California, arriving a decade after he claimed the 2015 Match Play Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco over Gary Woodland.

“This is the start of the season and I got a win and pretty convincingly and that’s what I hope to continue to do,” said McIlroy. “Obviously (I) couldnt wish for a better start for my PGA Tour season.”

McIlroy earned $3.6 million of the $20 million purse in twhe tournament’s second year as the second of the PGA Tour’s second of eight season Signature Events.

The Northern Ireland native’s tally was one shot short of Brandt Snedeker’s record set in 2015 when the tournament was played on three courses.

Lowry birdied the 18th for a 68 and finished second at 19 under. Justin Rose, the 2023 AT&T winner, and Lucas Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open winner, finished tied for third at 18 under.

Rose eagled the 18th. Glover birdied the final two holes for a 67.

Russell Henley, the first-round leader after the first of two tournament low 64s and Cam Davis finished tied for fifth at 17 under.

Henley had a 67, Davis finished 69.

Glover praised McIlroy.

“When he’s good, he’s great and when he’s not great, he’s good,” said Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open winner.

“There’s a reason he’s got 20-something wins and a bunch of majors and the game he has. He’s a talent, one of the best in the world and probably one of the best to ever play.”

Straka’s first-hole bogey and Rose’s second-hole birdie quickly built the base of the final-day scramble.

Thirty minutes into the final threesome’s round, the duo joined McIlroy and Lowry in the lead at 15 under.

But leaderboard changes began to occur as rapidly as manic slot machine reels. McIlroy and Lowry moved to 16 under with respective birdies on the second hole. Glover, Kim and Davis were 14 under through three holes.

Straka, the only player on the leaderboard not to shoot under par in the final round, had a 72.

He finished at 16 under, tied for seventh with Tom Kim, who had a 70.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 playing for the first since recovering this hand surgery in late December, finished with a 67 and in a three-way for ninth with Billy Horschel (66) and Taylor Pendrith (67) at 15 under.

Defending titlist Wyndham Clark also finished with a 72 and a 2 over with three other players.