Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026: Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune Set the Pace as Weekend Play Moves to Pebble Beach Only

The Pebble Beach Pro-Am is back in full swing in 2026, and the tournament is already delivering the two things it’s built on: high-end competition on one of golf’s most famous coastal stages, plus a celebrity-and-amateur swirl that can hijack the spotlight at any moment. Heading into Saturday, February 14, 2026 ET, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune share the lead after two rounds, with a crowded chase pack that includes several proven winners and at least one big-name comeback storyline.

This year’s edition runs February 12 through February 15, with the first two rounds split between Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill before the weekend shifts to Pebble Beach Golf Links only. It’s a no-cut, limited-field format, meaning all 80 pros advance to the weekend, and every shot now carries a direct impact on the final board.

Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026: Where the Leaderboard Stands and Why It’s Tight

Bhatia’s position is a statement of form and intent. He has the kind of shot-shaping profile that can thrive when wind and coastal conditions start asking harder questions. Hisatsune’s share of the lead is the other half of what makes this weekend compelling: a chance for a less-established name to turn two strong days into a career-defining Sunday.

The storyline behind them is just as important as the names at the top. Rickie Fowler’s move up the board has put him squarely in the conversation, and several top-ranked players remain within realistic striking distance. With Pebble Beach’s scoring swings, a couple of early birdies can reshape the entire top 10 by mid-afternoon.

Schedule Today: Saturday Round 3 Start Window and TV Timing in ET

Saturday is Round 3, and tee times begin late morning ET, with the leaders going off in the early afternoon window. Television coverage is scheduled to run from early afternoon through early evening, with a pre-round segment beginning at noon ET and main coverage starting at 1:00 p.m. ET, extending into the evening.

Sunday, February 15 ET, is the final round, and the tournament’s structure creates a simple pressure cooker: fewer moving parts, no cut drama, and a straight shootout on one course where every camera angle comes with an ocean backdrop and a history lesson.

The Pro-Am Portion Is Over, but the Celebrity Gravity Still Matters

While the amateurs are done after the first two rounds, the “Pro-Am” label keeps pulling attention even as the weekend becomes pro-only. This year’s pro-am title went to Keegan Bradley paired with Mary Meeker, a result that matters for the event’s identity even if it doesn’t decide the professional trophy.

The bigger off-course magnet has been celebrity attendance, especially the surge in fan interest around Travis Kelce’s participation. Even without the rumored superstar pop-culture appearance many fans hoped for, the mere speculation boosted demand and changed the feel on the ground: larger crowds, heightened security posture, and a more mixed demographic than a typical tour stop.

What’s Behind the Headline: Why Pebble Beach Is a Business Event as Much as a Golf Event

This tournament is a perfect example of modern golf’s incentive structure.

For the tour and sponsors, the goal is to create a premium week that feels can’t-miss, even for people who do not track leaderboards every Thursday. That’s why the purse is enormous, why the field is limited, and why the event is packaged as a signature stop with no cut: the best names stay visible all four days, and the weekend broadcast is guaranteed star power.

For players, Pebble Beach offers a different kind of currency. Winning here is not just a number on a resume. It’s a brand enhancer, because the venue has cultural weight beyond the sport. A contender who closes strong on Sunday can convert into endorsements, invitations, and a reputational bump that lasts well into the season.

For the host community, the pro-am format is a tourism engine. Celebrity buzz translates into ticket sales, hospitality bookings, and donor visibility, even when the celebrities do not play well and even when the biggest rumored guest never shows.

What We Still Don’t Know Heading Into Sunday

Several missing pieces will decide whether this becomes a classic finish or a controlled wire-to-wire win:

• How coastal wind and cold morning air affect scoring as the day goes on

• Whether the leaders can avoid the one big-number hole that Pebble tends to hand out under pressure

• Which chasers are truly in form versus simply riding a two-round heater

• How aggressive players get, knowing there’s no cut and little reason to play conservatively

What Happens Next: Realistic Scenarios and Triggers

1. A leader holds steady and wins with disciplined golf
   Trigger: fairways, conservative lines, and avoiding the short-side misses that lead to doubles.

2. A big-name chaser goes low and steals it late
   Trigger: a hot putter plus a stretch of birdies before the final holes tighten up.

3. The finish turns into a coastal survival test
   Trigger: wind picks up, scoring stalls, and par becomes a winning score over the last hour.

4. A breakout win reshapes the early season narrative
   Trigger: Hisatsune or another first-time contender converts, changing how the rest of the year evaluates “who’s coming.”

Pebble Beach has a way of making the final nine feel louder than it looks on paper. With Bhatia and Hisatsune setting the pace, Fowler charging, and a weekend built for visibility, the Pebble Beach Pro-Am 2026 is positioned for a Sunday that can swing from serene to chaotic in a handful of swings.