McIlroy said at the start of the year in Dubai that he plans to play fewer events this year — he played 27 last year while continuing to support his home circuit, the European tour. McIlroy is a six-time winner of the Race to Dubai and the only player to win the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup in the same season.

McIlroy’s victory marks the third time he has won in his season debut on the PGA Tour. Currently ranked No. 3 in the world, McIlroy said Saturday after his bogey-free round of 65 that he’ll use this week as a jumping-off point for the thick of the season and the four major championships.

Leave it to Rory McIlroy to make the second day of February feel as though the second week of April were right around the corner. That’s bound to happen when a player of his immense talent — and deficiencies when it comes to the Masters — delivers a sublime performance on a special stage like Pebble Beach ,