Min Woo Lee's priceless reaction to $5m near-miss as rival's epic shot robs Aussie of playoff chance

A stunning final round of 7-under almost netted Aussie golf star Min Woo Lee a $5 million payday, only for American gun Colin Morikawa to nail an epic approach shot in vicious wind to claim the chocolates on Monday.

Morikawa clinched the seventh win of his PGA Tour career and the first in 848 days by taking out the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He had to chase down Lee, who went to the clubhouse as the scoreboard leader after birdying the 17th and 18th holes of his final round to be sitting pretty at 21-under for the tournament.

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Morikawa was leading by a shot until he bogeyed the 17th, dropping him to level with Lee.

The Aussie 27-year-old headed to the practice green to keep himself warm, while watching the events unfold on a small screen.

On the par-5 18th hole, Morikawa had to deal with a fierce crosswind, but he whacked his iron well left and over the ocean water, allowing the wind to bring the ball back over the green and land just off the putting surface.

Lee's reaction to the shot was caught on broadcast cameras - he was impressed but equally deflated given he knew Morikawa was surely about to steal victory, or at least the chance of a playoff.

Morikawa chipped expertly and then sunk his birdie putt to cement victory, crying after doing so as he shared an emotional embrace with his partner.

For Lee, it would have been just the second win since joining the PGA Tour.

For winning the elevated event Morikawa takes home more than $5m (AUD) while Lee wins a bit more than $3m for finishing tied for second with Sepp Straka, who eagled the last hole.

While he didn't win, the commentators noted Lee's final round was "fantastic".

Morikawa had not won on the PGA Tour since the 2023 Baycurrent Classic.

It was an adventurous final stretch for Morikawa, who took the lead with birdies on 15 and 16 before dropping back with a bogey on the par-3 17th hole.

Lee posted a 65, surging up the leaderboard by playing the last six holes in 4-under. Straka had 68 in the final round.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffer shot 63, featuring three eagles, to finish tied for fourth at 20-under with England's Tommy Fleetwood (66).

With two eagles and three birdies on the first seven holes and two more birdies to start the back nine, Scheffler surged toward the top of the leaderboard and within a shot of the lead. His bid appeared derailed with a couple of bogeys, but he hit an approach shot within three feet to set up an eagle putt on No.18 and pull into a share of the lead.

Scheffler began the round eight strokes off the lead. He was aiming for his largest final-round comeback in a victory. He became the first golfer to record three eagles in the same round at the Pebble Beach Golf Links tournament since 1983.

- with Reuters