LOS ANGELES — Jacob Bridgman imagined successful the Genesis Invitational, the large crowd that stuffed the amphitheater across the 18th inexperienced at Riviera, and the trophy ceremony with Tiger Woods. On Sunday, nearly every part occurred aside from one small factor.
“I pictured myself strolling up that gap with a four-stroke lead realizing I had gained,” Bridgman mentioned. “Sadly for me, it was solely a one-stroke distinction, which made me much more nervous.”
Bridgeman began with a six-shot lead. He stretched it out to seven holes and performed with 12 holes left. Then, because the lead started to shrink after nice finishes from Adam Scott (63), Kurt Kitayama (64) and at last Rory McIlroy (67), he misplaced feeling in his hand to putter.
Bridgman sealed it with a closing par, hitting a nervy 3-footer on the 18th for a 1-over 72, a one-shot victory over McIlroy and Kitayama, and his first PGA Tour title.
“That is a lot greater than I ever dreamed,” Bridgeman mentioned. He was the primary participant since Scott in 2005 to play at Riviera and go away with a trophy.
Woods met him on the steps overlooking the 18th inexperienced, and as they walked to the trophy ceremony, event organizers instructed him how nice it might be to win at Riviera, the one place Woods by no means mastered, Bridgman mentioned.
“He mentioned, ‘You’ve got acquired it for me,’ so I feel he hasn’t gained but,” Bridgeman mentioned. “I’ve one factor. He has every part else.”
All of it appeared really easy for Bridgeman, till it wasn’t. McIlroy needed to apply stress within the closing group, however his spherical was even par by 10 holes.
“Possibly I did not really feel like he wanted to try this a lot as a result of I wasn’t placing any stress on him, however he performed very well,” McIlroy mentioned. “But it surely’s onerous to complete massive tournaments. Even when he was just a little shaky in the direction of the top, he put it collectively when he wanted to.”
Bridgeman completed with an 18-under 266 and was unable to birdie his closing 15 holes. McIlroy is without doubt one of the hottest figures in golf, and there was a gentle stream of cheers for McIlroy, who was by no means a risk till he hit a bunker shot for birdie on the twelfth and went birdie-birdie to complete with a 67.
Extra cheers echoed all through the Riviera. Max Glaserman hit a hole-in-one on the 14th, Tommy Fleetwood jarred an eagle from the green on the fifteenth, Kitayama stuffed his tee shot on the par-3 sixteenth and narrowly missed the bunker on the par-5 seventeenth for a two-putt birdie.
Bridgeman made a pleasant 12-foot strategy for birdie on the third gap, however whereas he obtained solely just a little applause from the LA crowd, he performed effectively. He hit a powerful chip on the 4th gap and made bogey. All that was left was to steadily intention for 6-foot birdie alternatives.
However he discovered a bunker on No. 16 and needed to hit a 5-foot bogey putt to keep up his lead. The birdie probabilities on the seventeenth and 18th had been horribly brief on greens the place brief putts had been scary.
The ultimate par putt was a combination of pleasure and aid.
“I believed it might be simpler,” Bridgeman mentioned. “It was truthfully simple till I turned 16, however then it acquired actually tough. I simply tried to do it as onerous as I might.”
Scott, who obtained a sponsor exemption, made 5 birdies on the again 9 and closed with a 63, ending in fourth place, two strokes behind. This was his greatest outcome since tying for third on the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on the finish of 2024.
“I nearly maxed out this week and it feels actually good,” Scott mentioned. “It wasn’t a win, so this 12 months I refocused on getting again to the winner’s circle, nevertheless it’s been a very long time since I’ve had a superb outcome, so the outcome feels good.”
Scottie Scheffler, who needed to make a 7-foot par putt to qualify for Friday, had a 66-65 weekend and tied for twelfth place, his lowest end since ending tied for twentieth at The Gamers Championship a few 12 months in the past. His 18th consecutive 12 months of rating within the prime 10 got here to an finish.
Bridgeman reached the Tour Championship final 12 months and has already performed within the Masters. He grew to become the primary participant to win exterior the highest 50 (52nd place) on the PGA Tour this 12 months. This win moved him into the highest 25.
Not solely did he win at a prestigious course like Riviera, however he did it alongside Masters champion McIlroy, drawing essentially the most consideration till he dropped off the tempo. So many putts burned the sting that the final one fell from 30 toes, resulting in his massive end.
When Bridgeman hit his first putt brief, it appeared for a second that he would possibly give McIlroy an additional gap within the playoff. However, as he has all week, Bridgeman by no means appeared uncomfortable. He appeared to really feel that means.
“I could not even really feel my fingers on the previous few greens,” Bridgman mentioned. “I hit some putts hoping they might be near the outlet, however each got here up a mile brief. However I am glad I did it now.”
