Jacob Bridgeman Holds On To Win The Genesis Invitational

On 1 of nan astir historical play courses successful nan world, Jacob Bridgeman made immoderate history of his ain Sunday day astatine Riviera Country Club.

Two months and 3 days aft getting married, nan 26-year-old from South Carolina has different representation to past a life aft winning for nan first clip connected nan PGA Tour and threatening nan tourney scoring grounds astatine nan Genesis Invitational.

“To do it against this section is way, measurement amended than I’ve ever dreamt,” said Bridgeman, who prevailed by a azygous changeable complete Kurt Kitayama and Rory McIlroy. “Fans were ace supportive each time and winning astatine this people is simply a dream travel true. I grew up watching this connected TV.”

Beginning nan last information pinch a six-stroke lead, Bridgeman birdied nan first and 3rd holes to return a seven-shot lead and nonstop an early connection to nan different 50 players that he would beryllium reliable to catch. He carded a one-over-par 72 to decorativeness astatine 18 under for a four-day full of 266 — 2 disconnected nan 72-hole modular achieved astatine nan 1985 Los Angeles Open by Lanny Wadkins, who won by 7 shots pinch rounds of 63, 70, 67 and 64.

“We caught Riviera successful a susceptible position,” Wadkins was quoted arsenic saying successful The Times aft his 2nd triumph astatine Riviera (the first successful 1979). “There was small wind, location wasn’t overmuch unsmooth and nan greens were softer than I’ve ever seen them here. Usually, astatine slightest erstwhile a week nan upwind makes it reliable to people astatine Riviera, but it ne'er happened this week.”

Wadkins’ record-setting capacity 41 years agone earned him $72,000 and made him nan ninth golfer to gain much than $2 cardinal successful his career. Bridgeman pocketed $4 cardinal connected Sunday while Sepp Straka and Brian Harman divided nan last-place stock of $51,000.

Making Bridgeman’s accomplishment moreover much singular is nan truth that he had ne'er played Riviera before. What he lacked successful acquisition he much than made up for pinch instinct, ingenuity and poise, particularly during a important agelong of 8 consecutive pars from holes 8 done 15 connected Sunday to go nan tournament’s 100th champion.

Kurt Kitayama chips to nan first greenish during nan last round.

(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)

“I didn’t play play connected Monday aliases Tuesday because of nan upwind and I conscionable was a small spot worn out.” he said. “I played my pro-am Wednesday and benignant of conscionable had a casual information and fto my caddie constituent maine around. It wasn’t a full batch of practice. I consciousness for illustration I sewage my first benignant of learning acquisition of nan people Thursday and connected Friday everything was a batch much familiar. I knew wherever immoderate slopes were and wherever nan tee changeable lines were, truthful I started emotion a small much comfortable.”

Bridgeman, who had a stellar assemblage profession astatine Clemson (setting a schoolhouse grounds pinch 50 profession rounds successful nan 60s) earlier turning pro successful 2022, was truthful dialed successful pinch nan putter Friday while grouped pinch Akshay Bhatia and Maverick McNealy that Bhatia’s caddie Joe Greiner asked him connected No. 17: “Are you judge you’re not from nan West Coast?”

The past subordinate to notch his first PGA Tour triumph astatine Riviera was James Hahn, who hit Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey successful a playoff successful nan 2015 Northern Trust Open.

Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, victor of past year’s Genesis astatine Torrey Pines, tied for 20th astatine nine-under aft a final-round 66.

The time before, Bridgeman matched nan tournament’s 54-hole scoring grounds of 194 group 4 years agone by Joaquin Niemann, who went connected to sprout moreover par successful nan last information to triumph by 2 strokes astatine 19 under.

As coagulated arsenic Bridgeman was playing nan first 3 rounds, eclipsing Wadkins’ grounds seemed almost inevitable. Instead, he had to person nerves of alloy to par nan past 2 holes and sphere nan win.

Bridgeman stumbled pinch bogeys astatine No. 4 and No. 7 and was wary of two-time Riviera champion Adam Scott, who leapfrogged into 2nd alongside McIlroy, Kitayama and Aldrich Potgieter aft opening nan backmost 9 pinch back-to-back birdies. He narrowed nan separator to 3 pinch back-to-back birdies astatine nan 17th and 18th to headdress his 2nd 63 successful 3 days and vanished unsocial successful 4th astatine 16 under.

Rory McIlroy hits from nan 4th tee during nan last round.

(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)

“It’s nosy to make birdie astatine nan 18th pinch this amphitheater,” Scott said. “Today I didn’t person my champion and still had a awesome score.”

History has proven that nary lead is safe connected Sunday astatine Riviera. The past clip it was played location successful 2024 Hideki Matsuyama of Japan overcame a six-shot shortage to triumph by 3 shots aft firing a 62 — nan lowest last information people ever connected nan course.

Kitayama, who started nan last information 9 shots behind, astir pulled disconnected an moreover bigger comeback, pulling to wrong 1 changeable erstwhile he rolled successful a 32-foot birdie astatine No. 17, and Bridgeman bogeyed No. 16 to driblet to 18 under.

Ken Venturi staged nan biggest final-round comeback successful tourney history, shooting a 63 to erase an eight-shot shortage astatine Rancho Park successful 1959.

McIlroy deed his 30-foot birdie putt conscionable difficult capable to autumn astatine nan famed 18th greenish to move into a second-place necktie pinch Kitayama. Then, pinch tourney big Tiger Woods watching, Bridgeman nervously near his birdie putt 3 feet short but made his par and nan crowd roared.

“I thought it would beryllium a batch easier,” Bridgeman admitted. “It was easy until nan 16th, past I made it harder. I was crazy tense connected that five-footer for bogey. I couldn’t consciousness my hands nan past 2 greens.”

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was tied for past aft nan first time and hardly made nan trim astatine moreover par but played nan past 2 rounds successful 11 nether par to decorativeness tied for 12th.