GOLF: Jacob Bridgeman cruises to first win at Genesis Invitational

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — After waiting in the wings for much of the past year, Jacob Bridgeman stormed through the front door Sunday, capturing his first career PGA Tour victory at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Bridgeman held on for a one-shot win, finishing the season-opening West Coast Swing at 18-under 266.

Bridgeman, 26, played it safe in the final round, shooting 1-over-par 72. At one point, he held a seven-shot lead early in the day but needed a 3-foot putt on the 18th hole to secure the win.

"This morning I wouldn't say it's a bad thing to think about winning, but I did, and I thought it would be a lot easier than it was," Bridgeman said. "I had everything under control to start the day, but some guys started making a run. It got a lot tighter than I wanted it to."

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (4-under 67) closed with birdies on the final two holes to finish tied for second with Kurt Kitayama (64) at 17 under. Australia's Adam Scott (63) came in fourth at 16 under. Scott, a two-time Genesis Invitational winner in 2005 and 2020 who entered this year on a sponsor's exemption, recorded two rounds of 8-under 63.

South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter (68) was fifth at 15 under, and Jake Knapp (66) finished sixth at 13 under.

The week was especially emotional as the tournament returned to the Los Angeles-area neighborhood devastated by wildfire last January. Bridgeman fought back tears on the 18th green after completing his breakthrough victory.

"I've seen so many guys walking up 18 with the crowd behind you; the amphitheater around the green is such a cool moment," Bridgeman said. "I pictured myself walking up with a four-shot lead, but it was only one shot. I kept my head down and didn’t look up until the end."

Starting the day with a six-shot lead, Bridgeman remained even par through 15 holes, with two birdies and two bogeys. A bogey at No. 16 dropped him to 18 under, allowing Kitayama to pull within a stroke.

Kitayama, nine strokes back at the start, surged with four birdies in his first five holes and added four more on the back nine, marking his first top-five finish since winning the 3M Open in July 2025.

"Had a dream start to the day," Kitayama said. "I wasn’t expecting much, just plugged along. Coming down the stretch, I figured I could make some birdies and add pressure, but overall, it was a great day."

Bridgeman’s rise has been steady. He was runner-up at the Cognizant Classic last February and notched four top-five finishes in just over four months. This season, he finished fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii and tied for eighth at Pebble Beach last week. Unlike previous tournaments, Bridgeman led the field all four days this week, including ties for first after the first two rounds.

Playing alongside McIlroy in the final round, Bridgeman held his own against the world No. 2. McIlroy was even par on the front nine but made four birdies on the back nine, including a long putt on the final hole to keep the finish interesting.

"I holed some putts on the back nine, which is nice, but I’ll rue basically all 18 holes Saturday and the front nine today," McIlroy said. "Overall, it was a really positive week."

Bridgeman, a South Carolina native and Clemson alumnus, reached 21-under early in his round and closed with pars on 17 and 18 to secure the win. It was his first time playing the legendary Riviera layout, earning him not only his first trophy but also a hefty payday.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (65) turned a poor start into a solid finish for the third consecutive week, finishing 11 under and tied for 12th after barely making the cut. Collin Morikawa (65), who ended a more-than-two-year victory drought last week at Pebble Beach, tied for seventh at 12 under with Tommy Fleetwood and Xander Schauffele.

In a standout moment, Max Greyserman scored a hole-in-one at No. 14 despite being 4-over on the day, finishing in a tie for 24th at 7 under.

— Doug Padilla, Field Level Media/Reuters