Jacob Bridgeman edges Rory McIlroy by one at Genesis Invitational
Jacob Bridgeman secured his first PGA Tour victory at the genesis invitational, closing on 18 under after a tense finish at Riviera Country Club. The one-shot margin over Rory McIlroy immediately reshapes Bridgeman’s season, pushing the 26-year-old inside the world top 25 and stamping an unlikely debut win at a Signature Event.
Jacob Bridgeman clinches first PGA Tour title
Bridgeman finished the tournament on 18 under after carding a one-over-par 72 in the final round, holding off a late charge from Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. He was visibly emotional on the 18th green, holding back tears before sinking a three-foot putt to seal the victory. Bridgeman had opened the day with as many as a seven-shot lead and ultimately won by one stroke.
That single victory carries multiple concrete milestones: it is Bridgeman’s first PGA Tour title; it makes him the first player to win this event in his debut since 1975; and it moved him inside the top 25 of the world rankings for the first time. The win continues a strong start to his year, coming after two top-10 finishes in his opening four events, including an eighth-place at last week’s AT& T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Genesis Invitational final leaderboard
Final scores at the Riviera Country Club read: -18 J Bridgeman (US); -17 K Kitayama (US), R McIlroy (NI); -16 A Scott (Aus); -15 A Potgieter (SA); -13 J Knapp (US); -12 C Young (US), C Morikawa (US), T Fleetwood (Eng), R Fox (NZ), X Schauffele (US).
Selected others included -11 S Scheffler (US), J Spieth (US); -10 M Penge (Eng); -9 R MacIntyre (Sco); -7 S Lowry (Ire), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -6 A Rai (Eng).
Rory McIlroy's chase and key shots
McIlroy shot a four-under-par 67 in the final round but began the day six shots off the lead and could not close the gap. He made five birdies in the round and was even par through the first nine holes before a strong back nine produced four birdies, one of them a hole-out from a greenside bunker on the par-3 12th that applied pressure to Bridgeman.
Late in the day McIlroy drained a 30-foot putt to get within a shot, setting up a tense finish in front of tournament host Tiger Woods. McIlroy reflected on missed chances across the event: “I'll rue basically all 18 holes yesterday and then the front nine today, like 27 holes where I failed to capitalise on the chances I gave myself, ” adding that trusting his first read helped his back-nine putting.
Bridgeman's Riviera performance and statistics
Bridgeman’s run through the tournament included a 7-under 64 on Saturday that extended his lead and silenced a star-studded leaderboard. He led the event in putting through three rounds and produced several highlight shots, including a 259-yard approach to one foot for an eagle and a 19-foot birdie putt on No. 14.
Even with three bogeys on the final day and a bogey at the 16th, Bridgeman held his nerve to close out the win. He acknowledged past struggles on California’s Poa annua greens, noting that some putts simply bump out and that accepting that tendency helped him avoid frustration that previously affected his stroke.
Background: Bridgeman's rise from Clemson to the PGA Tour
Bridgeman’s path to the winner’s circle is marked by steady progression. He played four seasons at Clemson (2018–22), tying the program record with five individual wins, earning medalist honors at the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and the 2022 ACC Player of the Year award, and collecting All-America Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
He finished No. 2 in the 2022 PGA TOUR University Ranking, which led to Korn Ferry Tour status. Bridgeman finished 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List in his first full season and earned promotion to the PGA TOUR. In 2025 he made the TOUR Championship after making 19 cuts in 30 starts, recording five top-10s, a tie for second at the Cognizant Classic, and finishing T27 at the TOUR Championship.
Earlier in his TOUR career he led for the first three rounds of the Valspar Championship before Viktor Hovland overtook him on the final day; his final placing there is unclear in the provided context.
Live coverage note and immediate implications
A live blog of the final round was unavailable during coverage, but the key impacts are clear: Bridgeman’s debut win at a Signature Event significantly advances his ranking and profile, while McIlroy’s late rally underscores that he remains a near-term contender. What makes this notable is how Bridgeman combined putting form and big-shot iron play—evidenced by the 259-yard approach eagle and his Saturday 64—to convert a multi-shot lead into a career-defining victory.
