Los Angeles– jacob bridgman Felt great about his game and his swing and it wasn’t long before everyone took notice at Saturday’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
He had no choice. Bridgeman played in the final group and posted the lowest score at 7-under 64. When he started he was tied for the lead. he was six Rory McIlroy When he finished.
“It was fun and easy, the best performance I’ve ever seen in the world of golf,” Bridgeman said. “My swing felt good and it was fun out there. Everyone was cheering, so yeah, it was a good day.”
Most of the gallery was tagging along with McIlroy and xander schaufeleWho together have won seven major titles. They missed the final group, seeing Bridgeman hit a 7-wood height and 30 inches behind him for another birdie on the 262-yard fourth hole.
It was like that all day – seven birdies for Bridgeman, and an eagle on the par-5 11th when he hit another 7-wood from 259 yards, clearing a ridge. He could not see where it ended, the cheering was such that he thought it might have gone in. It was 8 inches away from the cup.
Now he’s looking for his first PGA Tour title, and given the great weather, he’ll have a chance to break the long-standing 72-hole record on the PGA Tour.
Bridgeman was at 19-under 194. lanny wadkins Won in 1985 at 20-under 264.
McIlroy was alert on the greens, fast and rough throughout the afternoon and finished his round of 69 with seven consecutive pars.
“I hung in there,” McIlroy said. “I wish I was a little closer to the lead. It looks like I’ll be in the last group. Hopefully, I’ll put some pressure on Jacob tomorrow. I’ve given myself a chance, and that’s all I can ask for.”
McIlroy is one of nine players on the PGA Tour to win when the 54-hole lead was six shots. he ran to beat Scotty Scheffler To win the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship in 2023.
“I’m six years old,” McIlroy said. “I need to start fast, try to apply some pressure and hopefully I can do that.”
Bridgeman, 26, of Clemson certainly didn’t play as if he hadn’t won on the PGA Tour. He started with two birdies in three holes, hit the closest shot on the par-3 fourth and his best was still ahead of him.
Bridgeman had a two-shot lead on the back nine when he went birdie-eagle-birdie, hitting that 7-wood into tap-in range, followed by a chip 6-iron for a 12-foot birdie putt off the right pin on the difficult 12th to extend his lead to six shots.
From there, it was a matter of who would join them in the final pairing.
McIlroy and Bridgeman played together for the first time on the final day of the BMW Championship, where Bridgeman played perfect enough to secure a trip to the Tour Championship. He was also added to the second round at East Lake.
This time the stakes are higher.
“I know he’s going to play well tomorrow. I know I can’t back down at all,” Bridgeman said. “But I think I’m feeling comfortable. Last year when I played them in the playoffs I was a little unsure how it would go. And I had a great day in Baltimore – I had to play well to make the Tour Championship and I was paired with Rory and that was a lot.
“I think if it was my first time it probably would have been a little nerve-wracking,” he said. “But I’m not worried about it anymore.”
Bridgeman, who missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole, had no chance to feel any nerves over the weekend because of his fast start. He actually missed only one drive, on the par-4 eighth, when he hit the middle of the barranca dividing the fairways.
Otherwise, it was a clinic.
“To do this on this stage at Riviera is a dream,” Bridgeman said.
No one was particularly close. Aaron Roy (66) Eight was behind. Xander Schauffele had a chance to stay close until he missed four short putts – three for birdie – on greens so critical that every short putt required so much attention.
marco pange The Englishman, who shared the 36-hole lead with Bridgeman, shot 74 to fall 10 behind.
Scotty Scheffler, who made the cut at number one, was eliminated around the time the last group finished. He shot 66, his lowest round at Riviera, and was 14 shots behind. Scheffler’s only hope was to try to extend his streak of top 10s on the PGA Tour to 19.
