Rory McIlroy waited all weekend to make a birdie putt of substance and he did so with a 30-footer on the last to complete a birdie, birdie finish. But it wasn’t enough to deny Jacob Bridgeman a one shot victory for his first PGA Tour title at the Genesis Invitational.
McIlroy’s late spurt gave him a share of second place on 17-under after a round of 67 but Bridgeman managed to edge his way to victory despite closing with a 72, his six shot 54-hole lead proved crucial in the end.
“This is way, way better than I’ve ever dreamt it,” said an elated Bridgeman on the 18th green. “I thought it was going to be a lot easier than that. It was honestly easy until I got to about 16 and then it got really hard. Yeah, I can’t believe it. I made it about as hard as I could have made it I think at the end, making it one shot and having to make a three-footer, yeah, this is incredible.”
Bridgeman’s first win of his professional career is life changing. It takes him into the top-25 in the world for the first time and to the summit of the FedEx Cup. This Signature Event win is no fluke either as he came into the week after four successive top-20 finishes and a close shave at Pebble Beach.
The American looked to be in cruise control after he started with two birdies in three holes to hammer home his overnight advantage and even when he bogeyed the 4th and 7th he still had that six shot cushion.
But the likes of Kurt Kitayama, McIlroy and Aldrich Potgieter tried to put the pressure on but they ran out of holes. Bridgeman threatened to leave the door ajar for them and had to roll in a five-footer for bogey on the par-3 16th but he settled himself to hit fairway and green on 18 to leave himself two putts to seal the deal.
“I didn’t really feel really crazy nervous until I had a five-footer for bogey on 16; that one was sketchy. I hit a really good putt and luckily it went in, and then I was really nervous from there on out. I couldn’t even feel my hands on the last couple greens, I just hit the putt hoping it would get somewhere near the hole, and both of them I left a mile short, but I’m glad it’s done now.”
For McIlroy, his wait to win at Riviera will go on for another year at least but there were so many positives to take. His ball striking was imperious as he ranked 4th and 3rd in driving and approach respectively but he will rue a cold weekend putter as he ranked 40th and 45th in the field in strokes gained putting for rounds 3 and 4.
The Masters champion birdied the first but saw a good chance for eagle slip by. That trend continued as he bogeyed the 6th and had to wait until the 11th for a two-putt birdie before he holed out from the greenside bunker for birdie on 12.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry birdied three of his last four holes to secure a top-25 finish on seven-under with a best of the week 67.
Leave a comment