LOS ANGELES — Jacob Bridgeman felt great about his game and his swing, and it wasn’t long before everyone at Riviera took notice Saturday at the Genesis Invitational.
They had no choice. Bridgeman played in the final group and posted the lowest score at 7-under 64. He was tied for the lead when he started. He was six clear of Rory McIlroy when he finished.
“It was fun and easy, kind of the best that the golf world ever gets,” Bridgeman said. “My swing felt nice and it was fun out there. Everyone was cheering, so yeah, it was a good day.”
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Most of the gallery was tagging along with McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, who have combined to win seven majors. They missed seeing Bridgeman in the final group behind them hitting a 7-wood high and true to 30 inches on the 262-yard fourth hole for another birdie.
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 that narrowly cleared a ridge. He couldn’t see where it ended up, the cheers were such he thought it might have gone in. It settled 8 inches from the cup.
Now he goes after his first PGA Tour title, and considering the gorgeous weather on tap, he will have a chance to break the longest-standing 72-hole record on the PGA Tour.
Bridgeman was at 19-under 194. Lanny Wadkins won at 20-under 264 in 1985.
McIlroy was cautious on the greens, fast and bumpy late in the afternoon, and closed out his round of 69 with seven straight pars.
“I hung in there,” McIlroy said. “I wish I was a couple closer to the lead. It looks like I’ll be in the final group. Hopefully, put a little pressure on Jacob tomorrow. I’ve given myself a chance, and that’s all I can ask for.”
McIlroy is among nine players on the PGA Tour who have won when the 54-hole lead was six shots. He rallied to beat Scottie Scheffler in the Tour Championship in 2023 to win the FedEx Cup.
“I’m six back,” McIlroy said. “I need to get off to a fast start, try to apply some pressure and hopefully I can do that.”
Bridgeman, a 26-year-old from Clemson, sure didn’t play as though he had not won on the PGA Tour. He opened with two birdies in three holes, hit the closest shot of the way on the par-3 fourth, and his best was still ahead of him.
Bridgeman had a two-shot lead going to the back nine when he went birdie-eagle-birdie, hitting that 7-wood to tap-in range following with a chip 6-iron to a right pin on the difficult 12th for a 12-foot birdie putt to stretch his lead to six shots.
From there, it was a matter of who would join him in the final pairing.
McIlroy and Bridgeman played together for the first time on the final day at the BMW Championship, where Bridgeman did just enough right to secure a trip to the Tour Championship. They also were paired in the second round at East Lake.
The stakes are higher this time.
“I know he’s going to play well tomorrow. I know that I can’t back up at all,” Bridgeman said. “But I think I feel comfortable. I was a little bit uncertain how it would be last year when I played with him in the playoffs. And I had a big day in Baltimore — I had to play good to make the Tour Championship and I was paired with Rory and it was kind of a lot.
“I think if it was my first time maybe it would be a little unsettling,” he said. “But now I’m not worried about it.”
Bridgeman, who missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole, didn’t have a chance to feel any weekend nerves with his fast start. He really only missed one drive, on the par-4 eighth, when he hit into the middle of the barranca that divides the fairways.
Otherwise, it was a clinic.
“To be doing this on this stage at Riviera is a dream,” Bridgeman said.
No one else was particularly close. Aaron Rai (66) was eight behind. Xander Schauffele had a chance to stay close until missing four short putts — three for birdies — on the greens so severe that every short putt required so much attention.
Marco Penge of England, who shared the 36-hole lead with Bridgeman, shot 74 to fall 10 behind.
Scottie Scheffler, who made the cut on the number, finished about the time the last group teed off. He shot a 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.
