Jacob Bridgeman clinched victory on the Genesis Invitational after seeing off Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy was left with loads of remorse after failing to capitalise on Jacob Bridgeman’s nervy closing spherical on the Genesis Invitational.
Bridgeman went into Sunday with a six-shot lead however may solely handle a one-over-par 72, opening the door for the chasing pack.
McIlroy began slowly however 4 birdies on the again 9 noticed him card a 67 and put himself in rivalry, together with Kurt Kitayama, who shot an excellent seven-under 64.
It got here all the way down to the ultimate inexperienced and Bridgeman held his nerve with a three-foot putt to recover from the road and safe a one-shot triumph.
McIlroy felt his event was misplaced in his third spherical, when he shot a 69, and the beginning of the fourth, when he did not capitalise on a number of presentable birdie alternatives.
“I’ll rue mainly all 18 holes yesterday after which the entrance 9 at present, like 27 holes the place I did not capitalise on the probabilities I gave myself,” McIlroy instructed the PGA web site.
“As soon as I began to belief my reads a bit on the again 9 and I went extra with my first intuition, I putted just a little bit higher.
“I used to be virtually simply giving them an excessive amount of thought and never going with my first intuition and that type of value me.”
McIlroy happy with total Riviera exhibiting
The Northern Irishman was happy along with his total recreation on the Riviera Nation Membership, although, having seen his problem on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am final week hampered by 4 double bogeys and three bogeys within the his opening three rounds.
“For those who have a look at how I performed final week, the birdies that I made – yeah, OK, I made a couple of massive numbers, however I used to be in a position to lower these massive numbers out this week,” added McIlroy.
“I believe I solely had three bogeys for the week. I really feel like my recreation’s in actually good condition.”
As for Bridgeman, the American continues to go from power to power with this victory following on from two top-ten finishes in his first 4 occasions of the season.
“I assumed it was going to be so much simpler,” he stated. “It was truthfully simple till I obtained to 16 after which it obtained actually arduous. I made it as arduous as I may have made it.
“I couldn’t even really feel my fingers on the final couple of greens. I simply hit the putt hoping it will get someplace close to the opening, and each of them I left a mile quick. However I’m glad it’s accomplished now.”
Bridgeman will get one up on Tiger Woods
He was met by event host Tiger Woods after clinching victory. Woods by no means managed to win at Riviera and Bridgeman did it on his first try.
“He stated, ‘You’ve obtained one on me.’ So I suppose he’s by no means gained one but,” Bridgeman stated. “I obtained one factor. He’s obtained all the opposite ones.”
World primary Scottie Scheffler shot a 65 to return joint twelfth, ending his outstanding run of 18 successive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.
