‘You got one on me,’ Tiger tells triumphant Jacob Bridgeman

PACIFIC PALISADES — The man who won almost everything offered a comment of admiration to the man who won at Riviera, where Tiger Woods never did.

“You got one on me,” Woods told Jacob Bridgeman.

What Bridgeman got Sunday was a victory in the Genesis Invitational, his first on the PGA Tour. 

After constructing a 6-shot lead going into the final round, Bridgeman played just well enough, often enough, to end up in front, barely.

His 1-over par, 72 gave him an impressive four-round total of 166, 18-under par on one of the game's historic courses, and one swing better than the two players who tied for second, Kurt Kitayama (64) and Rory McIlroy (67).

Adam Scott, 45, stepping out of the past, was a lone 4th, another swing back. Scott had 2 wins in this tournament, the first in 2005 in a rare Monday one-hole playoff when it was delayed by rain, and again at 72 holes in 2015. 

So much history in this event, which celebrated its 100th anniversary. And now Bridgeman, 26, is very much a part of it. He turned pro after an excellent career at Clemson, and he has developed into a star, as verified by his last two events: 8th place at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro Am and a few days later, a win at the Riv. 

“First win here, probably one of the coolest places I could have done it, and of course having Tiger as the host is a dream come true.” 

Woods, now 50, played the event at Riviera, then called the Nissan, when he was an 18-year-old amateur. Despite all his success at places such as St Andrews and Augusta, his best finish in this tournament was a runner-up.

Now, one of the directors of the Genesis, Woods was quick to point out Bridgeman’s achievement.

Asked what it meant to win an event that Tiger was hosting, Bridgeman said, “Knowing he was the one to be waiting to shake the winner’s hand made it definitely a little bit more nerve-racking just because when I was growing up, my youngest golf memory was watching him on TV. When he was in his prime, I was learning to talk, walk, and play golf.” 

Obviously, Bridgeman has done well in all three.

Kitayama, a one-time basketball player in high school at Chico—yes, where Aaron Rodgers grew up—said of his golf Sunday, “I played awesome today.”

He began the round with birdies on 4 of the first 5 holes. It was a great run, but not quite enough. 

McIlroy made his charge late. He had four birdies on the back nine. “I just kept plugging away and trying to make something happen,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I could have made something happen on the front if I holed a few putts, but I didn’t.” 

So the West Coast swing of the tour is done, it’s on to Florida and way points. Scottie Scheffler, the number one-ranked player, should get back to winning on the other side of the country. Not that anything could be better for Bridgeman, who got a win and a great comment from boyhood hero, Tiger.