The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing wraps up Sunday with the final round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, and it promises to deliver loads of exciting action.
The famed Riviera Country Club will provide scenic visuals for fans and viewers while posing a serious challenge to the world’s best golfers as they vie for the $4 million prize awarded to the winner in this signature event.
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Here are the biggest storylines you need to know heading into the final round of play at the Genesis Invitational. Here’s why Sunday matters:
The big story: A new star in the making?
Jacob Bridgeman lines up his putt on the 18th green during the first round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational.
The PGA Tour is always looking for fresh, young faces to play themselves into stardom and become the next A-list golfer, and they might have a new candidate on their hands. Jacob Bridgeman is the leader by six after three rounds at the Genesis Invitational and he’s made it look easy so far, with a round of 66 on Thursday and a pair of 64s on Friday and Saturday.
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Bridgeman’s career up to this point. The 26-year-old form Inman, South Carolina played his college golf at Clemson, where he’s one of the most accomplished players the program has ever had. He was a two-time All-American and won the ACC Tournament in his final season with the Tigers, turning in the second-best career scoring average in Clemson men’s golf history.
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As a rookie on the PGA Tour in 2024, he recorded 10 top-25 finishes and he improved upon that last season, finishing inside the top five in four different events, highlighted by a T-2 at the Cognizant Classic and a solo third at the Valspar Championship. So far in 2026, he’s made the cut in all four of his starts and has yet to finish outside the top 20. He was T-8 last week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and placed fourth at the Sony Open in Hawaii to open the season.
The frontrunner: Jacob Bridgeman
Jacob Bridgeman of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 19, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Sleeping on the lead is never easy. It’s even harder when you’ve never won on the PGA Tour before. It’s even harder when you have a Grand Slam champion right behind you. That’s the position Jacob Bridgeman finds himself in Saturday night, leading by six shots over Rory McIlroy, who he will be paired with in the final group Sunday.
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Bridgeman fired rounds of 66-64-64 over the first three days, distancing himself from the rest of the pack as he seeks his maiden PGA Tour victory. On Saturday, Bridgeman had two bogeys on his scorecard and still managed to shoot 7 under, making seven birdies and an eagle en route to the 54-hole solo lead.
“I’ve learned that I’m comfortable in contention,” Bridgeman said after the second round Friday. “I got a couple chances to win last year, especially like at Tampa I was kind of leading the whole way and I feel like I feel comfortable in that position. Last weekend didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to, but I was very confident and comfortable in the position I was in. at some point I’ll break through and get a win.”
The challengers: Rory McIlroy, Aldrich Potgieter
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the fourth tee during the third round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 21, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Rory McIlroy has two six-shot comeback wins on the PGA Tour in his career. He’ll need a third if he wants to hoist the trophy Sunday at the Genesis Invitational. Golf’s most recent Grand Slam winner is in the mix heading into the final day at Riviera after rounds of 66, 65 and 69. McIlroy is seeking his 30th win on the PGA Tour — a feat that’s only been accomplished five times since Jack Nicklaus in 1969.
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Aldrich Potgieter is the next-closest player to the leader at 12 under. The 21-year-old from South Africa has all the makings of a player who will be a stalwart on the PGA Tour for years to come. He had the longest driving average on Tour last season and earned his first victory at the 2025 Rocket Classic in Detroit. He’s struggled so far in 2026, missing the cut in three of four starts this season, but he finds himself in contention after three rounds at the Genesis Invitational, albeit seven shots back.
“it’s pretty stressful going into some weeks where you’ve got really big events and you don’t feel like your game’s quite there,” Potgieter said. “We decided we’re going to play early in the year. We’ve got a lot of changes, equipment, a couple other things as well. So to kind of get through that first stage of everything’s new, got to test it out a little bit.”
The reasonable longshot: Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood of England plays his shot from the 18th tee during the second round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 20, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Tommy Fleetwood finally broke through and won his first PGA Tour event at the Tour Championship last fall, winning the FedEx Cup and the whopping $10 million prize that comes with it. With that proverbial monkey off his back, many believe Fleetwood is just getting started and that more wins will come his way. He could start with a charge Sunday at the Genesis Invitational, where he sits tied for ninth at 8 under.
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Fleetwood fired a 5-under 66 on Friday to highlight his week thus far, sandwiched between more pedestrian rounds of 69 and 70 on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Could he have a really low number in him Sunday? Of course he could, because he’s No. 3 in the world and has proven himself as one of the Tour’s top stars. It’s a longshot, sure, but if Bridgeman begins to stumble on Sunday, Fleetwood is exactly the type of player who could pounce at the opportunity to put some pressure on the leader.
The hole to watch: No. 10
A general view of the on the tenth hole during the second round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 20, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.
The 10th hole at Riviera Country Club is one of the most exciting holes on the PGA Tour. Measuring just under 300 yards, this drivable par 4 poses a major challenge but also offers a major reward with a good tee shot. The safe shot is an iron off the tee that lands a few yards over the massive fairway bunker jutting off the right side.
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But PGA Tour pros aren’t typically known for playing it safe, so the aggressive line is usually the one they choose, taking driver or fairway wood right at the green and hoping it doesn’t miss. The green is angled from front-left to back-right and is guarded by bunkers in on all but one side. Missing your tee shot right is the kiss of death. Missing into the front bunker leads to a dangerous sand shot that oftentimes rolls into the back bunker.
The host: Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods speaks with the media prior to the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
Even though he isn’t playing, the Big Cat’s presence can always be felt at the Genesis Invitational. Tiger Woods is on hand at Riviera, serving as the tournament host. This one is special to Tiger as his charitable organization, the TGR Foundation, celebrates its 30th year serving underprivileged children across the country through educational resources.
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“Our first Learning Lab opened up 20 years ago here in Anaheim,” Woods said during his press conference on Tuesday. “To go from that to now expansion at Lulu’s Place here in Southern Cal, and we just opened up a facility in Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia last year and now we’re going to Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. We’re expanding quickly. We’re serving the underserved, and I think that’s the more important thing is that yes, golf has been a big piece of my life, but it’s not the only part of my life.
“A lot of these kids that we’re serving are first-gens. They don’t really have an opportunity that they deserve, and it’s up to us to be able to facilitate them and give them what they truly deserve, which is an opportunity to be supported. That’s what the TGR Foundation has done for 30 years and we’ll continue to do so.”
In that same press conference, Woods hinted at a potential return to competitive golf in the near future. He’s still rehabbing from lumbar disc replacement surgery in October, but when asked if the 2026 Masters was off the table, he simply answered, “No.”
The course: Riviera in all its glory
A general view of the on the ninth green during the third round of The Genesis Invitational 2026 at Riviera Country Club on February 21, 2026 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Thursday’s rain and wind dampened the visual splendors of Riviera Country Club, but Friday and Saturday let the iconic course shine in all its glory, and the same can be expected Sunday. Sun-soaked fairways and long shadows cast by the towering trees around the property makes this course a true gem to the eye.
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Riviera Country Club is considered by most to be one of, if not the premier annual stop on the PGA Tour. Measuring just under 7,400 yards, this track nestled in Southern California’s Pacific Palisades ranks No. 17 among Golfweek’s Top 200 Classic Courses in the U.S.
The course was originally designed by George C. Thomas in 1926 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Players at the 2026 Genesis saw a major change on the front nine compared to the last time they played it, as the par-3 fourth hole was extended from 230 yards to a whopping 273 yards.
Riviera is also set to host the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open in June.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Sunday Matters: Genesis Invitational finale biggest storylines
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