Former Clemson golfer Jacob Bridgeman earns first PGA event victory

Former Clemson standout Jacob Bridgeman broke through in a big way Sunday, capturing his first career PGA Tour victory with an 18-under-par performance at the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California.

Bridgeman finished with a 1-over-par round in the final round and held off a late push from Rory McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama, who both ended the week one shot back at 17-under. The win came in Bridgeman’s 66th career PGA Tour start and earned him a $4 million prize.

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The 2022 Clemson graduate built the foundation for the victory earlier in the week, opening the tournament with rounds of 66-64-64 to take a six-shot lead into Sunday. He briefly stretched that margin with birdies on the first and third holes before a challenging back nine made things uncomfortable.

Despite not making another birdie the rest of the round, Bridgeman delivered when it mattered most. Needing par on the final hole, he found the fairway, hit his approach to about 20 feet, and rolled in a short par putt to secure the title.

“This is way better than I ever dreamed,” Bridgeman said. “I thought it was going to be a lot easier… I made it as hard as I could have.”

Bridgeman led the field in strokes gained putting, greens in regulation, and strokes gained on approach for the week, while ranking near the top in birdies and eagles.