LOS ANGELES — Sleeping on a commanding six-shot lead heading into the final round of the Genesis golf Invitational at Riviera, Jacob Bridgeman allowed himself to imagine what a breakthrough victory would feel like.
The prospect of capturing his maiden PGA Tour title carried added significance, knowing the trophy presentation would come from tournament host Tiger Woods himself.
“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 and walk and play golf,” Bridgeman said according to AP. “I’m still kind of in awe of him.”
Bridgeman started with a six-shot lead. He expanded it to seven shots with 12 holes remaining. And it still came down to one clutch swing from the 18th fairway that settled 20 feet below the hole, and a 3-foot par putt with his shadow over the hole.
But he calmly knocked it in for a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama, who both had a strong finishing kick to make Bridgeman sweat a lot more than he wanted.
Not since Adam Scott in 2005 has a player competed at Riviera for the first time and left with the trophy. Bridgeman, a 26-year-old from Clemson, played well enough last year to reach the Tour Championship.
“This is way, way better than I´ve ever dreamt it,” said Bridgeman, the first player since Scott in 2005 to play Riviera for the first time and leave with the trophy.
Woods met him atop the steps overlooking the 18th green, and as they walked toward the trophy presentation, Bridgeman said the tournament host told him how cool it was to win at Riviera, the one place Woods could never master.
Buoyed by raucous home support, the Thai star kept her composure under sweltering conditions and intense pressure, pulling ahead with a birdie on the 17th hole. She won by one shot and finished at 24-under 264 for her eighth LPGA title.
Thitikul became the third Thai winner of the tournament, following Ariya Jutanugarn in 2021 and Patty Tavatanakit in 2024.
Iwai mounted a strong challenge, drawing level briefly after rolling in her second eagle of the day on the par-5 10th. But she closed with eight pars for a 66.
He said, `You´ve got one on me.’ So, I guess he’s never won yet,” Bridgeman said. “I got one thing. He’s got all the other ones.”
