LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jacob Bridgeman heard cheers all day long for everyone but himself Sunday at Riviera until the final ovation. He made a nervy par putt on the 18th hole for a 1-over 72 and a most narrow victory in the Genesis Invitational for his first PGA Tour title.
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.
Bridgeman finished at 18-under 266 and didn’t make a birdie over the final 15 holes. He broke through in a signature event against a strong field, winning $4 million and having host Tiger Woods waiting to congratulate him atop the steps overlooking the 18th green.
LPGA Tour
CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — Jeeno Thitikul closed with a 4-under 68 to hold off Chizzy Iwai of Japan on Sunday and win the Honda LPGA Thailand, the first time for the No. 1 player in women’s golf to win in her home country.
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.
European tour
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — South Africa’s Casey Jarvis closed with an 8-under 62 and won the Kenya Open by three shots on Sunday to clinch his first title on the European tour.
Jarvis, who had two titles on the Sunshine Tour, had two eagles in the final round at Karen Country Club and shot 30 on the back nine to pull away. He had shared the lead after each of the first three rounds with different players until he took over down the stretch.
American Davis Bryant, who played his college golf at Colorado State, was runner-up after a 64. Hennie Du Plessis (65) of South Africa was third.
Other tours
Oliver Bekker of South Africa closed with a 5-under 67 for a two-shot victory in the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, his ninth career title on the Sunshine Tour. The tournament, co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour, was reduced to 54 holes when the third round was washed out. … Austen Truslow won for the first time when the 30-year-old Floridian closed with a 3-under 67 for a three-shot victory in the Quinovic NZ PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Cooper Moore, a 17-year-old amateur, finished second. … Jamie Donaldson rallied with an 8-under 64 for a one-shot victory over Stephen Gallacher in the Staysure Marbella Legends in Spain.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf