Jacob Bridgeman Leads Genesis Invitational by 6 Entering Final Round

Clemson alum has largest 54-hole lead at event since 2010

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Jacob Bridgeman, a 26-year-old South Carolina native, has taken a commanding 6-shot lead into the final round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Bridgeman carded a 7-under 64 on Saturday to reach 19-under par for the tournament, threatening the event's 72-hole scoring record. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is in second place at 13-under, while South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter and England's Aaron Rai round out the top 4.

Why it matters

Bridgeman is seeking his first career PGA Tour victory after several close calls, including a runner-up finish last year. A win would be a major breakthrough for the Clemson alum, who has been knocking on the door of his first title. The large 54-hole lead also puts Bridgeman in position to potentially set a new tournament scoring record at the prestigious Genesis Invitational.

The details

Bridgeman was 3-under through his first 4 holes on Saturday and then caught fire on the back 9, carding an eagle on the 11th hole to reach 7-under for the round. He finished the day 5-under over his final 9 holes to open up a commanding 6-shot advantage. McIlroy, the defending Masters champion, is Bridgeman's closest pursuer at 13-under, while Potgieter and Rai are also in contention at 12-under and 11-under respectively.

  • Bridgeman has the largest 54-hole lead at the Genesis Invitational since Steve Stricker led by 6 shots in 2010.
  • The tournament is taking place less than a mile from where a destructive wildfire forced last year's event to be relocated to Torrey Pines.

The players

Jacob Bridgeman

A 26-year-old professional golfer from South Carolina who is seeking his first career PGA Tour victory. Bridgeman has 6 top-10 finishes in his career, including a runner-up result last year.

Rory McIlroy

A professional golfer from Northern Ireland and the defending Masters Tournament champion. McIlroy is currently in second place, 6 shots behind Bridgeman.

Aldrich Potgieter

A professional golfer from South Africa who is currently in third place at 12-under par.

Aaron Rai

A professional golfer from England who is currently in fourth place at 11-under par.

Scottie Scheffler

The world's top-ranked golfer who shot a 5-under 66 in the third round and is currently at 5-under for the tournament.

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What they’re saying

“I'm a competitor. I haven't had a ton of chances to win yet in my career, but I'm hoping that I'll have a chance, a good chance (Sunday) all the way till the end. If I can get it done, I'd like to kind of start rolling and get a lot of these.”

— Jacob Bridgeman (bnd.com)

“You're grinding over 3-footers and all of a sudden you get one (putt) that you think you can have a bit of a run at and if you hit it a little bit too hard. The greens (were) really, really difficult today. That was most of the frustration. Actually felt like I played pretty well.”

— Rory McIlroy (bnd.com)

“I played now 11 rounds the last few weeks and I had eight pretty solid ones and three I'd like to have back. So overall, I feel like my game is in a good spot. Got a few things that I need to clean up, but I feel I'm continuing to trend in the right direction.”

— Scottie Scheffler (bnd.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Bridgeman's commanding lead heading into the final round of the Genesis Invitational represents a potential career-defining breakthrough for the 26-year-old, who has been knocking on the door of his first PGA Tour victory. A win would validate his steady progression on Tour and could propel him to greater heights in the sport.