Jacob Bridgeman has shared what Tiger Woods said to him after he won the Genesis Invitational at Riviera on Sunday to secure his first ever PGA Tour win.
Had viewers been told before the final round of the Genesis Invitational that the margin of victory would be one shot, they would have been forgiven for assuming that Jacob Bridgeman may have thrown the tournament away.
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The 26-year-old started the last round at Riviera six shots clear of the field. And in truth, he seemed to be in control for much of Sunday, with the pressure only ramping up over the last few holes.
Ultimately, he needed to hole a four foot putt for par on the last to see off Kurt Kitayama and Rory McIlroy – and with that, get the opportunity to shake hands with Tiger Woods.
Bridgeman was able to hold his nerve and secure a maiden victory at one of the PGA Tour‘s most iconic stops.
What Tiger Woods told Jacob Bridgeman after he won the Genesis Invitational
Of course, a number of incredible players have failed to win at Riviera during their careers, including Jack Nicklaus, McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler.
But Woods has also not won in the Pacific Palisades. And Bridgeman revealed in his press conference that the 15-time major champion reminded him of that as they spoke after his victory.
“I don’t know what he said when I first walked up the hill, but walking down the hill he was saying kind of how amazing walking down and seeing the amphitheater and all the people, how amazing the 18th hole is here and how cool it is to win here. And he said, You’ve got one on me. So I guess he’s never won yet. I got one thing. He’s got all the other ones, but I got one,” he said.
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Obviously, it would have been fantastic for the PGA Tour if Woods had been ready to tee it up this past week. While he may not be at the peak of his powers, he remains the game’s biggest superstar.
Many of the players seem to remain in awe of the 50-year-old. And Bridgeman explained what it meant to win at his event on Sunday.
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“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,” he said.
“He’s the best player of all time by far. I think some of the things that he’s done on the golf course are incredible, will never be beaten. I’m still kind of in awe of him, and if you ever wanted to pass some time, just look up some Tiger Woods highlights, it’s pretty incredible.”
Interestingly, Bridgeman expressing his view that Woods is the best ever comes in the same week Golfing Gazette readers voted Jack Nicklaus as the greatest of all time over Woods.
It just shows that it is the golfing debate that is destined to never be settled once and for all.
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