Rory McIlroy shot a four-under-par 67 but it was not enough to overhaul winner Jacob Bridgeman, who won by one shot at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy started the day six shots off the lead but despite making five birdies he could not catch American Bridgeman, who got over the line with a one-over-par 72 to finish on 18 under.
Bridgeman, who held a seven-shot lead early in the day, held back tears on the 18th green before sinking a three-foot putt for his first PGA Tour title.
He is also the first man to win the prestigious event in his tournament debut since 1975.
Bridgeman’s victory continues his good start to the year having had two top-10 finishes in his opening four events, including last week’s eighth place at Pebble Beach.
The 26-year-old’s three bogies on the final day at the Riviera Country Club gave the chasing players hope, including countryman Kurt Kitayama, who finished tied for second with McIlroy on 17 under after carding a seven-under-par 64.
World number two McIlroy was even par after the first nine holes, but made four birdies on the back nine, including a brilliant hole-out from the greenside bunker on the 12th, to put pressure on Bridgeman.
A nervy closing three holes saw Bridgeman bogey 16 then leave his putt on 18 over three feet short, after McIlroy had drained a 30 footer to get within a shot, to ensure a tense final stroke in front of tournament host Tiger Woods.
Bridgeman held his nerve though to claim a first PGA Tour title in style, with victory at one of the Signature Events moving him inside the top 25 of the world rankings for the first time.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood shot a four-under-par 67 to finish joint-seventh on 12-under, which included a slam dunk eagle with his approach shot on 15 from 173 yards out.
World number one Scottie Scheffler made a flying finish with his 65 seeing him recover from his bad start on Thursday to finish in joint 12th.
That meant an end to Scheffler’s brilliant run of 18 consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.
England’s Marco Penge, who was the joint-leader alongside Bridgeman after the second round, ended in tied for 16th place on 10 under.
Max Greyserman provided another big highlight of the day as he made a hole-in-one at the 14th, which illuminated an otherwise difficult day for him as he made four bogeys and a double bogey in his 73.
Rory McIlroy lies six shots off the lead after Jacob Bridgeman’s stunning seven-under-par 64 cemented his place at the top of leaderboard after round three of the Genesis Invitational.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy started the day one shot behind America’s Bridgeman but carded a two-under-par 69 to lie in second place on 13 under in Los Angeles.
Bridgeman, who also shot a 64 in round two, holed seven birdies and one eagle, on the 11th hole, in a fine display as he took control at the Riviera Country Club.
The 26-year-old, ranked 52 in the world, is enjoying a good start to the year having had two top-10 finishes in his opening four events, including last week’s eighth place at Pebble Beach.
England’s Marco Penge, who started the day tied for the lead with Bridgeman, shot a three-over-par 74 as he slipped to joint-seventh on the leaderboard.
Penge’s compatriot Aaron Rai is fourth and eight shots off the lead on 11 under after carding a 66, with South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter one shot ahead of him in third.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, who holed a seven-foot putt on Friday to make it to the weekend, is joint 22nd on five under after shooting a 66.
Akshay Bhatia shot an eight-under-par 64 to share the second-round lead with Ryo Hisatsune at 15 under at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy birdied the final hole to sign for a 67 but sits six strokes off the pace heading into the weekend.
The Northern Irishman made five birdies and an eagle but was left to rue bogeys on the 10th and 14th, although his four on the par-five 18th proved a more than satisfactory conclusion to the five-time major winner’s day.
American Bhatia had earlier produced one of the rounds of the day at Spyglass Hill, while Hisatsune recovered from dropping shots either side of the turn to pick up four shots in his final five holes.
Rickie Fowler was equally as impressive as he moved into a tie for second alongside Sam Burns, at 14 under as he chases his first win since July 2023.
Austria Sepp Straka is currently the best placed European player at 12 under, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick two shots further back along with the likes of Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood followed his 67 on Thursday with a 68 to sit at nine under with McIlroy, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry one shot further back.
A charging Scottie Scheffler brought himself back into picture with three birdies and an eagle on a five-hole stretch after the turn to reach the clubhouse at six under across the first two days.
England’s Justin Rose and Harry Hall are at five under with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, with each player in the field having played one round at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.
All the third and fourth-round action will take place solely at Pebble Beach, with there also being no 36-hole cut at the $20m (£14.7m) PGA Tour signature event.
I HAD negotiated the Giant’s Grave, overcome the Causeway and even conquered the Himalayas – but now Calamity Corner was awaiting me.
Would it live up to its name, as had the other three treacherous golf holes on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, where I was following in the footsteps of the golfing gods.
Now it was my chance to play it — and it turned out to be far from a calamity.
Finding the green with my tee shot was a good start, and two putts later, after help from our brilliant caddie Jamie, I had made par.
It was my most memorable par ever and was only topped by a birdie on the beachside fifth.
After such a fantastic afternoon, there was only one way to mark the occasion — with the Calamity Corner cocktail at the hotel bar.
After such a fantastic afternoon, there was only one way to mark the occasion — with the Calamity Corner cocktail at the hotel bar
I was staying at the 5-star Dunluce Lodge, set alongside the fourth fairway and, like the course, it is named after the castle ruins nearby.
Opening in early 2025, the hotel’s 35 rooms are all suites, while there is also a spa and a putting green for practice.
And the hotel can count former world No1 Rory McIlroy among its guests.
Its restaurant highlights Irish produce, with dishes such as Carlingford oysters and seared Thornhill duck.
The lodge also has a great whiskey collection, including the exceedingly rare 46-year-old single malt from nearby Bushmills distillery.
The following morning, fuelled by brilliant memories of Royal Portrush and a full Irish breakfast, I was ready to tackle my next course: Castlerock.
A 25-minute drive from my hotel, the course was another beautiful layout in an area blessed with many, including Portstewart and Bushfoot.
The bar at Dunluce Lodge which has a spectacular whiskey collection including Bushmills exceedingly rare 46-year-old single maltThe lodge’s restaurant highlights Irish produce – and does a great full Irish breakfast tooCredit: Unknown
Set alongside the River Bann, which is visible on several holes, the venue held a European Tour event in 2023 and has a second course which can be played for £60.
Three holes of Castlerock’s Mussenden Links run alongside the railway, including the tricky fourth.
Later in the round, the 16th and 17th offer the best views across to Donegal.
Guinness flowed
After the golf, I returned to Portrush to visit the famous Harbour Bar, a pub frequented by some of the world’s best players during The Open.
Set over three floors, the boozer’s food options include burgers for £15 and half rotisserie chickens for £20.
When I went, it had live music playing late into the evening as the Guinness flowed and golfers from across the globe shared stories.
I also enjoyed a pint of the black stuff on the first day of my break, at the Culloden Estate in the suburbs of Belfast.
The Guinness flowed and golfers from across the globe shared stories
The hotel houses a spa and swimming pool alongside three restaurants, while the mocktail on arrival and cupcakes in the room were nice touches.
I chose its Cultra Bar for dinner where mains included daube of Irish beef or pork chop with black pudding, both for £28.
The hotel was ten minutes from my first round at Holywood, Rory McIlroy’s home course and where he learned the game.
Rounds cost £60, with the course set in the hills above Belfast and offering views across the Lough, particularly on the challenging back-nine holes.
McIlroy gives a thumbs up as he poses on the bench at the 6th tee in 2025Credit: APSun man Chris Slack follows in the footsteps of golfing god Rory by posing on the same benchCredit: SuppliedChris poses opposite the famous clubhouse at Royal Portrush before his roundCredit: Supplied
Off the course, the clubhouse has an area dedicated to Rory’s Major triumphs, including replica trophies, alongside Ryder Cup memorabilia.
But I had teed off early to allow myself time to visit another of Belfast’s most popular attractions.
The Titanic Experience, yards from where the doomed liner first launched, tells the story of the ship’s construction, sinking and discovery.
Artefacts on display include one of the life jackets — of which only 12 still exist — and the violin played by a member of the band as the ship went down.
The exhibition was a fascinating addition to a break packed with an amazing mix of great golf, Irish hospitality and spectacular food.
It was a trip that was far from a calamity — and well above par.
The challenging back nine at Holywood GC offers great views across to the Belfast LoughA comfortable room at the Culloden Estate in the suburbs of BelfastCredit: Supplied
