Bridgeman catches fire, nears maiden PGA Tour trophy

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Jacob Bridgeman closed in on a first US PGA Tour title on Saturday, firing an impressive seven-under par 64 to take a six-stroke lead over world No. 2 Rory McIlroy heading into the final round of the Genesis Invitational.

Bridgeman, who played the iconic Riviera Country Club course for the first time on Wednesday, made his way around like an old hand, matching the tournament’s 54-hole record with a 19-under par total of 194.

“It was fun and easy,” Bridgeman said. “Kind of the best that the golf world ever gets.”

The 26-year-old American, who is chasing his first PGA Tour title, shared a one-shot overnight lead and was up by three after three birdies in his first four holes.

He picked up four strokes in the space of three holes to pull away for good.

After rolling in a 12-foot birdie at the 10th he eagled the par-five 11th — where he landed his 259-yard approach a foot from the pin. He drilled an 11-foot birdie putt at the 12th.

“I had to make an adjustment mid-round,” he said. “At the beginning I kind of got off to a nice start, had a bunch of short putts and didn’t really have any 15-footers where the speed matters."

“Then kind of in the middle of my round I hit a few (putts) way too hard and told my caddie, I’ve got to hit those a little softer, they’re not taking a break. After that I feel like I hit a lot of good putts.”

McIlroy, meanwhile, could never find the right touch on Riviera’s tricky greens, finishing with just three birdies and a bogey in his two-under 69 for 200.

The Northern Ireland star, who completed his career Grand Slam at the Masters last year, admitted to some frustration as he found himself unable to put pressure on Bridgeman.

“The greens got really fast there at the end of the day,” McIlroy said.

“You’re grinding over three-footers and all of a sudden you get one that you think you can have a bit of a run at and if you hit it a little bit too hard.”

“I found the greens really, really difficult today,” added McIlroy, whose difficulties were epitomized at the par-five 17th, where he was on the green in two but ultimately missed a four-and-a-half-foot birdie putt.”

McIlroy said he’d aim for a fast start on Sunday.

“I’m hitting the ball well. If I can keep driving it like that, putting the ball in the fairway, just giving myself chances and go from there — that’s all I can really do,” said McIlroy, who was one stroke in front of South African Aldrich Potgieter.

The 21-year-old Potgieter, who claimed his lone PGA Tour title to date at the Rocket Classic in Detroit last year, had an eagle and six birdies in his six-under 65 and at 12-under was one clear of England’s Aaron Rai, who shot a 66.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who pushed his streak of PGA Tour cuts made to 68 without a stroke to spare after an erratic two days, climbed the leaderboard with a five-under 66 for five-under 208.