McIlroy finishes second at Genesis Invitational
Rory McIlroy has made his feelings clear after falling agonisingly short at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, finishing a single stroke behind champion Jacob Bridgeman, reports BritPanorama.
The Northern Irishman acknowledged that his spirited fightback ultimately was not enough to overtake the American. McIlroy had been sitting at level par through the tournament’s midway point before mounting a dramatic charge on the final back nine. His late rally saw him climb within touching distance of victory, but Bridgeman held firm to claim the title.
McIlroy reflected on his performance, stating, “I’ll rue basically all 18 holes yesterday and then the front nine today, like 27 holes where I failed to capitalise on the chances I gave myself. Once I started to trust my reads a bit on the back nine and I went more with my first instinct, I putted a little bit better.” He noted that overthinking his putts contributed to his struggle during the earlier rounds.
This result was an improvement for McIlroy compared to last week’s performance, where he finished tied for 14th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He had slipped out of contention after a series of higher scores, but he highlighted that he managed to keep the big numbers at bay this time, noting, “I think I only had three bogeys for the week.”
Bridgeman’s victory was notable as it marked his maiden PGA Tour triumph, while McIlroy was left to rue what might have been. With a superb closing round of 67, McIlroy applied maximum pressure on the leader, firing four birdies across the inward nine holes. However, Bridgeman, despite struggling to a nervous 72, managed to secure his lead, holing a crucial par putt on the 18th green.
Bridgeman’s winning total of 18 under par was just sufficient to keep McIlroy and fellow American Kurt Kitayama, who also finished tied for second, at bay. The victory not only established Bridgeman’s breakthrough moment on the PGA Tour but also brought him nearly £3 million in prize money. Meanwhile, McIlroy took home over £1.3 million, underscoring the competitive stakes of the tournament. England’s Tommy Fleetwood also shot a four-under 67 for a top-10 finish, while Marco Penge ended the tournament on 10 under after a final round of 70.
As McIlroy walks away with hard-earned lessons from this near-miss, one can’t help but reflect on the precarious balance between triumph and regret in sports. It’s a reminder of how finely the trophy can sway — one more putt, one less indecision, and the narrative would have been decidedly different.
