With one round to play of the 2026 Genesis Invitational, leader Jacob Bridgeman had put a chasm between him and his closest rival Rory McIlroy.
Bridgeman began the tournament with a five-under 66, and his second round went even better with a 64, before he repeated that score on Saturday.
Bridgeman’s third round blew the rest of the field away, with seven birdies and an eagle to leave the American 19-under for the tournament at Riviera Country Club.
That left McIlroy facing the daunting prospect of coming back from six behind for just the third time in his PGA Tour career if he was to win the title.
If McIlroy needed any recent proof that such a comeback could be completed at the Genesis Invitational, he’d only have to go back two years, when Hideki Matsuyama carded a final round of 62 to win the title for the first time, having begun the day six behind leader Patrick Cantlay.
However, that wasn’t the biggest comeback in the famous tournament’s long history, which began way back in 1926 as the Los Angeles Open.
That honor belongs to Ken Venturi, who achieved the feat in 1959, when the tournament was held at Rancho Park Golf Course.
On that occasion, Art Wall was the third-round leader, with Venturi apparently out of contention and needing to make up a daunting eight shots on Wall.
However, Venturi got off to a brilliant start, going six under on the front nine, including back-to-back eagles on the eighth and ninth.
He wasn’t done there, making three birdies on the back nine and finishing his round with just one bogey, at the 12th.
While Venturi carded a 63, things went in the opposite direction for Wall, who could only manage a 73 to finish runner-up, two back of the surprise winner, who banked prize money of $5,300 for his efforts and a place in the record books.
