Rory McIlroy said he was happy with his positive progress at the Genesis Invitational, despite falling just short after Sunday’s surge.
Jacob Bridgman fought off attacks from McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama to win his first PGA Tour title with a one-shot victory at 18 under par at Riviera Country Club.
Although McIlroy didn’t get his first win of the season, he insisted the week was an encouraging step towards the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.
“If you look at my play last week (at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), I definitely had some big numbers, making birdies, but I was able to cut those down this week,” McIlroy said.
“I think I only had three bogeys this week. I feel really good about my game and I’m looking forward to getting on the greens in Bermuda in the coming weeks.”
“I feel much better than in Dubai. This is a big step in the right direction. I just keep trying.”
“I feel like I got a lot out of this West Coast swing last week at Pebble and here. I feel like my game is pretty much all over, but I got a week off to work on some things. I’m looking forward to Bay Hill and The Players.”
Rory McIlroy misses Genesis Invitational title after being hit with a shot by Jacob Bridgman
McIlroy, who started the day with a six-shot lead, made four birdies on the back nine and improved his score to 4-under 67, closing in on the lead by one spot.
“I was just sitting there trying to make something happen,” he said. “I felt like I could have done more on the front nine if I had dropped a few more putts.
“It’s difficult. Sometimes it’s even more difficult when the leader has a big cushion and I’m not under pressure. I’ve been there myself, when the guys you’re playing with aren’t pushing and the guys in front of you are pushing.”
“Jacob was getting a lot of pars, and then at the end the cart moved and Adam (Scott) posted and I started getting some birdies. I thought Jacob was really good at being persistent and playing the way he played downhill.”
McIlroy ultimately admitted he came back too late, adding: “Basically all 18 holes yesterday, the front nine today, 27 holes where I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that were given to me, etc.”
“Once I started trusting my reading a little bit on the back nine and going with my initial instincts, my putts started to improve a little bit.
“I was reading too much into them and then I saw Jacob’s putt from the other side do something and I thought, ‘Oh, it looks like it went further left than he thought,’ so I kind of factor that in.
“I almost overthought them and didn’t follow my first instincts, and that took a toll on me.”
What’s next?
Before PGA Tour action resumes, TGL matches will be played live on Sky Sports Golf from Monday to Wednesday, with the first indoor match taking place on Monday night at 10pm between Atlanta Drive GC and Boston Common Golf.
The PGA Tour will then move from California to Florida, where the Cognizant Classic will be held at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach. Jacob Bridgman is expected to return soon, but notable names on the entry list include Brooks Koepka and Ireland’s Shane Lowry, who continue their PGA Tour return.
It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 11.45pm on Thursday, ahead of the full coverage from 4pm. Get Sky Sports now or stream without a contract
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