Former Clemson Standout Surges at Cognizant, Set to Play in Arnold Palmer Invitational

Jacob Bridgeman picked the perfect time to deliver the best finish of his young PGA Tour career.

The former Clemson standout fired a brilliant seven-under 64 in Sunday’s final round at the Cognizant Classic, finishing tied for second at 17-under for the tournament.

Bridgeman, 25, began the final round six shots back but stormed up the leaderboard with a sizzling back-nine 30, which included five birdies and no bogeys. His final-round 64 tied for the low round of the day, as he posted the clubhouse lead before champion Joe Highsmith matched his score late to claim the title at 19 -under. 

It was Bridgeman's first career top-10 finish.

“It’s awesome. Kind of a monkey off the back,” said Bridgeman after his final round. He finished 28th at the 2024 Cognizant Classic. “I played decent last year, but I never really had any great finishes. Every time I got near the top 10, I would be on my last few holes and kind of coast in," he added. "So, it’s good to finally get that one done.”

J.J. Spaun also finished at 17-under, sharing second place with Bridgeman. Each player earned $818,800 in prize money.

The Inman, SC native and Chapman High alum's runner-up finish is a major step forward in his professional career. After an impressive collegiate run at Clemson from 2018-22—where he won five times and was named ACC Golfer of the Year in 2022—he turned pro but spent most of his time grinding on the Korn Ferry Tour early in his career. 

His best career PGA Tour finishes were 11th, 12th (twice), 14th (twice), 19th (twice), 21st, and 23rd (twice) in 2024. This season, before this week, Bridgeman had shown flashes, finishing 21st at The American Express and 34th at the Mexico Open at Vidanta. 

Thanks to his performance at PGA National Course, Bridgeman secured a spot in one of the PGA Tour’s premier events: the Arnold Palmer Invitational, presented by Mastercard. The tournament, held March 6-9 at the iconic Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, features a $20 million purse, with $4 million going to the winner.

Bridgeman, who has never played Bay Hill, expressed excitement at the opportunity.

“That would be great. If I got in, I’d go down there, and it would be a wonderful experience,” he stated in the clubhouse. “I always wanted to play Bay Hill and never played it. So, it’d be fun.”

Bridgeman is paired with Brian Campbell and will follow him at 7:40 a.m. EST to begin the tournament, won by Scottie Scheffler in 2024, on Thursday.