Jacob Bridgeman Arrives Out West, Jon Rahm Risks His Ryder Cup Future & Rory McIlroy's Dumb Question

Jacob Bridgeman is the newest winner on the PGA Tour, and while his four-day run at Riviera to take down a signature event for his maiden victory is mighty impressive stuff, he's been in serious form since the turn of the calendar.

Rory McIlroy would have spoiled Bridgeman's party on Sunday if his putter didn't turn into a literal ice sickle, but he's not too concerned with a runner-up finish. He also wasn't shy to share how large a paycheck is coming his way, thanks to the birdie he made on the final hole at Riviera.

LIV Golf wasn't in action over the weekend, but Jon Rahm still found his name in the headlines thanks to his refusal to pay outstanding debts that has put his Ryder Cup future in jeopardy, at least for now. Something has got to give before 2027, but it's not a certainty that things will fall in the Spaniard's way, which would be quite the blow to Team Europe.

As always, holler at me on X @itismarkharris or via email at mark.harris@outkick.com with thoughts, concerns, criticisms, etc. on all things golf.

Jacob Bridgeman Puts On A Clinic To Win The Genesis

Folks, we may have ourselves a new, certified dawg on the PGA Tour. Is giving Jacob Bridgeman that title after just one victory a bit of an overreaction? Yeah, maybe, but I'll scoop up any Bridgeman stock anyone is still willing to sell after what we've seen so far in 2026.

The 26-year-old didn't have anything close to his best stuff on Sunday afternoon, but didn't need it thanks to the sizable cushion he built on the leaderboard heading into the final round. A 1-over par round of 72 was just good enough to reach 18-under and hold off Kurt Kitayama and Rory McIlroy by a shot.

Adversity did make an appearance late on Sunday, with Bridgeman making a bogey on the Par 3 16th and a par on the gettable Par 5 17th while McIlroy was applying pressure, but then locked things up on 18 with a perfect tee shot and a routine par to close it out.

Bridgeman finished the week ranked first in approach, first in putting, first in greens in regulation, 11th in driving accuracy, and 13th in average driving distance. With those numbers, it's a bit of a shock he only won the event by one, but those weekly statistics will get it done anytime, anywhere.

With the win at Riviera, it's tough not to circle Bridgeman as the MVP of the West Coast swing in 2026. The Clemson alum finished T-4 at the Sony, T-13 at The AmEx, T-18 at Waste Management, T-8 at Pebble Beach, and then stepped into the winner's circle at The Genesis against a ridiculously strong field on a very demanding golf course.

That run of form, and the fact he's shown no real weak spot in his game this season, is reason alone to buy stock in Bridgeman for the remainder of 2026. On top of that, he's been putting together these results on different turfs, and not his likely preferred one of Bermuda grass.

As a South Carolina native who lives in Greenville, he's likely most comfortable on Bermuda turf, and he'll be seeing plenty of it the rest of the year. While he'd sign off right this second on finishing fifth in strokes gained: putting, which is where he ranks on Tour at the moment, the already super-consistent putter may get even hotter on some grainy surfaces.

In five events this season, Bridgeman has earned $5.2 million.

Jon Rahm's Ryder Cup Future Uncertain, For Now

We're still more than 18 months away from the 2027 Ryder Cup across the pond at Adare Manor, but it's never too early to look ahead at the biennial event, especially when there's a development involving one of Team Europe's key pieces, Jon Rahm, not being eligible to compete.

Earlier this week, the DP World Tour reached an agreement with eight players allowing them to play LIV Golf events while letting them avoid getting conflicting releases and potential fines. Rahm has made it abundantly clear since joining LIV prior to the 2024 campaign that he will not pay any accrued fines, which are now reportedly more than $2 million, and has appealed sanctions.

Essentially, Rahm is rolling the dice and racking up millions in fines in the process, that all will work out in plenty of time ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup, so that he will still be eligible to compete. If he loses his appeal, for which a hearing date has yet to be set, well, then things get iffy and mighty expensive for the Spaniard.

Jon Rahm is leaving his Ryder Cup fate up to chance. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Rahm was eligible to compete for Europe in the 2025 Ryder Cup as his appeal against his fine had not been heard, but it's unlikely he has that luxury before things get going in 2027.

Tyrrell Hatton, a Ryder Cup and LIV teammate of Rahm’s, was one of the eight players who reached an agreement with the DP World Tour after being a part of the original appeal process that began in September 2024. Players who reached the agreement agreed to settle all previous fines, drop any appeals and add additional stipulated DP World Tour events.

Rahm, who has retained his DP World Tour status, has expressed that he believes the fines are unwarranted due to the fact that the tour wants him to tee it up in their events, which is a fair point.

Rahm not paying his fines and keeping his immediate Ryder Cup future up in the air is not the approach Rory McIlroy, the leader of Team Europe, has suggested. He directly called on players to pay their DP World Tour fines in order to get things in order, while also mentioning that the Europeans adopted the mindset that they'd pay to play for a Ryder Cup, and now there is an actual opportunity for Rahm to do so.

Rory McIlroy Will Take That Payday

Rory McIlroy fired a final-round 67 on Sunday to finish T-2 behind Bridgeman, and while a 67 around Riviera is a score any player would happily take, it was still a frustrating round for the five-time major winner, all thanks to the putter.

McIlroy gave himself opportunity after opportunity to apply pressure to Bridgeman throughout their final round together, but lost nearly two strokes on the greens on Sunday. He did hole a 30-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, which bumped him up a spot on the leaderboard.

During his post-round press conference, McIlroy was asked if it was "almost cruel" to have to see the putt on the final hole go in, which led him to giving a classic, genuine response.

"No, not really. It probably earned me an extra 400, 500 grand so it's fine," McIlroy said.

Actually, the putt on the last earned McIlroy an extra $600,000 on the week. It's hard to imagine he was thinking about the difference in payouts while standing over the putt on the 72nd green, but it's fair to assume it entered his mind shortly after seeing his ball find the bottom of the cup.

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