Genesis Invitational: Jacob Bridgeman denies Rory McIlroy to seal maiden PGA Tour win

Despite holding a commanding seven-shot advantage earlier in the final round, the American had to dig deep to get over the line.

Starting Sunday with a six-stroke cushion, Bridgeman wasted no time in stretching his lead, rolling in birdies at two of his opening three holes. However, the 26-year-old faltered down the stretch, carding three bogeys that opened the door for the chasing pack.

McIlroy, paired with Bridgeman in the final group at Riviera Country Club, struggled to convert chances early, missing several makeable putts on the front nine. His round caught fire at the par-3 12th when he holed out from a greenside bunker, and birdies on two of the final holes pulled him to within one.

A closing 67 saw McIlroy finish tied for second alongside Kurt Kitayama, who charged up the leaderboard with a brilliant seven-under 64, but the Masters champion couldn't find the final birdie needed to force a playoff, as Bridgeman held on for the famous win after sinking a three-footer at the last.

"I thought it was going to be a lot easier than that," Bridgeman said after receiving the trophy from the tournament host Tiger Woods.

"It was honestly easy until I got to about 16, and then it got really hard. I can't believe it. I made it about as hard as I could have made it I think at the end - making it one shot and having to make a three-footer, but this is incredible.

"I didn't really feel crazy nervous until I had a five-footer for bogey on 16, that one was sketchy. I hit a really good putt and luckily it went in, and then I was really nervous from there on out.

"I couldn't even feel my hands on the last couple greens. I just hit the putt hoping it would get somewhere near the hole, and both of them I left a mile short. I'm glad it's done now."

For McIlroy, the damage was ultimately done a day earlier, as Saturday's 69 left him too much ground to make up despite a spirited Sunday charge.

"I tried to make some things happen," McIlroy said. "I holed some putts on the back nine, which is nice, but 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."

Further back, Adam Scott posted the lowest score of the day with a sparkling 63 to take fourth at 16-under, while South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter finished one shot behind in fifth.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler closed strongly with a final-round 65, but still saw his remarkable run of 18 consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour come to an end as he finished tied for 12th on 11-under.