Jacob Bridgeman's impressive rookie season: A look at the new PGA Tour format
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 05, 2025, 20:26 IST
( Image credit : AP )
Highlight of the story: Jacob Bridgeman's impressive rookie season highlights the opportunities within the PGA Tour's new format, as he aims for the Tour Championship. Bridgeman's consistent performance, marked by strong finishes and qualification for major events, showcases how players can rise through the ranks. The revised structure allows emerging talents to compete with established players, creating a dynamic and competitive environment.
Jacob Bridgeman began the PGA Tour season with little more than a tour card and a long-shot goal of playing in golf’s biggest events. Now, the 25-year-old rookie is on the brink of qualifying for the Tour Championship at East Lake, capping a year of relentless performance and steady momentum.
Bridgeman is among 21 players competing this week at TPC Southwind who did not qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs last year but earned their way into the top 70, reflecting a 30 percent turnover rate from last season’s postseason roster. It’s a mark of the shifting dynamics under the PGA Tour’s revised structure, where consistent performance can fast-track emerging talent.
“It was a disadvantage, for sure, but not that it was unattainable,” Bridgeman said. “I just knew if I played well, I'd have a chance. That was one of my goals — playing a signature event early. I got in the Arnold Palmer and rode the wave all the way through.”
A Clemson University standout and the No. 2 player in the 2022 PGA Tour University rankings, Bridgeman earned Korn Ferry Tour status upon graduation and played the 2023 season on the developmental circuit. His persistence paid off with a promotion to the PGA Tour this year.
Without guaranteed spots in majors or signature events to start 2024, Bridgeman had to play his way into every opportunity. A runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic, where he closed with a 64, earned him entry into the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. He continued to deliver under pressure, sleeping on the lead at the Valspar Championship before finishing third, and later tying for fourth at the Truist Championship — a result that also secured him a U.S. Open berth.
Bridgeman played in five signature events, two majors, and The Players Championship. He checked off several personal goals for the season, including notching at least four top-10 finishes and making the playoffs. His next target: breaking into the top 50 and reaching the season-ending Tour Championship.
“It’s been nice to be able to check some of them off,” Bridgeman said. “The main goal was to win. I’m still waiting on that.”
His journey underscores the broader impact of the PGA Tour’s evolving event structure. Though initially met with concern over competitive balance, the new system has allowed players outside the top 50 to play their way into elite fields.
“As long as there’s a way you still have to perform to stay in, and there’s an avenue for guys who aren’t in to play their way in, I don’t think there’s an issue,” said J.T. Poston, reflecting on the system’s design at the start of the 2023 season.
This year’s top 70 features a diverse mix of success stories: multiple winners like Ryan Fox and Brian Campbell, first-time champions such as Ryan Gerard and Chris Gotterup, and veterans including Rickie Fowler and Lucas Glover, who turned their form around.
Also making their mark are players like Sam Stevens and Michael Kim, who began the year with limited status but now find themselves with legitimate hopes of making it to East Lake.
Still, the volatility of the playoff race remains. Fourteen players who finished in the top 50 last year failed to return to the postseason, including three — Billy Horschel, Will Zalatoris, and Alex Noren — sidelined by injuries. Meanwhile, newcomers like U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Harris English, and Ben Griffin have surged into the top 10.
Bridgeman’s rise exemplifies how the new format rewards strong, sustained play — even without early-season privileges.
“This isn’t over yet,” he said. “I feel like there’s more to come.”
Bridgeman is among 21 players competing this week at TPC Southwind who did not qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs last year but earned their way into the top 70, reflecting a 30 percent turnover rate from last season’s postseason roster. It’s a mark of the shifting dynamics under the PGA Tour’s revised structure, where consistent performance can fast-track emerging talent.
“It was a disadvantage, for sure, but not that it was unattainable,” Bridgeman said. “I just knew if I played well, I'd have a chance. That was one of my goals — playing a signature event early. I got in the Arnold Palmer and rode the wave all the way through.”
A Clemson University standout and the No. 2 player in the 2022 PGA Tour University rankings, Bridgeman earned Korn Ferry Tour status upon graduation and played the 2023 season on the developmental circuit. His persistence paid off with a promotion to the PGA Tour this year.
Without guaranteed spots in majors or signature events to start 2024, Bridgeman had to play his way into every opportunity. A runner-up finish at the Cognizant Classic, where he closed with a 64, earned him entry into the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. He continued to deliver under pressure, sleeping on the lead at the Valspar Championship before finishing third, and later tying for fourth at the Truist Championship — a result that also secured him a U.S. Open berth.
Bridgeman played in five signature events, two majors, and The Players Championship. He checked off several personal goals for the season, including notching at least four top-10 finishes and making the playoffs. His next target: breaking into the top 50 and reaching the season-ending Tour Championship.
“It’s been nice to be able to check some of them off,” Bridgeman said. “The main goal was to win. I’m still waiting on that.”
His journey underscores the broader impact of the PGA Tour’s evolving event structure. Though initially met with concern over competitive balance, the new system has allowed players outside the top 50 to play their way into elite fields.
“As long as there’s a way you still have to perform to stay in, and there’s an avenue for guys who aren’t in to play their way in, I don’t think there’s an issue,” said J.T. Poston, reflecting on the system’s design at the start of the 2023 season.
This year’s top 70 features a diverse mix of success stories: multiple winners like Ryan Fox and Brian Campbell, first-time champions such as Ryan Gerard and Chris Gotterup, and veterans including Rickie Fowler and Lucas Glover, who turned their form around.
Also making their mark are players like Sam Stevens and Michael Kim, who began the year with limited status but now find themselves with legitimate hopes of making it to East Lake.
Still, the volatility of the playoff race remains. Fourteen players who finished in the top 50 last year failed to return to the postseason, including three — Billy Horschel, Will Zalatoris, and Alex Noren — sidelined by injuries. Meanwhile, newcomers like U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Harris English, and Ben Griffin have surged into the top 10.
Bridgeman’s rise exemplifies how the new format rewards strong, sustained play — even without early-season privileges.
“This isn’t over yet,” he said. “I feel like there’s more to come.”