Jacob Bridgeman didn't have to travel far to pick up the second PGA Tour win of his career.
Bridgeman, who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, shot a 26-under-par 257 and came from behind to win the Biltmore Championship Asheville on Sept. 20 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
The venue for the tournament meant Bridgeman, also a Clemson graduate, had plenty of friends, family and Tigers fans following him for the entire four rounds. And he won $900,000.
"Hopefully I'll come back next year and defend it well," Bridgeman said. "It's pretty close to home and feels like a home game, so feels really good."
It's Bridgeman's first PGA Tour win since Feb. 22 at the Genesis Invitational, but his third top-10 finish in a row. He's playing some of his best golf
now, as he represents the United States in the Presidents Cup, Sept. 24-27.
"It's not something we get very often, playing as a team and playing for our country. It just means a whole lot more," the 26-year-old Bridgeman said. "I think you'll see some emotion come out, some guys elevate their game just because of how focused we are and how much we want to win."
Bridgeman had to battle a crowded group of contenders during the final round. The lead changed hands every day of the tournament and, entering the final round, leader Neal Shipley and second-place Ben Kholes had separated from the rest of the field.
But as the leaders started to slip, Bridgeman eagled the 8th hole. And on the back nine, he made five birdies to pull into the top spot. He clinched the win and shot 10-under 61 by tapping in a short par putt on the 18th green.
Bridgeman didn't score a bogey in his final round and was 17 under for the last 36 holes. Limiting mistakes was how he ended up lifting the trophy.
"I felt like the first couple of days, I got off to a great start," Bridgeman said. "I made a couple of errors on the back nine those first couple of days that I shouldn't have because I was being uncharacteristically aggressive. ... I felt confident over 15-footers, so I didn't really have to go at some of the pins. I could hit it out, be a little bit safer, trust my putter and that's what worked out."
J.T. Poston shoots 60, ties for fifth
J.T. Poston came within inches of adding himself to an elite list.
If Poston had been able to convert a birdie putt from 26 feet away on the 18th green, it would have the 17th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. Instead, he settled for a 60 and finished 21 under to tie for fifth.
"Felt like, starting the day, I had nothing to lose and was going to go out there and try and birdie every hole," Poston said. "The front nine, my back nine, I started making a lot longer putts and the hole started looking big. That's just one of those feelings you don't want to end."
Golfers at the Biltmore Championship played with preferred lies, which does make the task easier, but it was nevertheless an impressive round for Poston, who earned his best tournament finish since the U.S. Open in June, where he finished tied for fourth.
"As much as I would like to shoot that magical 59 number, which I've never done, there are so much positives to take away from it," Poston said. "I was pretty proud of how I stayed patient all week. Felt like the birdies were coming and it was nice to kind of see them all come together on Sunday."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What it meant for Jacob Bridgeman to win 'home game' at Biltmore Championship Asheville
