'I feel like my game's in really good shape' - McIlroy upbeat as Masters countdown begins following runner-up finish in LA

Rory McIlroy is helped into the green jacket by Scottie Scheffler at Augusta National last year. Picture: Augusta National Golf Club.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy heads to the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players with a spring in his step after pushing Jacob Bridgeman to the brink at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.

The world number two couldn’t erase a six-shot gap on the 26-year-old South Carolinian, who admitted, “I couldn’t even feel my hands on the last couple of greens,” as he held off a fast-finishing McIlroy and clubhouse leader Kurt Kitayama, closing with a nervy one-over 72 to claim his maiden PGA Tour title by a shot on 18-under-par.

Bridgeman, who extended his lead to seven shots over McIlroy through six holes, picked up $4 million and had host Tiger Woods tell him, “You’ve got one on me” as he secured a Masters debut by winning one of the game’s classic events.

Like Woods (and Jack Nicklaus), McIlroy has yet to win at Riviera. But he’s feeling good about his preparations for his defence of the Masters in 44 days after starting his PGA Tour season with top-class performances on the US West Coast.

After making a triple bogey and three double bogeys and still finish 14th at Pebble Beach, he made just three bogeys in 72 holes at Riviera to claim his 13th PGA Tour runner-up finish in an event that remains the most reliable indicator of who might win at Augusta National in April.

“I mean, if you look at how I played last week, the birdies that I made, yeah, OK, I made a few big numbers but I was able to cut those big numbers out this week,” said the Holywood star, who came home in 32 thanks and shot a four-under 67 that left him tied for second with Kitayama, who shot 64, one behind Bridgeman.

“I think I only had three bogeys for the week. I feel like my game's in really good shape. I'm looking forward to getting on some Bermuda greens over the next couple of weeks.

“But [my game] it's feeling good, it's feeling much better than it did in Dubai, which is a big step in the right direction. Just have to keep working.”

McIlroy had hoped to make a fast start and put pressure on Bridgeman, but Riviera’s tricky and lightning-fast greens prevented him from making a run until late in the day.

“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,” McIlroy said of a stretch that he played in just two under to Bridgeman’s seven under.

“But overall, a really positive week. I feel like I've got a lot out of this West Coast Swing, last week at Pebble and then here. “Have a week off to work on some things, even though I feel like my game's pretty much all there. Looking forward to Bay Hill and The Players.”

He also paid tribute to Bridgeman, who saw his lead shrink to one stroke over Kitayama and two over McIlroy playing the 18th,

Even after hitting two great shots to leave himself a 20-footer for birdie at the last, the hole shrank when McIlroy made his closing 30-footer, and he had to make a par putt from three feet, nine inches to win.

“I’ve seen so many guys walking up 18 with the crowd behind you,” Bridgeman said. “The amphitheatre surrounding the green is such a cool moment. I pictured myself walking up that hole with a four-shot lead and knowing that I’d won.

“But unfortunately for me, it was only a one-shot lead, and it became a lot more nervous.”

After making his par putt, he was greeted by a grinning tournament host, Woods, who never managed to win at Riviera.

“[Tiger] was saying how amazing walking down and seeing the amphitheatre and all the people, how amazing the 18th hole is here and how cool it is to win here,” said new world number 20 Bridgeman, who not only won $4m, he also left with the keys to a Genesis GV80 coupe, a three-year exemption and a Masters debut. “And he said, ‘You’ve got one on me.’”

World number one Scottie Scheffler finished outside the top 10 for the first time since The Players last March.

Crippled by an opening 74, he added a closing 65 to rounds of 68 and 66 to tie for 12th on 11 under — ending his top-10 streak at 18-in-a-row.

Shane Lowry also saved the best for last, making seven birdies, including three in his last four holes, to shoot 67 and finish tied for 24th on seven-under ahead of the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches this week, where he joins Seamus Power in the field.