Key to advancing on PGA Tour? Play better, and SC’s Bridgeman, Novak did just that
Two guys who refined their games in South Carolina Junior Golf Association competition and played at Palmetto State colleges are the poster boys of how the PGA Tour works.
So says Rory McIlroy.
Noting how the Tour has limited eligibility for next season and likely will continue the trend under new CEO Brian Rolapp, a reporter posed this question to McIlroy prior to the Tour Championship: “If you were a Korn Ferry graduate to be or someone in the 61 to 100 (range in the rankings), how would you look at the schedule for next season?”
McIlroy’s answer: “I would look at someone like Jacob Bridgeman or Andrew Novak or some of these guys that were in a similar position to them this year and being able to play their way into Signature events with good play and feel like I’ve got an opportunity to do some great things.”
He’s right, using far more words than required for the usual reply of how to advance in golf’s major league: “Play better.”
And he found the perfect examples.
Novak, who grew up in Mount Pleasant and played at Wofford, and Bridgeman, an Inman native who played at Clemson, zoomed up the FedEx Cup standings and world rankings this season. Stellar play found both in the season-ending Tour Championship.
Novak began the season with solid status — in the 61-100 range — in the FedEx standings and No. 123 in the world rankings. He climbed to 12th in the regular-season FedEx standings before dropping to 25th with the different scoring for playoff events.
He’s No. 30 in the world this week and owns a two-year Tour exemption, thanks to his teaming with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Classic. In addition, he lost a playoff for the RBC Heritage title to Justin Thomas and added a pair of third-place finishes
Bridgeman started at 123 in FedEx standings and ended the regular season at 33 before moving to 27 in the playoffs. His world ranking improved from 189 to 63 with three top-5 finishes to highlight his season.
Their FedEx finishes provide berths in all nine of the 2026 Signature events — those with limited fields, few cuts and huge purses. In addition, both will receive invitations to the Masters for the first time.
They will be joined in the Signature events by the old man of the South Carolina contingent, Lucas Glover. Now 45, Glover, a Greenville native who starred at Clemson, placed 36th in the final FedEx standing and is No. 50 in the world rankings. His season included a tie for third in the Players.
Trace Crowe (Greenville) will move to the PGA Tour after finishing among the Korn Ferry Tour leaders this year.
Other members of the Tour’s Palmetto State gang will need to rely on the fall season or Korn Ferry playoffs to secure status for 2026.
Carson Young (Pendleton/Clemson) is in the best position, heading into the fall at No. 128. The top 100, down from 125, after the fall season secure full status for 2026.
Ben Martin (Greenville/Clemson) starts the fall at 174, Kevin Kisner (Aiken) at 185, Matt NeSmith (Aiken/USC) at 191, Jonathan Byrd (Columbia/Clemson) at 203 and Bill Haas (Greenville) at 233. Wesley Bryan (Columbia/USC), at 204, has been suspended by the PGA Tour. Kyle Stanley (Clemson), Richy Werenski (Aiken) and William McGirt (Bluffton) did not make a cut in limited starts. Tommy Gainey advance to the 50-and-older Champions Tour.
Chip shots. The team of Nick Biershenk (Duncan) and Brad Sill (Spartanburg) claimed the 2025 SCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Camden CC in a six-hole, sudden-death playoff. The team of Zach Herold (Lexington) and Sam Jackson (West Columbia) finished second, with Herold playing the last eight holes of regulation and the playoff by himself after his partner had to attend to a family matter. The Columbia team of Patrick Stephenson and Griffin Patterson, eliminated on the second playoff hole, placed third. ... USC’s men’s golf team, ranked 20th in Golfweek’s preseason poll, open the fall season on Sept. 7 in the Gopher Invitational in Independence, Minnesota. The Gamecocks women begin the fall ranked 14th by Golfweek and start in the Annika Intercollegiate in Elmo, Minnesota on Sept. 8 ... Clemson’s men play in the Myrtle Beach Golf Trips Intercollegiate on Sept. 7. The Tigers women opened Monday by winning the one-day Tiger Classic and next play in the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall in Hanahan on Sept. 8.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Key to advancing on PGA Tour? Play better, and SC’s Bridgeman, Novak did just that."