There’s something different about watching one of your own tee it up on the biggest stage in golf.

For those of us in the Upstate of South Carolina, that’s exactly what it feels like right now with Jacob Bridgeman.

The Inman native, now residing in Greenville, is in his second season on the PGA Tour—and he’s not just hanging around. He’s contending. And after a scorching start to the 2026 season, it’s safe to say the rest of the golf world is starting to take notice of what we’ve known for a while:

This kid can flat-out play.

Before the bright lights of signature events and Sunday leaderboards, Bridgeman built his foundation just down the road at Clemson University.

His college résumé speaks for itself:

After turning professional, Bridgeman made his way through the Korn Ferry Tour, earning his PGA Tour card in 2023 by finishing 14th on the season-long points list.

By 2025, he had fully arrived.

Last season included:

Even after missing the cut in both majors, his trajectory never slowed. If anything, it accelerated.

Bridgeman has opened this season with four straight top-25 finishes:

That brings us to this past weekend at the iconic AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

A signature event on the PGA Tour calendar, Pebble Beach features a limited field and no cut. It’s played across two legendary venues:

The first two rounds include celebrities (yes, even the likes of Travis Kelce), but the weekend belongs strictly to the pros.

And Bridgeman belonged right there with them.

He fired rounds of 67, 65, 68, and 70 to finish T8 at 18-under. On Sunday, there was a moment—standing on the back nine—when he was leading the tournament and looked poised to take home the trophy.

While the final stretch didn’t fall his way, nothing about this performance should be viewed as anything other than confirmation:

He can go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world.

Look at the names near the top of that leaderboard:

And just around him:

Major champions. Ryder Cup players. Presidents Cup veterans.

And right in the middle of that mix? A guy from Inman, South Carolina.

That’s not an accident. That’s not luck. That’s sustained, high-level golf.

Bridgeman currently sits:

It’s early in the season, but those numbers matter. They put him squarely in the conversation—not just for big events, but potentially for international team competitions down the road.

He already has experience on the Junior Presidents Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup teams. With the U.S. looking for young talent to reshape its future in team competitions, Bridgeman feels like exactly the type of player who could be in the mix—whether that’s a Presidents Cup berth or even a Ryder Cup captain’s pick someday.

Is it early? Yes.

Is it unreasonable? Not at all.

At Sweet Teas Golf, our mission has always been to highlight golf in the Upstate—to tell stories that matter here.

And this one matters.

As someone from Greenville myself, there’s something special about watching a player from Inman—who now lives right here in our city—compete on the biggest stages in the sport. It gives young golfers in Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, and beyond a tangible example of what’s possible.

If you’re in the Upstate and you don’t normally follow professional golf, this is your reason.

Tune in.
Watch the leaderboard.
Pull for one of our own.

Jacob Bridgeman has quickly become one of my favorite players to watch—not just because of his talent, but because of the hometown pride that comes with it.

We’ll be following his season closely.

We took a short hiatus to start the year, but we’re back—and we’ve got a lot coming.

If you’ve enjoyed this piece, share it with a friend. Our goal is to grow Sweet Teas into something that benefits golfers across the Upstate—and hopefully far beyond.

This is Grayson Reames signing off for Sweet Teas Golf.

And Jacob—keep going. We’re watching.