Jacob Bridgeman explained why he understandably missed USA hockey's gold medal win over Canada
· Yahoo Sports
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Jacob Bridgeman had some other things on his mind. Still, though, the USA vs. Canada gold medal Olympic game was on very early on the West Coast—5:10 a.m. PT puck drop. Kind of the perfect event to distract yourself from thinking about what was about to be the biggest day of your life.
But Bridgeman didn't want to be distracted. He allowed himself to think about winning the Genesis Invitational, which he led by six after 54 holes. Who wouldn't with that type of cushion? Barring a massive push by someone far behind him, and a mini collapse from Bridgeman, he was likely going to pick up his first PGA Tour victory in a signature event at Riviera Country Club. If you're not going to daydream about that a few hours before it happens, you don't have a pulse.
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"Maybe I'm different from other people, but I don't think I should try and forget about it or not realize what's going on," Bridgeman said after he won the Genesis Invitational by one stroke over Kurt Kitayama and Rory McIlroy. "The magnitude of the situation almost just makes me focus more. I wouldn't say I was super unsettled this morning, but I was definitely a little bit nervous. I slept well until about 6:30. Then I was trying to sleep till 7:30 and I had an hour where I just couldn't do anything. I was already up, my mind was going, I was ready to go."
Sounds like the perfect time to throw on a game, no? And not just any game, the one that basically united all of America on Sunday. Surely Bridgeman could have drawn some inspiration from watching Jack Hughes pot the game winner in overtime. Or from watching Connor Hellebuyck stand on his head, saving 41 of the 42 Canadian shots that came his way.
Bridgeman had so many other things on his mind that he didn't even realize the game was on.
"I didn't [watch]," he said. "I honestly thought it was a little bit later because yesterday when I was warming up in the truck we were watching Canada play, so I figured I would see it again in the truck this morning. Then Haley [Bridgeman's wife] said on the way to the course this morning that they won, which is great."
Yes, it was great, Jacob. But so is letting your mind drift to shaking the hand of tournament host Tiger Woods, who you grew up watching, and living out that image for real. If anyone was allowed to have tunnel vision on Sunday, it was Bridgeman.
He did miss a helluva game, though.
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