Jacob Bridgeman is heading to his first Masters, and his unique preparation is already turning heads. Fresh off his first PGA Tour win, the 24-year-old is relying on a specific schedule and a surprising putting strategy to take on Augusta National.

“The beginning of the year, I kind of set off the schedule,” the 24-year-old told the media at Valspar Championship. “I wanted to have two weeks off before. I knew I was going to take it pretty hard in Florida. So I played pretty much everything I planned on.”

Since the season started in January, he has played eight of the 10 weeks (including the Valspar Championship). And his last four events have been a roller-coaster. First, he won The Genesis, followed by a T18 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a T5 at The PLAYERS, and finally a T8 at Valspar. And while the likes of Zach Bauchou, one of the biggest Korn Ferry Tour prospects, hasn't had much success (0 top-10 finishes), Bridgeman has excelled.

“I knew I wanted to have a little rest before Augusta because that's a big week, first time it's going to be a lot mentally and physically,” Bridgeman continued. “So this one kind of fit in my schedule great, it's one of my favorite courses as well, so, yeah, I planned it.”

And while he's looking for some rest, he's not going into the tournament relaxed. Talking to the media at the Innisbrook Resort, Bridgeman confirmed that he played at Augusta National a couple of times during his time at Clemson University. And he’s bringing in that experience, along with his experience in the 2026 season, to prepare for the major. 

But how exactly does he plan to compete against stars like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods? The answer lies in putting. 

Jacob Bridgeman Is Preparing His Putting Ahead of the Masters Tournament

"I practice like 20 minutes a day with a blade probably,” Bridgeman said in a recent video. "I do my stroke stuff, short putts, and then when I put the spaceship in, it feels like I can't miss."

He claimed that putting with a face-balanced mallet is much easier than using a blade. Hence, he challenges himself to practice more using a blade with more toe hang. 

He reasoned, "The more toe hang you have, the harder it is to keep the putter straight.” 

And when he finally shifts back to the mallet, things become significantly smoother. But the question is, can he drive well enough to put his putting practice to use and make a few birdies?

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Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar