Keegan Bradley
Encyclopedia
Keegan Bradley is an American
professional golf
er who is a rookie on the PGA Tour
. He has won two tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship
. He is one of three golfers to win in their major
debut, along with Ben Curtis
and Francis Ouimet
.
. Growing up as an all-state ski racer in Woodstock, Vermont, Bradley decided as a teenager to pursue golf over skiing. He moved to Hopkinton, Massachusetts
prior to his senior year at Hopkinton High School
, where he won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
(MIAA) Division 2 individual state championship in 2004. Bradley attended St. John's University and won nine collegiate events before graduating in 2008.
His aunt is former LPGA
player and World Golf Hall of Fame
member Pat Bradley. As a child he attended some of her tournaments and he credits her with inspiring his success in the game.
, where he won at Southern Dunes in his fifth and final start of the year.
Bradley won a second Hooters Tour event in 2009 at the Texas Honing Open.
He played two Nationwide Tour
events that year, making the cut in both of them. He attempted to earn a 2010 PGA Tour
card through qualifying school
but fell short by two strokes. In 2010, Bradley played on the Nationwide Tour, where he recorded four consecutive top-five finishes late in the season to finish 14th on the money list and earn his PGA Tour card for 2011. After making the cut in his first PGA Tour event, the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii
, Bradley finished T-7 the following week at the Bob Hope Classic. He added a second top 10 finish at the Valero Texas Open
in April.
Bradley won his first PGA Tour event at the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship. He defeated Ryan Palmer
on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The victory gained him entry into the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
, where he shared the 36-hole lead and led midway through the final round before finishing T-15.
He is currently sponsored by Cleveland Golf
, the 2011 PGA Championship
. A second-round 64 propelled him into a share of the lead at the halfway stage, and Bradley remained only one shot out of the lead after 54 holes. In the final round, he triple-bogeyed the 15th hole to fall five shots behind Jason Dufner
with three holes to play before recovering with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 which, combined with three consecutive bogeys for Dufner, left Dufner and Bradley tied after 72 holes of regulation play. Bradley won the three-hole playoff with a birdie and two pars, while Dufner went par-bogey-birdie to finish one stroke behind. Bradley became only the third player after Francis Ouimet
(1913) and Ben Curtis
(2003) to win a major in his first attempt, and was the first golfer to win a major with a long putter. He also became the seventh consecutive first-time major winner and the first American major champion since Phil Mickelson
won the 2010 Masters
. With the victory, Bradley moved from number 108 to number 29 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)
1 Defeated Jason Dufner in a three-hole playoff: Bradley (3–3–4=10) and Dufner (4–4–3=11)
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who is a rookie on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He has won two tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship
2011 PGA Championship
The 2011 PGA Championship was the 93rd PGA Championship. Keegan Bradley won his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Jason Dufner. The tournament began on Thursday, August 11, 2011 and concluded on Sunday, August 14...
. He is one of three golfers to win in their major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
debut, along with Ben Curtis
Ben Curtis (golfer)
Ben Clifford Curtis is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 2003 Open Championship.-Early career:Curtis was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Ostrander, Ohio. His family runs the , also in Ostrander...
and Francis Ouimet
Francis Ouimet
Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American golfer, who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the 1913 U.S. Open, and was the first American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews...
.
Early life and college career
Keegan Bradley is the elder child of Mark Bradley, the head professional at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club just outside Jackson, WyomingJackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton County....
. Growing up as an all-state ski racer in Woodstock, Vermont, Bradley decided as a teenager to pursue golf over skiing. He moved to Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
prior to his senior year at Hopkinton High School
Hopkinton High School
Hopkinton High School is the public secondary school serving Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The school enrolls 977 students,grades 9 through 12, and its current principal is Alyson Geary. Hopkinton High School currently is 95th in the country and 2nd in Massachusetts in the Newsweek's "Best High...
, where he won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association , comprising 365 high schools in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, is an organization that sponsors activities in more than thirty sports. The MIAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations , which writes the rules...
(MIAA) Division 2 individual state championship in 2004. Bradley attended St. John's University and won nine collegiate events before graduating in 2008.
His aunt is former LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
player and World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
member Pat Bradley. As a child he attended some of her tournaments and he credits her with inspiring his success in the game.
Professional career
Bradley turned professional in 2008 and began playing on the NGA Hooters TourNGA Hooters Tour
The National Golf Association Pro Golf Tour is a developmental men's professional golf tour in the United States. It includes approximately twenty 72-hole Pro Series events and three 54-hole Qualifying School Prep Series events each year throughout the US South and Midwest. The NGA Pro Golf Tour...
, where he won at Southern Dunes in his fifth and final start of the year.
Bradley won a second Hooters Tour event in 2009 at the Texas Honing Open.
He played two Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
events that year, making the cut in both of them. He attempted to earn a 2010 PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
card through qualifying school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
but fell short by two strokes. In 2010, Bradley played on the Nationwide Tour, where he recorded four consecutive top-five finishes late in the season to finish 14th on the money list and earn his PGA Tour card for 2011. After making the cut in his first PGA Tour event, the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii
Sony Open in Hawaii
The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in 1965. Starting in 1971, the tournament was held...
, Bradley finished T-7 the following week at the Bob Hope Classic. He added a second top 10 finish at the Valero Texas Open
Valero Texas Open
The Valero Texas Open is an official tournament on the PGA Tour. It dates back to 1922 when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. In 2003, it was the site of the...
in April.
Bradley won his first PGA Tour event at the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship. He defeated Ryan Palmer
Ryan Palmer
Ryan Palmer is a chess player of Jamaican origin; he was the Jamaican National Champion in 1992. During the academic years of 2004-2007, he taught mathematics at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire, and now has moved to the United States, to pursue further studies...
on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The victory gained him entry into the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
The 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was a professional golf tournament contested from August 4–7, 2011 over the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio...
, where he shared the 36-hole lead and led midway through the final round before finishing T-15.
He is currently sponsored by Cleveland Golf
Cleveland Golf
Cleveland Golf is an American golf equipment company based in Huntington Beach, California. The company was founded in 1979 by Roger Cleveland, originally producing replicas of classic golf clubs from the 1940s and 1950s...
2011 PGA Championship
The week after the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Bradley played in his first majorMen's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
, the 2011 PGA Championship
2011 PGA Championship
The 2011 PGA Championship was the 93rd PGA Championship. Keegan Bradley won his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Jason Dufner. The tournament began on Thursday, August 11, 2011 and concluded on Sunday, August 14...
. A second-round 64 propelled him into a share of the lead at the halfway stage, and Bradley remained only one shot out of the lead after 54 holes. In the final round, he triple-bogeyed the 15th hole to fall five shots behind Jason Dufner
Jason Dufner
Jason Dufner is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Dufner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area when he was 11 years old, and then to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida when he was 14. It was there that he started playing golf, and...
with three holes to play before recovering with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 which, combined with three consecutive bogeys for Dufner, left Dufner and Bradley tied after 72 holes of regulation play. Bradley won the three-hole playoff with a birdie and two pars, while Dufner went par-bogey-birdie to finish one stroke behind. Bradley became only the third player after Francis Ouimet
Francis Ouimet
Francis DeSales Ouimet was an American golfer, who is frequently referred to as the "father of amateur golf" in the United States. He won the 1913 U.S. Open, and was the first American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews...
(1913) and Ben Curtis
Ben Curtis (golfer)
Ben Clifford Curtis is an American professional golfer best known for winning the 2003 Open Championship.-Early career:Curtis was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Ostrander, Ohio. His family runs the , also in Ostrander...
(2003) to win a major in his first attempt, and was the first golfer to win a major with a long putter. He also became the seventh consecutive first-time major winner and the first American major champion since Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
won the 2010 Masters
2010 Masters Tournament
The 2010 Masters Tournament, played April 8–11 at Augusta National Golf Club, was the 74th Masters Tournament. This was the first major championship of the 2010 season.Phil Mickelson won his third Masters title by three shots over runner-up Lee Westwood....
. With the victory, Bradley moved from number 108 to number 29 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
PGA Tour wins (2)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 29, 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
HP Byron Nelson Championship | Playoff |  Ryan PalmerRyan Palmer Ryan Palmer is a chess player of Jamaican origin; he was the Jamaican National Champion in 1992. During the academic years of 2004-2007, he taught mathematics at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire, and now has moved to the United States, to pursue further studies... |
|
| 2 | Aug 14, 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
Playoff | Jason Dufner Jason Dufner Jason Dufner is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Dufner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area when he was 11 years old, and then to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida when he was 14. It was there that he started playing golf, and... |
PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | HP Byron Nelson Championship | Ryan Palmer Ryan Palmer Ryan Palmer is a chess player of Jamaican origin; he was the Jamaican National Champion in 1992. During the academic years of 2004-2007, he taught mathematics at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire, and now has moved to the United States, to pursue further studies... |
Won with par on the first extra hole |
| 2 | 2011 | PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
Jason Dufner Jason Dufner Jason Dufner is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Dufner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area when he was 11 years old, and then to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida when he was 14. It was there that he started playing golf, and... |
Won three-hole playoff (Bradley:10, Dufner:11) |
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 PGA Championship The 2011 PGA Championship was the 93rd PGA Championship. Keegan Bradley won his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Jason Dufner. The tournament began on Thursday, August 11, 2011 and concluded on Sunday, August 14... |
PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
1 shot deficit | −8 (71–64–69–68=272) | Playoff1 | Jason Dufner Jason Dufner Jason Dufner is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early life:Dufner was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area when he was 11 years old, and then to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida when he was 14. It was there that he started playing golf, and... |
1 Defeated Jason Dufner in a three-hole playoff: Bradley (3–3–4=10) and Dufner (4–4–3=11)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2011 |
|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
1 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
- Tournaments played: 1
- Wins: 1
- 2nd: 0
- 3rd: 0
- Top 10s: 1
- Top 25s: 1
- Missed cuts: 0
- Most consecutive cuts made: 1
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
DNP |
| Cadillac Championship | DNP |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
T15 |
| HSBC Champions | T16 |
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Yellow background for top-10.