For most of the final round of the
Travelers Championship
on Sunday, winning did not appear to be in the cards for Vermont golfer Keegan Bradley.
Tommy Fleetwood seemed to be in total control of the PGA Tour tournament at TPC River Highlands in
Cromwell
. With four holes to play, he led Bradley by three shots.
Bradley kept his focus, however, and when a missed putt by Fleetwood opened the door for the Ryder Cup captain to strike on the final hole, he capitalized.
The result was a victory that Bradley described as one of his best. Maybe that’s because he thought it was totally out of reach for most of the day.
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“It was really strange actually, because I didn’t really expect to happen to win, so all of a sudden, I had a putt to win the tournament. I hadn’t led ever until the last putt,” Bradley said to the media. “It’s really what dreams are made of. I’m really proud of myself. It’s a lot of energy on that last hole with the crowd, and I did a great job of staying in my own little zone and doing what I do best.”
The New England native won the region’s only signature PGA Tour event for the second time in three years. It’s a course that Bradley frequented growing up and always envisioned playing. Now, he is a multi-time champion there.
Following the final round, Bradley commended the fans, who fueled his comeback.
“I was on the 18th tee, and I looked out and couldn’t believe how many people were there,” Bradley said. “And, when I was walking up to the ball, they were cheering me on, and when it was my turn to hit, the crowd really started to cheer. I couldn’t believe it.”
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When Bradley hit the putt to win the tournament, he was overcome with emotion. As the spectators went wild for the New England golfer, he embraced the moment.
Bradley predicted that it would one day be an “incredible memory.”
“I’ve always gotten really good support here but today was insane. It’s something that I didn’t expect when I got this job,” said Bradley, a 15-year PGA Tour veteran. “You couldn’t get many more people at that [final] hole. It was almost like Fenway Park; it never got quiet. There were always people cheering. It was pretty incredible.”
Seconds after winning, Bradley chest-bumped his caddie Scott Vail and yelled several curse words, which he later said likely made his mother mad.
Bradley, now a top-10 golfer in the world, doesn’t regret his celebration though, not by a long shot.
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He said that it can be “terrifying” and uncomfortable when competing for a victory, so to achieve one is a feeling unlike any other.
“Sometimes, when I watch guys win tournaments and they don’t do anything, I don’t get it because this is your chance to explode,” Bradley said. “We work so hard to get to these moments and work so hard on pushing all our emotions down. For me, it’s like I want to do that on the second hole.”
For Fleetwood, it marked the 42nd top-10 PGA Tour finish of his career. All that has come without a single victory.
Fleetwood appeared to be manifesting that first win on tour Sunday, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Bradley surged from behind.
In his postgame presser, Bradley praised his opponent and wished him better luck next time.
“Listen, I know how hard it must be for him. He’s just an unbelievable player, and he’s fighting so hard to get his first win,” Bradley said. “It’s a weird thing to be on the other side of that. I do feel bad for him, but I have to go out and do what I need to do. He battled today, and I really hope he gets his win soon.”
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at
[email protected]
.
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