Bradley sets Travelers scoring mark in victory

CROMWELL, Conn — Rising up in New England, Keegan Bradley says he wasn’t invited to the large junior occasions that kids from Florida acquired to play.

That made it all of the extra particular for the Vermont native to win in entrance of a New England crowd.

Regardless of a shaky end, which he mentioned got here from the nerves of wanting so badly to win, the 37-year-old broke the event file on the Vacationers Championship on Sunday for his sixth tour victory.

Bradley closed with a 2-under 68 to complete three photographs forward of Zac Blairwho shot 62, and Brian Harmanwho closed with a 64.

“That is for all the youngsters, like me, that grew up in winters and might’t play and would watch the youngsters from Florida, down South get higher, compete, and get invited to the most important tournaments within the nation that I used to be by no means invited to,” he mentioned. “I hope that they know that they will come from this space … and nonetheless make it in golf.”

Bradley, who went 62-63-64 within the first three rounds, completed at 23-under 257 at TPC River Highlands, a shot higher than Kenny Perry‘s earlier file from 2009.

With followers chanting his title, the 37-year-old walked as much as his ball on the 18th inexperienced, sank a 2-foot par putt and threw his arms into the air and set free a yell.

“I can not even describe what that felt like,” Bradley mentioned. “I dreamt my entire lifetime of taking part in in Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, and to really feel fairly near what that might really feel like. I had a bunch of individuals say they by no means heard the 18th gap sound like that.”

Bradley had solely made one bogey for the week earlier than dropping three photographs in his closing six holes because the nerves appeared to get to him. This was the primary PGA Tour occasion he attended, and the one he mentioned he most wished to win, aside from the majors. This was his second victory this season; he gained the Zozo Championship in Japan in October.

Bradley birdied the par-4 twelfth gap to maneuver for five underneath for the day and take a six-shot lead. However he sliced his tee shot into the water on the following gap, resulting in bogey. He additionally bogeyed the 14th and sixteenth holes.

He settled down with a par on the seventeenth to all however assure himself a triumphant stroll up the final gap.

“I performed nice till the final like 5 or 6 holes and fortunately I had a large enough result in coast residence,” Bradley mentioned.

He turned the primary New Englander to win the title since Connecticut’s J.J. Henry in 2006.

Bradley moved to seventh within the U.S. Ryder Cup standings; the highest six qualify for the group, with captain Zach Johnson getting six picks. He mentioned that was the very first thing he talked about to his spouse as they had been strolling off the course.

“I nonetheless have lots to indicate the captain and I’d like to go to Rome and be part of the group,” he mentioned.

Bradley takes residence $3.6 million from an elevated $20 million purse because the event turned one among 17 designated occasions on tour this season, attracting a world-class area together with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Bradley’s earnings this season have topped $8.5 million.

Blair had his finest end on tour. The 32-year-old from Utah has been taking part in on a serious medical exemption after lacking virtually two full years with a torn labrum.

“Principally, I went from taking part in 18 or 36 holes on daily basis for the final seven, eight years to not touching a membership for 5, six, seven months,” he mentioned. “It was cool, although. Obtained to hang around with my household and construct a golf course and do plenty of different enjoyable stuff. However, it is clearly cooler to shoot 62 on Sunday.”

Blair had back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5, then went on a tear with six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 thirteenth, the place he hit his method from 253 yards inside 5 ft.

Harman shot his second straight 64.

Patrick Cantlaywho shot 61 on Saturday to get inside 5 strokes of the leaders, made a run at Bradley with three straight birdies from Nos. 13-15. However he overshot the sixteenth inexperienced, resulting in bogey, and lipped out his birdie attempt on the seventeenth. He shot 67 to complete 4 photographs again alongside Scheffler (65) and 2019 champion At Reavie’s (71), who started the day one shot behind Bradley however didn’t make a birdie till the 14th gap.

McIlroy shot 64 and completed at 18 underneath after making an early cost. He birdied 5 of his first seven holes in entrance of galleries that had been 4 or 5 followers deep.

However he gave a shot again on the ninth after his 352-yard drive settled subsequent to a boundary fence in deep tough. He then missed an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 12.

The TPC River Highlands gave up eight rounds of 62 or higher this week.

“I do not notably like when a event is like this,” McIlroy mentioned. “Sadly, expertise has handed this course by, proper? It type of has made it out of date, particularly as comfortable because it has been with somewhat little bit of rain that we had.”

U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clarkwho beat McIlroy by a shot final week at Los Angeles Nation Membership, shot 66 and completed in a tie for twenty ninth at 12 underneath.