'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
PGA TOUR star Keegan Bradley is the product of a golfing family. His aunt, Pat Bradley, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, is considered by many to be one of the best ever in the women’s professional game. His dad, Mark, is a long-time PGA of America Professional.
Keegan burst onto the scene in 2011, winning the PGA Championship in his rookie season, a rare feat indeed. With two wins that year, including that major, Keegan was named Rookie of the Year. He added a win in 2012 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and played on the 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cup teams as well as on the 2013 Presidents Cup squad. During that stretch from 2011 through 2013, he was one of the very best in the world, ranking as low as 10th in the OWGR.
However, from 2013 and on through the next nine seasons, he only had one victory, in 2018, at the BMW Championship. He rose to as high as 114 in the OWGR in 2016. There was a lot of doubt and struggle during that stretch.
The 2022-2023 season has seen Keegan Bradley's resurgence. He had two wins at the ZOZO and a very emotional victory at the Travelers Championship in June. Keegan has climbed back into the top 20 in the world, where he currently sits at 18th.
“It is so difficult to make a Ryder Cup Team. I have made two and been on the losing side both times. It is no secret that I desperately wanted to make the team, and I felt like I had done enough to get strong consideration. It hurts not to get picked, but at the same time, I understand why. It is a team event with a heavy focus on chemistry. I think that those that were picked were picked with specific partnerships in mind,” said Keegan Bradley.
Always a fan favorite, Keegan has a whole new perspective on life, on and off the course, and it shows in his latest resurgence. I had the opportunity to chat with Keegan and gain some perspective on how he sees things today, with his game and his future.
Keegan, congratulations on a great season. Your victory at the ZOZO in October seemed to kick off your 22-23 season. Do you think that was the catalyst for the success you saw this past year?
Keegan Bradley:
“I think ZOZO was proof that what I had been working on, from a technical and physical standpoint, was working. It gave me the confidence to push forward and gave me the belief that I could do it again.”
After missing the cut at the U.S. Open, you came back with an emotional victory at the Travelers. Your dad, Mark, told me it was one of your finest victories. Would you sum it up the same way?
Keegan Bradley:
“I attended the Travelers as a child, and it was an event I always dreamed of playing. I have played every year since my rookie year, and it is like a fifth Major to me. I have so many friends and family there; the support is just incredible. To win, there was just a dream come true, and if you saw me on the green after I holed the winning putt, that probably sums up my emotions.”
How much does the Ryder Cup mean to you, and what is your take on the final picks from Coach Johnson?
Keegan Bradley:
“It is so difficult to make a Ryder Cup Team. I have made two and been on the losing side both times. It is no secret that I desperately wanted to make the team, and I felt like I had done enough to get strong consideration. It hurts not to get picked, but at the same time, I understand why. It is a team event with a heavy focus on chemistry. I think that those that were picked were picked with specific partnerships in mind. I supported Captain Johnson and the team from the couch this year and will work hard to make the team in 2025 when the Ryder Cup returns to the Northeast!”
You are a much different person and player than you were in 2011 when you were Rookie of the Year and a major winner at the PGA. How have you evolved as a player and person since then?
Keegan Bradley:
“I am a husband to Jill and a father to Logan and Cooper. Life is about more than golf now, and I just have to be more diligent with how I spend my time. My practice is much more efficient, and my sessions are sharper. As a golfer, the putter switch affected me probably more than I thought. I lost hundreds of hours of practice. I have worked hard on that area of my game, and honestly, I am a better putter now than I was with the long putter in the earlier part of my career!”
How has family life and being a dad changed your outlook when you tee it up each week on TOUR?
Keegan Bradley:
“Having a bad week is tough, but when you have family around, it takes the sting out. I love having Jill and the boys on the road with me; it just gives me a healthier perspective, whether I play good or bad.”
The new season is here; what are your goals for the PGA Tour 2023-2024 Season?
Keegan Bradley:
“I want to continue where I left off. I want to win again, and I want to contend in Majors. Making the US Team at the President’s Cup would also be up there!”
