News: TOUR Notes
December 13 2011
5:56 pm
Bradley achieves goal but wants more
By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM
The opportunity only comes around once. Keegan Bradley took advantage of it.
Thanks to wins at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in May, then the PGA Championship in August, the 25-year-old Bradley claimed the 2011 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year award.
"You get one chance at it," Bradley said Tuesday after the announcement was made, "and it was the main goal of mine to start the year.
"It’s a huge honor."
En route to winning the Rookie of the Year honors, Bradley did something that not even PGA TOUR Player of the Year winner Luke Donald could do this year — win a major.
By beating Jason Dufner in a playoff at the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, Bradley became the first player since Ben Curtis in 2003 to win a major championship in his first major start.
He also became the only American to win a major this year.
But having produced plenty of fireworks in his first season on TOUR, Bradley knows there are ways he can improve in his sophomore year.
In fact, he will strive to do what Donald did this year — get himself consistently in contention to win each time he plays. In 28 starts this year, Bradley had four top-10 finishes, compared to Donald’s TOUR-leading 14 top-10s in 19 starts.
"Next year I just look forward to getting back out there and playing, seeing these courses for the second time and knowing the players a little better," Bradley said. "Most importantly being a little more consistent … try not to miss any cuts or less cuts but to keep contending in tournaments and try to win every time I tee it up just like Luke did this year."
It’ll be a tough act to follow, but after his 2011 season, it’s doubtful anybody will underestimate Bradley’s ability to create excitement.
MORE ON BRADLEY: Announcement | Transcript
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“Most importantly try not to miss cuts…”. GO KEEGS!!!
He’ll win twice in 2012. Tigger will be skunked.
My congratulations to Keegan Bradley for winning POY. He had a very good year and I see no reason why he can’t win at least One Tournament in 2012.
Its a good thing he won the PGA Championship or the Americans would have been shut-out of winning a MAJOR in 2011.
Maybe this year, Luke Donald will win the Masters? It seems that winning a Major Tournament in the U.S.A. is the only thing that he didn’t accomplish in 2011.
Donald win the Masters? He actually made a comment about how terrific it would be to win the Grand Slam. All this from a guy who has never won a big event! Don’t you think you should actually WIN a major before discussing the Grand Slam? Maybe 007 has the same odds of winning the Masters as Donald does, at about a zillion to one? When is this guy coming back to Earth? Soon, I hope, as his comments are getting more and more ridiculous…
Keegan = Friday Night Flights
Wait a Minute….don’t you think you should wait a minute, because that comment is really stupid. I never said he didn’t want to win, as they ALL want to win. I said he can’t win, or at least win anything important, so he says that it’s the top tens that count. Who would not want to win? Are you that challenged?
Bradley is picking a good role model to follow in Donald. Guy has his head screwed on.
Odds…Let me guess…You are a Euro? How did I guess!! He is the next US Star….You best get used to hearing his name…I can’t wait till he goes head to head with Mcllroy and smokes him…Wait, he already did at the Grand Slam!! Alright, let’s wait until next year and we’ll see…Ryder Cup here we come!!! GTP…US Am come on kid…hahaha!
GO KEEGS!!!!!!!!!!
If Donald doesn’t win a major by the time he’s 38 I’ll eat my hat.
Even if he wins one this coming year, gail will say that he got lucky and will only win one. If he wins two or three, gail will start comparing with Woods even though he’s not trying to be Woods.
Haters gonna hate as they say.
Brads.. Bradley will “smoke” McIlroy, you must come from the same planet as Gail.. a DELUDED one.
Odds… you fruitloop, r u OK…
Letfaceit…you should get off the soup…one word Monty!
Shaun… What time R U caddying tomorrow? I hope u get to loop doubles to pay for your addictions.
Yes…When did you show up…is the Carnival in town?
Now the real question:
Do you think Donald would trade POY for Bradley’s MAJOR?
Answer: Absolutely, Of course he would!!!!
Brads.. WOW! great comeback. Your boy Bradley is’nt even in the same league as McIlroy.. If you think otherwise you are a TOTAL JOKE!
Yes.. Nobody that has a brain that functions properly.
Bradley may not have the “natural” talent that Mcllroy has but he will outwork Mcllroy….In the end hard work will prevail….I think they are both mentally capable but I think Bradley is tougher mentally which will make a difference in the end. Bradley will have a better career. Let’s look at the pga stats to date:
Bradley: 2 wins, 1 major, 1 ROY
Mcllroy: 2 wins, 1 major
Shaun…looks pretty even to me…YOU EFFIN NITWIT
Brads.. you fail to notice the FACT McIlroy has 5 WORLDWIDE WINS and he’s 3 years younger.. Rory is already miles ahead of your boy. Goodnight.
Rory McIlroy is 2nd in the World also. bye bye
World Golf rankings don’t count. They are are a joke and will be changed shortly. The Euro tour benefits to much from them.
5 worldwide wins=1 PGA Tour win
Uninformed, ignorant comment Brads. please try again later.
Dave OK U R Right!
4 worldwide wins=1 PGA Tour win
GO ON SPANKY….
1 PGA Tour win = 1 European Tour win. Deal with it.
Until the visiting Americans come over(maybe Bradley might want to try it sometime) and win on the European Tour a few times to show their so called ‘superiority’, I will not take this rubbish.
Long live Monty!!!!! This will be his year to win a Major!!! Mrs. Doubtfire will prevail…don’t give up hope Dave!!!!
DKB Fan —- As you said, “According to the OWGR Points, they are distributed in accordance with the strength of the Field”. Although I don’t have a degree in Statistical Data, I do know how to calulate the OWGR ratings. They certainly don’t favor the European Tour. As a matter of fact, I believe they favor the PGA Tour somewhat, especially looking at the recent Nedbank and Chevron events.
It should be an interesting 2012 season, with the younger golfers showing the way. It will give us lots to write about. Keep your opinions coming.
Yeah, and Shawn Micheel and Rich Beem won majors as well…Where are they now? Q-School.
Keegan Bradley has much to prove!
Enough Said.
Ah…cynicism at it’s best…
I don’t like or never really liked Monty Brads, I don’t know what you are talking about.
December 11th, 2011 10:08 am
Donald is two full points ahead. There is a very good chance he will win the World Matchplay again because he is easily the best matchplay player in the world.
He has the best win-loss percentage in both Ryder Cup and Walker Cup I believe.
He doesn’t miss cuts, he has never missed a cut on the European Tour outside a major. NEVER, in 10 years or so of playing in it.
He had 23 top 10s this year and so many top 5s, they keep the ranking ticking in a positive direction.
And you can tell he’s starting to get the confidence finally that he is the best and he can win the biggest tournaments. Unlike Tiger, Phil or Rory, Donald has had to work harder to get to the top and is not as naturally confident as those players but now the confidence is coming and he has shown this year that he is the best player in the world and has no intention of giving up that position easily.
Rory 66 in Dubai, Donald only 72. Race is on.
Hopefully if McIlroy actually goes on and wins this then people might shut up for a while. Major, two wins and the money list for his tour at 22 and people might actually have to eat their humble pie and just accept that he’s here to stay.
just seen on the news ,huge line off people outside registry office looking to change their names,iam just wondering could they be rory supporters or tiger detractors.get ready for the next influx of expert analysis.cheers.
It’s not just Keegan Bradley to watch. He certainly deserved ROY, no question. But there are five or six other rookies—Steele, Vegas, Schwartzl, Kirk, Stallings—any one of which could be a PGA Tour star next year, and a super-Star the year after that. We just don’t know who it will be. Might be Bradley, but it might be one of the others—or two of them. Gotta love following this game.
Dave, McIlroy didnt go on and win it, it was over two days ago lad, must have slow internet, he finished outside the top 10, as for the new Player of the Year Luke Donald he finished third on his own which is exactly what he needed to do (inside top 9), thats twice hes done what he needed to do to win money lists, best golfer this year by a mile, Gail is clearly an idiot looking at his/her comments (not sure if its a girl or lads name)… for brads comment swartz, Clarke, McIlroy last time i checked they played on european tour, keep up to date with the golf if your going to make stupid comments, thats three major winners this year and the world ranking resembles that… Looking forward to another year of great golf in 2012 where Donald will get his first major and well deserved!!
Donald had the best year of his career and he won zero majors. What makes you think that a magic door will suddenly open and now he will win one. I think that there is more pressure than ever on him. And it’s not going to be like disney pressure. He lost to Darren Clarke in the best year of his career at the BRITTISH. I just can’t see him winning one all of a sudden. Or ever for that matter.
Its just obvious that Europeans have for such a long time been beaten at a game they invented but we were better at. The Europeans are bitter. They are just now getting a taste at golfing success since we started blowing them away in the majors in Ryder Cups 40 years ago. Let them enjoy it while it lasts.
Secondly, Keegan Bradley? If any of you think there is an American that is going to have even half the number of wins Tiger will next year, you aren’t exercising your opinion, you are exercising your right to be stupid…which is fine. I just prefer you know which right you are exercising ;)
I mean, every post I read seems to be written by someone who can’t remember beyond two weeks ago.
Donald did some nice things this year, but nothing that Tiger has not done 6 times himself all while playing in HALF the events Donald needed to do it. Tiger has 90 wins worldwide and 14 majors. If Tiger never did anything again, he will still remain the most dominant player in history. Nobody will ever have a run at number 1 for as long as he did. Nobody will ever get more than 50 PGA Tour wins again. And nobody will ever win more than 14 majors again. I doubt anyone will ever get to double digit majors unless genetically superior humans are being developed.
Can’t you guys just get along? All these arguments……Geez…
stop posting my comments again you mongloid.
@X24 Hot, because he is only coming into his peak now, he is only 33? Had Mickelson won a major by this age? Ben Hogan won his first major at the age Donald will be next year. He has gained confidence and he is improving every week.
And the Europeans are ‘bitter’? Then why is every second post about how Donald is going to lose no.1, McIlroy will never win a major etc, etc.
f–ing h-ll take a look in the mirror first.
Dave Mcilroy has allready won a major, & donald has a big lead. iam surprised your putting them down.
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR, sergio garcia for the biggest dummy spit.
So Dave by that logic how can so many of you guys say that there is no way tiger will be back? He is only 36 he has already won a few times and is playing well. Although Donald has gotten to number one I still don’t see him in the league of Phil. Donald has played about 52 majors? I don’t remember him actually contending in any except maybe one or two. Phil has put himself there many times and should have more than four. If you were saying Westwood then I might buy it. He has been very close.
Ryser cup history for last ten years Aaron:
2010: Europe
• 2008: U.S
• 2006: Europe
• 2004: Europe
• 2002: Europe
• 1999: U.S
• 1997: Europe
• 1995: Europe
• 1993: U.S
• 1991: U.S
Dont tell us our players are not as good if not better than yer’s, there are many more beatings coming, Tiger is yer only hope of success for the next five years for something big as he is already, we have McIlroy, Donald, Westie, Kaymer, all in top six of world, yer best is 7th with Stricker, how many tourneys did he win this year aaron?????
* Ryder cup
I’ve never said that there’s no way back for Tiger but it’s clear that Donald is peaking now whereas Woods peaked earlier in his career. Everyone has different times which they peak at. The likes of Seve won early, the likes of Hogan won late a lot late in their careers.
It seems to me that Donald finally has the confidence to go onto the next level and win a major in the next few years.
Woods’ peak was the best ever so even if he is past his very best he is still one of the best in the world. You can never completely rule him out of any major really.