Round 1: Waste Management Phoenix Open

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Keegan Bradley feels confident that his Patriots will beat the Giants on Sunday.

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — He’s talked with fellow pro James Driscoll and several other like-minded friends about getting together Sunday night. But Keegan Bradley’s not sure that’s a good idea.

"I’m so weird with the games," Bradley said sheepishly. "I’ve got to be so focused I’ll probably just watch it by myself."

After all, it’s the Super Bowl, and Bradley’s beloved New England Patriots are playing the New York Giants. You can be sure he won’t be watching the game at some sports bar near TPC Scottsdale after the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Not a chance. Bradley needs to be able to concentrate.

"I love the Patriots," he said. "Tom Brady’s my favorite athlete ever, so this game is really important."

Bradley remembers his dad taking him to a Monday Night Football game against the Jets at the old stadium in Forborough, Mass., when he was about 12 years old. So Bradley has a hard time believing he actually is friends with some of the Patriots now — not to mention, has a "slight texting relationship" with that quarterback who Bradley unabashedly will tell you is his hero.

Bradley had to pinch himself last fall after he won the PGA Championship, too. The night before the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, the Patriots invited him to come to Gillette Stadium and be down on the field for the coin toss for their preseason game against the Giants.

"It was awesome," Bradley recalled. "I formed some friendships with some of the guys on the team which has been cool. Anytime I can get any interaction with the players, it’s cool for for me because I’m such a big fan. When I go to the games I’m still a little kid. I love it and it’s made it a lot more fun."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who has a home in the same building in Jupiter, Fla., where Bradley lives, sent the 25-year-old a bottle of Dom Perignon after Bradley won the PGA, a move the genuinely humble champ thought was "pretty cool.

"It’s kind of strange, too, but it’s great," Bradley  admitted.

Brady, on the other hand, texted Bradley after the PGA win. Those words resonate, even now, nearly six months later.

"He said he was really impressed with the way I handled myself coming down the end and that he was a big fan of mine — which is so strange," Bradley said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Coming from him that means a lot because I think he’s the best athlete ever in terms of coming in the heat of the moment."

Bradley, who also was asked to throw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game in the wake of his PGA win, said following Boston sports teams while he is on the road playing in PGA TOUR events "keeps me sane." He didn’t bring any Patriots gear with him to Scottsdale but CBS gave him a Brady jersey on the driving range Wednesday when the network filmed a Super Bowl spot to air over the weekend.

"Oooh, maybe I’ll wear it on No. 16 on Sunday," Bradley said, grinning. "That would be cool."

And as for Sunday night? Bradley feels confident the Patriots will prevail. The defense has upped its game during the playoffs, and he expects Brady to outplay his Giants counterpart, Eli Manning, and avenge the 17-14 Super Bowl XLII loss in 2008. 

"I think they’ve kind of taken it to another level and (Vince) Wilfork’s playing awesome — which has changed their defense," Bradley said. "Their offense is always good with Tom Brady. He kind of had a bad game last week and he rarely falls off two games in a row. I think he’s going to have a great game."

Bradley knows he’ll hear from Giants fans in the gallery this week at TPC Scottsdale. But their taunts will be nothing compared to the smack being talked by his former St. John’s teammates, many of whom have settled near him in Jupiter.

"We were sitting around the other day … and we would have had to sit a guy if we had a team in my house," Bradley said with a smile. "I still see them pretty much every day." 

Problem is, most of his Red Storm teammates are Giants fans.

"It’s pretty gruesome back in Jupiter right now," Bradley said. "I don’t even think we need to make bets. It will be so vicious, whoever wins, there’s no money that could get in the way of that."

Keegan Bradley tees off this morning in the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. You can follow his round on ShotTracker by clicking here.