Keegan Bradley's Childhood Dreams Come True with New England Win

Not everyone gets to accomplish a childhood dream, but Keegan Bradley did on Sunday.

The Vermont native earned his second win of the season at New England’s famed PGA Tour stop — the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut. And Bradley did it in historic fashion, finishing at 23-under 257 to break Kenny Perry’s 14-year-old tournament scoring record by a stroke.

“It was the first PGA Tour event I've ever been to back when I was a kid,” Bradley said after claiming his second win of the season. “I drove from Vermont to come here and watch David Duval play. It's an event my first handful of years on Tour I really struggled at, because the pressure of wanting to play well for family and the local community was too much. I had to learn how to do it."

“Other than the majors and those type of tournaments, this was always the top of my list. What a special thing to be the winner of this tournament.”

And though it took him 13 tries to win at TPC River Highlands, it was all worth it when the 2011 PGA Championship winner walked up the 18th green on Sunday with the New England crowd chanting his name.

“I can't even describe what that felt like,” he said. “I dreamt my whole life of playing in Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, and it feel pretty close to what that would feel like. I had a bunch of people say they've never heard the 18th hole sound like that.”

His win in Connecticut, however, improved Bradley's chances of playing another event with a famously spirited crowd — the Ryder Cup, which will take place this September at Marco Simone GC in Rome, Italy.

When Bradley, a 2012 and 2014 U.S. Ryder Cupper, walked into scoring after his big win, teeing it up for Team USA again was at the forefront of his mind.

"It is the first thing I said to my wife walking up to sign my card: This is a pretty big step towards (playing the Ryder Cup)," said Bradley, who moves from 20th to seventh in the U.S. standings. "I'm 37 years old. I hope to play in multiple more. I don't know how many more with everybody so good and the younger kids, just the team is incredible."

The six-time Tour winner, though, wasn't the only player in Connecticut who improved their chances of playing for Team USA in Rome.

Patrick Cantlay moved from sixth to fifth — inside the top-6 automatic qualifying threshold — on the U.S. points list with a T-4 finish.

Denny McCarthy rode an opening 60 to a T-7 finish, his second top-10 in three weeks. He jumped one spot to No. 13 in the standings.

Brian Harman finished T-2 at 20 under, his third runner-up of the season, which moved him 14 spots to 21st.

Harman tied for second with the tournament's Cinderella story, Zac Blair. The 32-year-old was playing on a major medical extension due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder and needed a solo second to secure his Tour card. A two-way T-2, however, moved him to the brink of gaining status — and also propelled him from 115th to 39th in the Ryder Cup standings.

Crediti foto: Getty Images

"It's just nice to have a good week," he said afterward.

With roughly two months until the U.S. squad is finalized for Rome, the next few weeks can make or break a player’s bid to play the Ryder Cup. And even after the high of achieving a boyhood dream, Bradley knows nothing is finalized yet.

"I still got a lot to show the captain (Zach Johnson)," he said. "I would love to go to Rome and be a part of that team."

U.S. Team Captain Zach Johnson first announced the 2023 qualifying structure last year. Points in 2023 are awarded as follows:

- 1 point per $1,000 earned at regular PGA Tour events beginning January 1, including the Zurich Classic and WGC events, through the BMW Championship (August 20)

- 2 points per $1,000 earned for winner of the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open

- 1.5 points per $1,000 earned for all others that make the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open

- No points available at PGA Tour opposite-field events

Points qualification will conclude immediately after the second FedEx Cup Play-Off event (BMW Championship) on August 20, 2023, with the top six eligible players on the points list securing spots on the U.S. Team.

The six remaining slots on the U.S. Team will be Captain’s Selections and will be announced by Johnson following the 2023 Tour Championship.

For a full list of the Top 100 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, click here.