Keegan Bradley Talks Stealing the Travelers Trophy, Ryder Cup Possibilities and LIV-PGA Tour Alliance
Keegan Bradley already had five PGA Tour wins under his belt heading into Sunday at the Travelers Championship, including a major victory at the 2011 PGA Championship.
But it was easy to tell that walking up the 18th hole at TPC River Highlands with a three-shot lead—on New England home turf nonetheless—made last week’s win especially memorable for the native of Woodstock, Vt.
Bradley grew up attending the Connecticut PGA Tour stop, and on Sunday, golf fans watched as his lifelong dream of winning the event unfolded before his eyes.
Sports Illustrated caught up with Bradley this week to talk about his full-circle victory, celebrating with family, the possibility of making the Ryder Cup team, the PGA Tour-LIV Golf alliance and more.
Sports Illustrated: How did it feel walking up to the 18th green at TPC River Highlands on Sunday, knowing what you had just accomplished at the Travelers?
Keegan Bradley: The Travelers and Hartford was a tournament I grew up going to, it was the first PGA Tour event I went to. As a kid, when I thought about playing on the PGA Tour, I thought about playing in that tournament. To be able to walk up 18 with the three-shot lead—all of my wins that I’ve had, I haven’t had anything like that. Some of them have been playoffs, some of them I’ve had to make par on 18. I really wanted to enjoy that moment, and I’m so happy I got to do that.
SI: What was it like to win in front of your family?
KB: You dream of stuff, you dream of winning on the Tour, you dream of a career out here, and then stuff like Sunday happens, where there are 20 to 30 family members there. It’s a big one too—they’re as excited as I am. I get to sit back and watch their reaction as they hold the trophy, take a picture. It’s a bonus. It’s stuff that I never thought about wanting, and it gets to come true. Even guys that have won 10, 20 times on Tour haven’t gotten to experience what I got to on Sunday.
SI: You grew up in Woodstock, Vt., you’re a New England native—What was the reception like from crowds in Connecticut?
KB: It’s something that I’m so proud of, being from New England. I know there are people who were in that crowd, and they’re from there too and they’re proud of that. And they get to watch someone who grew up in this area, who went through nasty winters, cold falls. They know it’s not like growing up in Florida. I appreciated all of their loud cheering and roars.
SI: Growing up as a New England sports fan, did you ever imagine the position you’d be in right now?
KB: I just wanted to make the PGA Tour, really. I never thought of what it would feel like to walk up 18 at Hartford with a packed crowd going crazy. I always dreamt of playing in Fenway Park. 99.9 percent of people don’t get to experience that, and I got to experience close to that on Sunday. The 10-year-old kid in me just couldn’t believe it.
SI: From your social media post, it looks like you stole the Travelers trophy. Can you clear the air on the trophy heist situation?
KB: A lot of the time when you win, the trophy needs to be kept to be engraved or you get a replica, and they send it months later. So many times I’ve come home from winning, and there’s nothing there. You don’t get to drink out of it, or have the pictures with it. So I decided, I’m just going to take it. I was supposed to bring it back the next day. The Travelers people are unbelievable people. There’s some joking going on. It’s here with me in Detroit, and we’re going to try our best to get it back to them. I’m lucky I got to have it for a day...a couple days.
SI: What were the celebrations like on Sunday night?
KB: I rented a house near the golf course and all of my family came by. We poured some drinks in the trophy. My mum was drinking out of it, my aunts, my uncles. It’s one of those moments that my family will remember for the rest of our lives.
SI: What will be the keys to continuing on this streak of great play at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week?
KB: I love this course, I love this tournament. The Rocket Mortgage is an up and coming event, it's new. I’m not going to lie, I’m really tired. But I’m excited to get back out there and the juices get flowing once the tournament starts.
SI: You’ve won six times now, but how many times have you played the next week? How do you recuperate from the emotional high?
KB: I’m trying to give myself a little bit of a break. I was exhausted last night, but I wanted to go to dinner with my agent and my caddie. I probably should have gone to bed, but you don’t get to experience these high moments of winning and excitement. I thought to myself, I’m just going to go, reminisce, have fun. I’m not going to do my normal drills before the tournament, I’m just going to do my best with what we’ve got.
SI: We can’t ignore the fact that you’re playing some great golf during a Ryder Cup year. What would it mean to make that team?
KB: There were years where I thought I was going to play in every Ryder Cup. And there were years where I thought, that’s it, I’m done, I don’t think I’ll make another team. Now I’m in a spot where I’ve got a really good chance. I feel like I’ll be in the conversation regardless. I would love more than anything to have a Ryder Cup win on my resume. I would love to be on this team full of such unbelievable players.
SI: How do you go about the rest of the season with the Ryder Cup in the back of your mind?
KB: It’s really difficult, because stuff like the Ryder Cup can make you play worse, because you’re trying so hard. The key is to not try hard. It’s strange because you’re always told "try your hardest," but in golf you have to let it come to you. You try your best to not think of it, but it’ll pop into my mind. It popped into my mind on Sunday on the course. These are good worries to have.
SI: Favorite Ryder Cup story?
KB: The Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, I was one of the first groups out. I was driving to the course at 5:30 a.m., it was pitch dark, and we drove by No. 17, where it would be five, six hours before any player was going through there. The grandstand was completely full of spectators. It was a jaw-dropping moment, because it kind of hit me how serious this was. The energy and the passion of the Ryder Cup is unbelievable.
SI: We have to ask: What are your thoughts on the recently announced alliance between the PGA Tour, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the DP World Tour?
KB: I personally have a ton of faith in [PGA Tour Commissioner] Jay Monahan, I hope he’s O.K. I know he’s doing what’s best for us as players. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know much about anything. I think the people in charge are still working this out. I just have to sit back and have faith in those people making those decisions.
SI: You’ve spoken about some of your friends that have gone over to LIV. Does the prospect of playing on the same Tour again make you happy that this deal came together?
KB: One of my best friends (Brendan Steele) plays on LIV. I want what’s best for him. I don’t want him to be out of a job, or whatever the case is. I just hope it works out. I’m a PGA Tour player, so I want the PGA Tour to do the best that it can. I’m rooting for the Tour. I’ve benefitted a lot from LIV. Just how the purses have increased. We’ll see how it unfolds.