With Boston Crowds Behind Him, Keegan Bradley Ready for U.S. Open Sunday

The Vermont native basked in fans' adulation after a 69 on a tough Saturday at The Country Club. He'll tee off in the second-to-last group Sunday.

Keegan Bradley has three rounds at par or better this week at The Country Club :: John David Mercer/USA Today

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Keegan Bradley began the week with the stressful task of throwing out the first pitch on the Fenway Park mound prior to a Boston Red Sox game.

Now he faces a far more daunting task, but one that he relishes: contending at the U.S. Open in his native New England.

An avid Boston sports fan, Bradley got to enjoy the spoils of his success Saturday as he made the journey to the 18th hole at The Country Club with his name prominent on the leaderboard.

“Honestly, it was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life,’’ said Bradley of the “Kee-gan’’ chants he heard as he approached the green. “I got to feel what it feels like to play in Fenway, to play in the Garden, to play in Gillette Stadium. I felt like a Boston player there.

“That was a moment I'll never forget the rest of my life, and I appreciate the fans giving me that, and I hope to have them cheer again tomorrow.’’

Bradley, 36, rebounded from early struggles to shoot 1-under-par 69 and finished at 208, 2 under par, two shots back of leaders Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick. He will play in the second-to-last group with defending U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, who double-bogeyed the final hole Saturday to finish at 3 under, one stroke back of the leaders.

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Having started the day at 1 under, Bradley made three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on the front side to drop to 2 over. But birdies at the 8th and 9th holes steadied him for a back-nine run.

“I made the putt on 9 (a 12-footer), and as I walked up to the green the crowd really went crazy for me, and then I made the putt, and they went wild,’’ Bradley said. “It really gave me a jolt of energy. It put me on a path to, 'all right, we no longer are trying to save this round, let's try to get ourselves into contention here,' and I did that.’’

On a tough day that saw just seven players break par and the lead go from 5 under par to 4 under, Bradley played the back nine in 33, 2 under.

That put him in position to be among the final groups and in position to win his fifth PGA Tour title and his first since 2018. Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship in his first-ever start in a major championship.

Bradley, who grew up in Vermont and lives in Florida, has always considered this area home. When he saw that the U.S. Open was going to be played at The Country Club, it became a point of emphasis to try and make sure he was in the field.

He did not qualify for last year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and missed the cut in his previous three appearances.

And he didn’t much want to endure a 36-hole final qualifier to get here. A second-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship in May helped him move into the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking in time for one of the cutoff points to be exempt.

“I did a good job of not thinking that much of it, and I said this before, but no one in my family was talking about it,’’ he said. “I thought it was strange. Then as soon as I qualified, everyone is texting, excited to come, and let's get some tickets.

“It's been difficult, but I've been on the tour so many years now that I'm able to sort of figure this out a little better than when I first started.’’

Bradley was happy to deal with those hassles, and even more so that he’s given all of them something to cheer about.

“It’s been a pretty intense week,’’ he said. “I've tried really hard this week to look into the crowd and see the people. Every now and then I'll look, and I'll see an aunt or an uncle or a friend, and it's really, really fun. The crowds as usual here in Boston I think are the best in the world. Pretty fun.

“As a kid, I dream of playing in front of Boston fans and being a Patriot or being in the Garden. Most of the time I'm playing across the world or the country, and I'm by myself, and every now and then I'm in Hartford and I get to feel that, or in a Ryder Cup. Out here today felt like I was in a home game, which is something that as a kid, it's a dream.’’

The ultimate dream, of course, is to win the U.S. Open. Bradley will begin the final round with an excellent opportunity, already having dealt with plenty of tension this week.

“Well, (Sunday) is going to be a tough day,’’ Bradley said. “I know that. It just is. It would be if I was playing in Tulsa.

“But playing here, it's going to be intense, but I've had this weird sense of calm over me this week. I don't know if that will be here (Sunday) or not, but I just have to try to just put one foot in front of the other. Honestly, that's all the silly cliches we all say. I'm playing really well, and I really feel comfortable on this course.’’

More U.S. Open Coverage From Morning Read:

> What to Watch in Round 4: Key Pairings, the Fan Favorite, and a Winning Course
> Scottie Scheffler Survived a Saturday Swoon at the U.S. Open, Now Sunday Beckons
> Will Zalatoris is in Another Final Pairing Thanks to Patience – And a Slight Vision Adjustment
> Matt Fitzpatrick Looks Ready For Major Breakthrough
> Jordan Spieth Persevering Through Illness That Came at Just the Wrong Time

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