Keegan Hansen Bradley[1] (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won seven tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben Curtis, Fred Herd, Willie Park, Sr., Francis Ouimet and Horace Rawlins. He was the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and has briefly featured in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking. He was announced as the 2025 Team USA Ryder Cup captain on July 8, 2024.[3]

Keegan Bradley
Personal information
Full nameKeegan Hansen Bradley[1]
Born (1986-06-07) June 7, 1986 (age 38)
Woodstock, Vermont, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight190 lb (86 kg; 14 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceJupiter, Florida, U.S.
SpouseJillian Stacey
Career
CollegeSt. John's University
Turned professional2008
Current tour(s)PGA Tour
Former tour(s)Nationwide Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
Professional wins12
Highest ranking10 (March 24, 2013)[2]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour7
European Tour2
Other5
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentT22: 2015, 2024
PGA ChampionshipWon: 2011
U.S. OpenT4: 2014
The Open ChampionshipT15: 2013
Achievements and awards
PGA Tour
Rookie of the Year
2011

Early life and college career

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Bradley is the eldest child of Mark Bradley, the head professional at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club just outside Jackson, Wyoming.[4] Growing up as an all-state ski racer in Woodstock, Vermont, Bradley decided as a teenager to pursue golf over skiing.[5][6] He lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 2001 and 2002 when his father was an assistant pro at Portsmouth Country Club.[7] He then moved to Hopkinton, Massachusetts prior to his senior year at Hopkinton High School, where he won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 2 individual state championship in 2004.[8] Hopkinton coach Dick Bliss later recalled that Bradley received the third-most attention of his players that season, and that "not many big-time college recruiters gave him much of a look."[9] Bradley attended St. John's University and won nine collegiate events before graduating in 2008.[10]

Professional career

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2008-2010: early years

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Bradley turned professional in 2008 and began playing on the NGA Hooters Tour, where he won at Southern Dunes in his fifth and final start of the year.[11] Bradley won a second Hooters Tour event in 2009 at the Texas Honing Open.[12] He made 22 cuts in 26 events that season and earned $84,000.[9] He also played two Nationwide Tour events that year, making the cut in both of them.[11] He attempted to earn a 2010 PGA Tour card through qualifying school but ultimately fell short by two strokes.[10] In 2010, Bradley played on the Nationwide Tour, where he recorded four consecutive top-five finishes late in the season to finish 14th on the money list and earn his PGA Tour card for 2011.[8][10]

2011: PGA rookie season, first major win

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Bradley made the cut in his first PGA Tour event, the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii, and finished T-7 the following week at the Bob Hope Classic.[8] He added a second top 10 finish at the Valero Texas Open in April.[13] Bradley won his first PGA Tour event at the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship. He defeated Ryan Palmer on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.[14] The victory gained him entry into the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he shared the 36-hole lead and led midway through the final round before finishing T-15.[15][16]

PGA Championship

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The week after the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Bradley played in his first major, the 2011 PGA Championship. A second-round 64 propelled him into a share of the lead at the halfway stage, and Bradley remained only one shot out of the lead after 54 holes.[17] In the final round, he triple-bogeyed the 15th hole to fall five shots behind Jason Dufner with three holes to play before recovering with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 which, combined with three consecutive bogeys for Dufner, left Dufner and Bradley tied after 72 holes of regulation play.[18] Bradley won the three-hole playoff with a birdie and two pars, while Dufner went par-bogey-birdie to finish one stroke behind. Bradley became only the third player after Francis Ouimet (1913) and Ben Curtis (2003) to win a major in his first attempt, and was the first golfer to win a major with a long putter.[19] He also became the seventh consecutive first-time major winner and the first American major champion since Phil Mickelson won the 2010 Masters.[20] With the victory, Bradley moved from number 108 to number 29 in the Official World Golf Ranking.[21][22] In December, he was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.[23]

2012

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At the 2012 Northern Trust Open, Bradley and Phil Mickelson each made long birdie putts on the 72nd hole to force a three-man playoff with Bill Haas, who made a 45-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the tournament.[24] Bradley held a two-stroke lead during the final round of the 2012 WGC-Cadillac Championship but dropped four shots over the final four holes, including a double bogey on the 18th, to finish T-8.[25] He started the season with nine consecutive top-25 finishes, then had just one in his next ten outings.[26] In June, Bradley played in Europe for the first time at The Irish Open at Royal Portrush and missed the cut.[27]

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

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Bradley won his third PGA Tour event at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by a stroke over Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker. Entering the final round trailing Jim Furyk by four strokes, Bradley narrowed the deficit to one going to the final hole. Bradley converted a 15-foot par putt while Furyk made double bogey to lose by one stroke. Bradley became the 11th player to win a major championship and a World Golf Championship.[28] The win elevated Bradley to 15th in the world rankings.[29] He moved up to a career high of 12th the next week, when he finished T3 at the 2012 PGA Championship.[30] For the season, Bradley finished 10th on the PGA Tour's money list. Bradley qualified for the 2012 Ryder Cup, marking his first appearance in any cup competition.[31]

2013

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Bradley had two second-place finishes in 2013. The first occurred in May at the HP Byron Nelson Championship where he shot a course-record 60 at the TPC Four Seasons in the first round. Bradley had a one-shot lead going into the final round but was overtaken by Sang-Moon Bae. In August, Bradley finished second again, this time by seven strokes, to Tiger Woods at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. For the season Bradley had seven top-tens and finished 11th on the PGA Tour's money list. Following the season, Bradley was a member of the winning United States team at the Presidents Cup played at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

2014

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Bradley's highest finish in 2014 was a second place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Adam Scott faltered during Sunday's final round but it was Matt Every rather than Bradley who won a come-from-behind victory. For the season Bradley had six top-tens and finished 28th on the PGA Tour's money list. Following the season, Bradley was a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup played in Scotland.

2015

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In 2015, Bradley had his worst season since joining the PGA Tour. Playing 24 events Bradley only had three top-tens and finished 64th on the PGA Tour's money list. For the first time in four years Bradley did not represent the United States in a year-end international competition.

2016–2017

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These were two down years for Bradley. He didn't win a tournament and finished 114 and 51 on the PGA Tour money list.

2017–2018

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In 2018, Bradley won the BMW Championship. This event was part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He qualified for the season-ending Tour Championship and finished 8th in the season-long FedEx Cup.

2018–2019

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In June 2019, Bradley shot −13 for the week at the Travelers Championship and finished tied for second with Zack Sucher. The winner that week was Chez Reavie.[32]

2022

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In October 2022, Bradley won the Zozo Championship for his fifth PGA Tour victory and his first since the 2018 BMW Championship.[33]

2023

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In June, Bradley won the Travelers Championship for his sixth PGA Tour victory. Bradley broke the tournament's scoring record with a score of 23-under 257.[34]

2024

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In August, Bradley won the BMW Championship for the second time,[35] becoming the first Ryder Cup captain to win a PGA Tour event since Davis Love III in 2015.[36]

Personal life

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Bradley's aunt is former LPGA player and World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley.[10] As a child he attended some of her tournaments and he has called her an inspiration.[37] His other aunt, Peggy, is a 7-time Women's Club Champion at York Golf and Tennis Club in York, Maine. He is a fan of Boston Red Sox baseball, Boston Celtics basketball, New England Patriots football and Boston Bruins hockey, and has said his dream golf foursome includes his father, Ben Hogan, and Tom Brady.[38][39] Bradley considers frequent practice-round partner Phil Mickelson a mentor, and he credits Mickelson for helping him win the 2011 PGA Championship. Bradley is also close friends with Jason Dufner, and was one of the first to personally congratulate him after his victory in the 2013 PGA Championship.[40][41][42][43]

Amateur wins

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  • 2005 The Tillinghast, Wyoming State Amateur
  • 2006 The Tillinghast, UTSA Invitational, Wyoming State Golf Association Match Play Tournament
  • 2007 Treasure Coast Classic, Lacrosse Homes Collegiate Invitational
  • 2008 Hawk's Invitational, Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate, Ironwood Intercollegiate, Princeton Invitational

Professional wins (12)

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PGA Tour wins (7)

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Legend
Major championships (1)
World Golf Championships (1)
FedEx Cup playoff events (2)
Designated events (1)
Other PGA Tour (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 May 29, 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship −3 (66-71-72-68=277) Playoff   Ryan Palmer
2 Aug 14, 2011 PGA Championship −8 (71-64-69-68=272) Playoff   Jason Dufner
3 Aug 5, 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational −13 (67-69-67-64=267) 1 stroke   Jim Furyk,   Steve Stricker
4 Sep 10, 2018 BMW Championship −20 (66-64-66-64=260) Playoff   Justin Rose
5 Oct 16, 2022 Zozo Championship1 −15 (66-65-66-68=265) 1 stroke   Rickie Fowler,   Andrew Putnam
6 Jun 25, 2023 Travelers Championship −23 (62-63-64-68=257) 3 strokes   Zac Blair,   Brian Harman
7 Aug 25, 2024 BMW Championship (2) −12 (66-68-70-72=276) 1 stroke   Ludvig Åberg,   Sam Burns,
  Adam Scott

1Co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour, but unofficial event on that tour.

PGA Tour playoff record (3–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship   Ryan Palmer Won with par on first extra hole
2 2011 PGA Championship   Jason Dufner Won three-hole aggregate playoff;
Bradley: −1 (3-3-4=10),
Dufner: E (4-4-3=11)
3 2012 Northern Trust Open   Bill Haas,   Phil Mickelson Haas won with birdie on second extra hole
4 2018 BMW Championship   Justin Rose Won with par on first extra hole
5 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii   An Byeong-hun,   Grayson Murray Murray won with birdie on first extra hole

NGA Hooters Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Aug 9, 2009 Texas Honing Open −18 (65-68-68-69=270) 5 strokes   Jeff Corr

Other wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Oct 19, 2011 PGA Grand Slam of Golf −4 (67-71=138) 1 stroke   Charl Schwartzel
2 Dec 11, 2011 Franklin Templeton Shootout
(with   Brendan Steele)
−32 (63-62-59=184) 3 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia and   Nick Price,
  Rory Sabbatini and   Jhonattan Vegas
3 Jul 1, 2015 CVS Health Charity Classic
(with   Jon Curran)
−21 (61-60=121) 2 strokes   Harris English and   Lexi Thompson
4 Jun 29, 2016 CVS Health Charity Classic (2)
(with   Jon Curran)
−18 (63-61=124) Playoff   Billy Andrade and   Bill Haas

Other playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 2016 CVS Health Charity Classic
(with   Jon Curran)
  Billy Andrade and   Bill Haas Won with birdie on first extra hole

Major championships

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Wins (1)

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Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
2011 PGA Championship 1 shot deficit −8 (71-64-69-68=272) Playoff1   Jason Dufner

1Defeated Jason Dufner in a three-hole playoff: Bradley (3-3-4=10), Dufner (4-4-3=11).

Results timeline

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Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament T27 T54 CUT T22 T52
U.S. Open T68 CUT T4 T27 CUT T60 CUT
The Open Championship T34 T15 T19 CUT T18 79
PGA Championship 1 T3 T19 CUT T61 T42 T33 T42
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Masters Tournament T43 T23 T22
PGA Championship T29 CUT T17 T48 T29 T18
U.S. Open CUT CUT T7 CUT T32
The Open Championship CUT NT CUT CUT CUT CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 7
PGA Championship 1 0 1 2 2 5 14 12
U.S. Open 0 0 0 1 2 2 12 6
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 5
Totals 1 0 1 3 4 13 45 30
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 6 (2011 PGA – 2013 Masters)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (four times)

Results in The Players Championship

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Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
The Players Championship 72 T35 CUT CUT CUT T35 T60 T7 T16 C T29 5 CUT CUT
  Top 10

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

World Golf Championships

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Wins (1)

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Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runners-up
2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 4 shot deficit −13 (67-69-67-64=267) 1 stroke   Jim Furyk,   Steve Stricker

Results timeline

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Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Championship T8 7 T50 T38 T10
Match Play R32 R64 R64 T52 T36 T40 NT1 T35 T28
Invitational T15 1 T2 T4 T17 T61 T52
Champions T16 23 T11 T64 6 T24 NT1 NT1 NT1

1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022. The Champions was discontinued from 2023.

PGA Tour career summary

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Season Wins (Majors) Earnings (US$) Rank[44]
2011 2 (1) 3,758,600 13
2012 1 3,910,658 10
2013 0 3,636,813 11
2014 0 2,828,638 28
2015 0 1,565,079 64
2016 0 899,985 114
2017 0 1,940,478 51
2018 1 4,069,464 17
2019 0 1,902,797 58
2020 0 824,471 106
2021 0 2,572,089 39
2022 0 3,623,137 27
Career* 4 (1) 31,532,208 38[45]

* As of the 2022 season.

U.S. national team appearances

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Professional

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2010 Nationwide Tour Media Guide" (PDF). PGA Tour. pp. 2–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  2. ^ "Week 12 2013 Ending 24 Mar 2013" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  3. ^ "Keegan Bradley named U.S. captain for 2025 Ryder Cup". ESPN. Associated Press. July 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "Golf staff". Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  5. ^ Svrluga, Barry (August 14, 2011). "PGA Championship: Keegan Bradley Beats Jason Dufner in Three-Hole Playoff". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  6. ^ Borges, Ron (August 13, 2011). "Keegan Bradley: More Cowbell!". Boston Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  7. ^ Pepin, Carl (August 15, 2012). "York relatives proud of PGA champion Keegan Bradley". Seacoast Online. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Pave, Marvin (January 30, 2011). "PGA rookie Bradley celebrates Hope finish". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  9. ^ a b Adler, Max (August 2012). "Profile: Keegan Bradley". Golf Digest. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d Dorman, Larry (February 11, 2011). "Game, Like the Name, May Soon Ring a Bell". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  11. ^ a b Miles, David (November 24, 2010). "Woodstock Native Keegan Bradley Heating Up Nationwide Tour". The Vermont Standard. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  12. ^ "Keegan Bradley wins Hooters Tour event". USA Today. Associated Press. August 9, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  13. ^ Szeker, Anne (April 20, 2011). "Sleeper Picks: The Heritage". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  14. ^ Hawkins, Stephen (May 30, 2011). "Keegan Bradley Wins Nelson in Playoff Over Palmer". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  15. ^ Dorman, Larry (August 5, 2011). "Woods Sputters in Second Round, Can't Threaten Leaders". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  16. ^ Elling, Steve (August 10, 2011). "Lefty Teaches Economics to Boost Young Americans' Cred Rating". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  17. ^ Gould, Herb (August 14, 2011). "Brendan Steele, Jason Dufner Tied for Lead at PGA Championship". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  18. ^ Pennington, Bill (August 14, 2011). "Tour Rookie With Veteran's Resolve". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  19. ^ Newport, John Paul (August 20, 2011). "Long Putters Shake Off the Stigma". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  20. ^ Garside, Kevin (August 14, 2011). "Keegan Bradley Wins His Maiden Major After Beating Jason Dufner in Play-Off". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  21. ^ Ferguson, Doug (August 14, 2011). "Bradley Wins PGA in Playoff After Rousing Comeback". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  22. ^ Wojciechowski, Gene (August 14, 2011). "Keegan Bradley's PGA Win 'A Dream'". ESPN. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  23. ^ Shain, Jeff (March 11, 2012). "Luke Donald Named PGA Tour Player of the Year". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  24. ^ Pucin, Diane (February 19, 2012). "All's Quiet on Phil Front as Bill Haas Wins in Playoff at Riviera". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  25. ^ Ferguson, Doug (March 11, 2012). "Rose Rallies to Win World Golf Championship". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  26. ^ "News and notes on the PGA Tour's top 20". USA Today. July 24, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  27. ^ "Major winner Keegan Bradley bows out of Irish Open at Portrush after failing to make the cut". Irish Independent. June 29, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  28. ^ Ferguson, Doug (August 5, 2012). "Bradley wins first WGC in a stunning finish". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  29. ^ "Bradley up to 15th in world rankings". Fox News. August 6, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  30. ^ "McIlroy back to No. 1 in world rankings". Miami Herald. August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  31. ^ "Love adds Scott Verplank, Jeff Sluman as Ryder Cup assistants, now waits on 4 picks". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 13, 2012. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  32. ^ "2019 Travelers Championship Final Results, Prize Money Payout and Leaderboard". Golf News Net. June 23, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  33. ^ Wade, Stephen (October 16, 2022). "Keegan Bradley wins Zozo for first PGA Tour win in 4 years". Associated Press. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  34. ^ Eaton-Robb, Pat (July 25, 2023). "Keegan Bradley wins Travelers Championship, breaks tournament record by 1 shot". Associated Press. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  35. ^ "Bradley holds nerve to win second BMW Championship". BBC Sport. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  36. ^ Ferguson, Doug (August 25, 2024). "Keegan Bradley goes from last man in to BMW Championship winner and on to East Lake". Associated Press News. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  37. ^ "Champ upholds family tradition". The Standard (Hong Kong). August 16, 2011. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  38. ^ Yantz, Tom (June 17, 2012). "Bradley Hungry For More After PGA Championship Win". Hartford Courant. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  39. ^ Dorman, Larry (September 2, 2011). "The Bradley Celebration Tour Goes Home". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  40. ^ Schultz, Jeff (August 14, 2011). "Keegan Bradley Goes from Slopes to PGA Championship". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  41. ^ Ross, Helen (August 14, 2011). "Words to Win By". PGA of America. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  42. ^ Sirak, Ron (September 2, 2011). "Mickelson Makes Switch to Long Putter Official". Golf Digest. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  43. ^ Van Smith, Bill (March 11, 2012). "Keegan Bradley Wants to Be Like His mentor Phil". The Miami Herald. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  44. ^ "Official Money". PGA Tour. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  45. ^ "Career Money Leaders". PGA Tour. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
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