The PGA Championship: Day 4
August 14 2011
10:00 pm Bradley latest example of depth on TOUR
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Thirteen majors, thirteen different winners. Keegan Bradley was the latest to join that list and in it represents parity and increasing depth on the PGA TOUR.
For Bradley, his victory at the PGA Championship was remarkable on several levels, not the least of which was the fact that just 2 1/2 years ago Bradley was grinding out a career on the Hooters Tour after a collegiate career at St. Johns University.
Not only is Bradley the 13th straight different major winner, he’s one of six rookies to win on the TOUR this season (his first win came earlier in the year) and the 13th player in his 20s to do so.
“I just know from the guys that I graduated with on the Nationwide Tour, like Chris Kirk and Jamie Lovemark, who’s not even playing, all of these guys are so good,” Bradley said. “Any one of them could win every week.”
Bradley of course is the one who did win. Sunday’s victory was his second of the year and all but locks up Rookie of the Year honors and puts him squarely in the conversation for the Player of the Year as well.
“The top players are not dominating like they were,” Bradley continued. “It gives an opportunity for a player like me to win this thing, and I just think it’s as deep as it’s ever been and I think it’s only getting deeper.”
9:25 pm Dufner won’t let loss be defining moment in career
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — With four holes to play, Jason Dufner led by four and appeared to be on his way to winning his first major championship. Then he was swallowed up like so many others before him by the finishing holes at Atlanta Athletic Club.
“Maybe looking back 10, 15 years from now I’ll feel disappointment that I let one get away if I never get another chance,” Dufner said. “But I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to have some chances to win some majors and some other golf tournaments.”
Dufner’s downfall began on the 259-yard par-3 15th, where he was caught between a 3-iron and a 5-wood. Dufner opted for the latter, took a little off and pushed the shot to the right — and into the water.
He made bogey but the real killer was the 16th, where he was in the middle of the fairway on the par-4 and missed the green. Dufner wasn’t able to get up-and-down and made another bogey before making a third in a row with a three-putt on the 17th.
“I should hit that green,” Dufner said of the 16th. “Probably one of the worst iron shots I hit all week.”
Dufner hit one of his best irons of the week on the first hole of the three-hole aggregate playoff, also the 16th, with his approach shot nearly going in the hole. Instead, it rolled past the cup and left him with a slippery, downhill 6-footer for birdie.
As good as the shot was, though, Bradley’s was better and that put a little extra pressure on Dufner, who missed the putt. He never recovered, making bogey on the next hole before making a lengthy par putt on the 18th hole.
Still, despite leaving Atlanta Athletic Club without the Wanamaker Trophy Dufner remained upbeat.
“Coming from where I came from, to be in this position, it’s a dream come true,” Dufner said. "I could have never imagined playing in major championships. I’m not going to let this define my career.”
8:25 pm Congratulate Bradley on the win
Keegan Bradley became the first player since Ben Curtis in 2003 to win a major championship in his first appearance with his playoff victory Sunday at Atlanta Athletic Club. Share your note of congratulations here and we’ll pass it along to him.
7:56 pm Bradley wins PGA in playoff
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — It took extra holes, but rookie Keegan Bradley won his first career major championship Sunday, defeating Jason Dufner by a stroke in a three-hole aggregate score playoff at Atlanta Athletic Club to capture the PGA Championship.
Bradley birdied the first hole, No. 16, then added two pars on Nos. 17 and 18, while Dufner went par-bogey-birdie to come up a stroke short.
Leading by two when he arrived at the difficult par-4 18th hole, Bradley chose to go for the green in two rather than lay up to a green that’s fronted by water. He safely cleared the pond and two-putted for the victory.
With the win, Bradley also earned 600 FedExCup points, moving from 24th to fourth in the standings.
7:30 pm Scott misses double dip
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Adam Scott has had a pretty good fortnight. He just didn’t get the daily double.
Scott ended up in solo seventh at the PGA Championship, closing with a 68. The previous Sunday, Scott had won the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
"It’s a good week,” the 31-year-old Aussie said. “It’s easy to come in the week after and just play it around the golf course, but if you do that here, you’re probably going to be going home Friday afternoon. I worked really hard because I wanted to build on the good finish of last week."
Scott broke par in three of four rounds at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He was 2 under for his first eight holes on Sunday, but bogeyed No. 9 and finished with nine straight pars.
"(No.) 9 was the killer," Scott said. "Just to make bogey there wasn’t a big deal, but birdieing 8 would have been nice to get on a bit of run and get in it, but it didn’t happen. … I just never gave myself a chance to get the ball near the hole. And I was up and down a lot of holes. I did the best I could. That was a good score today, because I gave myself less opportunities than every other day."
Scott’s takeaway from the last two weeks?
"It’s just positive," Scott said. "I mean, my short game is that good now. It’s good enough to hang in there on the last nine of a major to keep a score going. Everything is right where I want it to be. Every day I have my opportunities. You need to take them all to win these things."
7:10 pm Playoff play-by-play: Dufner vs. Bradley
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley are in a three-hole aggregate score playoff on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to decide the PGA Championship. Dufner has played that stretch in even par for the tournament but 2 over today, while Bradley is 1 under for the week after playing them in 2 under today.
Earlier this year, Bradley won a playoff against Ryan Palmer to capture the HP Byron Nelson Championship, while Dufner lost to Mark Wilson at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Follow our play-by-play of the playoff here.
NO. 16
– Dufner split the fairway with his drive on the 468-yard par-4, as did Bradley.
– Dufner nearly holed his second shot with the ball rolling just past the edge of the cup. Bradley, meanwhile, hit his even closer with the ball stopping just a few feet from the cup.
– Dufner missed his five-footer for birdie and knew it as soon as he hit it, missing it on the low side. Bradley did not. Advantage Bradley.
NO. 17
– With a one-stroke lead after a birdie on the 16th hole, Bradley teed off first on the par-3 17th and cleared the water by a few feet to leave himself about 15-20 feet. Dufner then hit his hole high in the middle of the green probably 30 feet from the hole.
– Dufner’s putt raced past the hole and nearly off the green leaving himself nearly 10 feet coming back, while Bradley lagged his to a few feet.
– Dufner missed his par attempt and is now 1 over through two holes. Bradley converted his par putt and leads by two with one hole to go.
NO. 18
– Leading by two, Bradley hit a hybrid off the tee and split the fairway. Dufner, knowing he likely needs a birdie here, hit driver and also split the fairway.
– So much for laying up. From 193 yards, Bradley hit a 6-iron that cleared the water by a few feet and landed safely on the green. Dufner hit his second shot to almost an identical spot but will need to make the putt and hope Bradley three-putts to have any chance.
– Dufner putted first — and rolled it in for a birdie. Now Bradley has two putts to win.
– Bradley nearly did the same before tapping in for par and the win. It’s Bradley’s first career major championship.
7:10 pm Playoff play-by-play: Dufner vs. Bradley
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley are in a three-hole aggregate score playoff on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to decide the PGA Championship. Dufner has played that stretch in even par for the tournament but 2 over today, while Bradley is 1 under for the week after playing them in 2 under today.
Earlier this year, Bradley won a playoff against Ryan Palmer to capture the HP Byron Nelson Championship, while Dufner lost to Mark Wilson at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Follow our play-by-play of the playoff here.
7:00 pm Dufner, Bradley in playoff
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Jason Dufner squandered what was once a four-shot lead and finished regulation tied with Keegan Bradley at 8 under Sunday at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Dufner got as low as 11 under but bogeyed Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to shoot 69. Bradley, meanwhile, recovered from a triple bogey on the 15th hole with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to shoot 68.
There will now be a three-hole aggregate-score playoff on Nos. 16, 17 and 18.
If a tie still remains, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff beginning on the 18th, and, if necessary, on to holes 10, 17 and 18 repeated until the winner is determined.
There have been three, three-hole aggregate-score playoffs, in PGA Championship history:
2000: Tiger Woods defeated Bob May at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
2004: Vijay Singh defeated Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard at Whistling Straits (Straits Course) in Kohler, Wis.
2010: Martin Kaymer defeated Bubba Watson at Whistling Straits (Straits Course) in Kohler, Wis.
6:54 pm Donald’s PGA ‘bittersweet’
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The PGA Championship represented a "missed opportunity again" for Luke Donald.
He mounted a charge on Sunday, moving to 5 under with a birdie at the 12th hole, but those two bogeys down the home stretch left Donald in a tie for eighth. So the man who ranks third in the FedExCup and first in the world is still looking for that elusive first major.
Donald’s best showing this year was his tie for fourth at the Masters. He tied for 45th at the U.S. Open and missed the cut at the British Open.
"The positives I see is I didn’t have my best this week and I still came reasonably close," Donald said. "I know I’ve got the game to compete and win majors but got to take that as a positive. Again, (it’s bittersweet). It’s another major gone, another year gone without winning a major."
Donald broke a five-year victory drought earlier this year when he won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. He has 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts on the PGA TOUR this year, and he currently leads the money list. Donald also is on top of the European Tour Order of Merit.
No one has ever topped the money list on both Tours, and as Donald says, "That’s certainly a goal. That would be a great accomplishment. … To be the first would be very special."
6:14 pm Dufner rebounds from rare miscue
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Just when it looked like the last four holes were going to be a victory march for Jason Dufner, he hit his tee shot into the pond at the 15th hole.
It was a rare mistake for Dufner, who had been standing on the 15th tee watching as Keegan Bradley, his closest competitor, was in the process of making a triple bogey – hitting his chip on the 259-yard par 3 into the water. Dufner was 11 under at the time.
When Dufner’s tee shot veered right into the water he held a five-stroke lead over Robert Karlsson, Anders Hansen and Bradley. He wedged on, made the 15-footer for bogey and still leads by four.
Dufner has played the last four holes in 3 under for the week.
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