Keegan Bradley secured the fifth PGA TOUR triumph of his career and first in over four years after the American claimed a one-shot victory at the ZOZO Championship in Japan.
The 36-year-old fought off competition from fellow Americans Andrew Putnam and Rickie Fowler finishing with a two-under 68 and 15 under. This was his first win since the 2018 BMW Championship.
Bradley began the final day a shot behind overnight leader Rickie Fowler however Bradley entered the lead following birdies on the sixth and seventh. But, Putnam moved level at the 16th. Nevertheless, the 2011 PGA Champion restored the two-shot lead with a birdie on the 17th after both Putnam and Fowler recorded bogeys on the back nine. The victory was secured with a par.
“It’s why I practice so hard. Things aren’t easy for me normally, so the birdie on the 17th was one of the best holes of my life,” said Bradley.
“This is so special. I played in the final group here when Tiger Woods won here [in 2019]. I’m so proud to win this tournament.”
He also stated he had a close eye on Tiger Woods in the tournament in 2019.
“To watch him win up close was spectacular,” Bradley said. “I was thinking about it the whole day today, just remembering Tiger, how he walked a little slower then. So I just tried to do that.”
Emotional
This victory was an extremely emotional one for Bradley as he referenced the tears that were running down his face when on FaceTime with his wife after the win.
“I’ve been crying since I finished,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I cried. I talked to my wife on the phone a second ago, FaceTime. I can’t keep it together; I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”