NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Engaging in a discussion with Keegan Bradley is akin to opening a window into his soul, offering a level of emotional honesty that is uncommon among today’s athletes.
On Monday, ahead of this week’s PGA Championship at Aronimink, Bradley candidly shared his deep connection with the tournament that transformed his career, alongside his tumultuous history with the Ryder Cup.
As a newcomer to the PGA Tour, Bradley clinched victory at the 2011 PGA Championship held at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
He later triumphed at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronimink, marking his first win after enduring a six-year period of challenges with his performance.
Both of these accomplishments have left a significant imprint on Bradley’s life and career.
“After the PGA in ’11, my mom and sister were there … I remember driving out of the Atlanta Athletic Club with the Wanamaker [Trophy] in my lap, holding it and we were looking at each other like, ‘This is crazy,’ ’’ Bradley recalled. “We were trying to get some beers or something and everything was closed. And we went back [to the rental house] and I had Bud Light and cereal for dinner. It was the best meal of my life.
“Then I took the trophy and put it right next to my bed and I remember waking up in the morning and looking at it, like, ‘This is crazy. I can’t believe this.’ ’’
He called the 2018 BMW at Aronimink “a major moment in my career,’’ adding, “I never knew if I would win again on Tour.’’
Bradley recalled being “in a really, really dark place with my putter’’ at the time he played that BMW, “and this was the first glimmer of hope that I had.’’
“I remember coming down the stretch and thinking in my head, ‘I can’t believe how calm you are in this moment,’ and that’s not something I say to myself very often,’’ he said. “I was enjoying the moment of being in [contention], and I had this really incredible moment that I’ll never forget the rest of my career that happened here.
“I was on the eighth green and it’s adjacent to the 10th green and I’m in the final couple groups and leading the tournament. And on the 10th green was Tiger Woods in his red and black. I looked up at the leaderboard and he was one [shot] back of me. I remember thinking, ‘This is so crazy that I’m in this spot again and there’s my idol and he’s trying to chase me down and he’s right there.’ ’’
Bradley will take part in the annual PGA dinner for past champions Tuesday night, a tradition like the annual champions dinner at the Masters.
“It’s the most spectacular day of my peak golf year,’’ he said.
“When I go to the Champions Dinner, I’m overwhelmed with emotion to be in the room with these people,’’ he said. “It’s a time you can actually go, ‘Wow, what I did there in 2011 was really something special and something that I get to enjoy with those group of people every year for the rest of my life.’ ’’
A less pleasant memory for Bradley is his Ryder Cup experience, which he called “brutal.”
He was left off the 2023 team as a potential captain’s pick, and then he was the losing captain last fall at Bethpage, a week that left him scarred emotionally.
“The last couple months I’ve started to feel more like myself,’’ he said. “Sometimes, I’m a little too honest with how I’m feeling and it gets me in some weird spots. [But] it was tough after the Ryder Cup and it still is. I’ll be driving down the road and things will pop into my head and think about things I had done or wish I had done different.
“Getting back out here and getting in the routine, I’m playing some better golf and I’m starting to feel a little bit more like myself out there, and I’m feeling a little bit more separated from Bethpage.’’
Now he’s thinking ahead, about how to make the 2027 team as a player in Ireland.
“It’s going to be really hard, I know that,’’ he said. “I’ll be 41 when that happens. But what a cool story it would be. How fun would that be?’’