Johns Creek, Georgia: Keegan Bradley won a major championship on his very first try on Sunday, and if that wasn't extraordinary enough, look at the way he did it.
The 25 year old trailed Jason Dufner by five strokes with three holes to play in the PGA Championship, his chances seemingly snuffed out when he dumped his ball in the water at the 15th hole and made triple bogey.
But the youngster pulled himself together, made two straight birdies, and wound up in a three-hole playoff when Dufner bogeyed three in a row.
From there, Bradley took control. He made a birdie at the first extra hole, drilling a laser of an approach to 4 feet on No 16 after Dufner nearly holed out. He safely cleared the pond at the par-3 17th and went another stroke up when Dufner three-putted. Then, one last bit of bravado at the 18th — a gutty 5-iron that cleared even more water to set up the clinching par.
The Wanamaker Trophy was his.
"I can't believe this thing is sitting next to me," he said, looking at the gleaming silver cup.
Considering his pedigree — his aunt, Pat Bradley, is an LGPA Hall of Famer — this wasn't so improbable at all.
Pipped at the post
Dufner will join those heart-wrenching players who let a major championship slip away, his meltdown remembered alongside Scott Hoch blowing that 18-inch putt at the Masters and Jan Van de Velde throwing away that three-shot lead on the 72nd hole of the British Open.
The 34-year-old journeyman had never won a tour event, much less a tournament of this magnitude. But he played rock-solid for nearly all of four days, hitting more fairways than anyone, avoiding the water and sand and rough lurking at every turn.
Tiger Woods couldn't do it. Neither could defending PGA champion Martin Kaymer. They were among the big names sent packing earlier.
Showing little emotion, Dufner arrived at the 15th tee on Sunday with a commanding four-stroke lead. The last four holes at Atlanta can be a killer, but he had played them at a cumulative 3 under over the first three days. No problem, right?
Wrong.
For Bradley, the future looks brighter than ever. He's always been a guy who stayed out of the limelight, even with his famous name and impressive rookie season. He already had a win, capturing the Byron Nelson in a play-off back in May.
