Keegan Bradley prolonged Tommy Fleetwood’s look forward to a maiden PGA Tour title after snatching a dramatic victory in an exhilarating end to the Vacationers Championship.
Fleetwood took a three-shot lead into the ultimate day at TPC River Highlands and recovered from three bogeys in his first 4 holes to remain high of the leaderboard heading into the closing holes.
Bradley was three again with 4 to play however closed on Fleetwood with a 35-foot birdie on the fifteenth, having holed from 65 ft earlier in his spherical, with the Ryder Cup captain getting inside one when his taking part in associate bogeyed the par-three subsequent.
Fleetwood stayed one forward heading to the ultimate gap, the place he three-putted from the perimeter for a closing bogey as Bradley fired his method to 6 ft and transformed a tournament-winning birdie.
Bradley’s dramatic end closed a two-under 68 and noticed him finish the week on 15 underneath, with Fleetwood ending a shot again in tied-second alongside Russell Henley after a final-round 68.
How Bradley snatched PGA Tour thriller from Fleetwood
Fleetwood’s in a single day benefit was instantly reduce to at least one on the par-four first, the place he didn’t rise up and down to save lots of par from the greenside bunker as Henley made a 12-foot birdie.
The Englishman responded with a five-foot birdie on the subsequent, the place Henley dropped a shot, solely to fall again right into a share of the lead alongside Bradley after successive three-putt bogeys on his subsequent two holes.
Bradley bogeyed the par-five sixth however pulled again degree with Fleetwood after holing a rare 65-foot birdie on the par-four ninth, leaving the pair on 14 underneath on the flip because the chasing pack continued to bunch.
An unimaginable last gap performed out on the Vacationers Championship, as Keegan Bradley sensationally denied Tommy Fleetwood a maiden PGA Tour title
Fleetwood edged again forward when Bradley bogeyed the tenth and doubled his lead with a 15-foot birdie on the par-three subsequent, then noticed a 20-foot try on the par-four twelfth agonisingly fall in need of the goal.
Each gamers took benefit of the par-five thirteenth, the place Henley additionally made birdie, whereas Bradley’s title problem appeared over on the par-four subsequent – regardless of Fleetwood lacking a six-foot birdie likelihood – after a bogey dropped him three behind.
Tommy Fleetwood blended three birdies with 5 bogeys on the ultimate day
Bradley saved his seemingly slim hopes alive after holing from lengthy vary on the par-four fifteenth, with Fleetwood’s lead halved when he went lengthy of the inexperienced on the par-three subsequent and didn’t rise up and down for par.
Fleetwood safely two-putted the seventeenth gap to retain his one-shot benefit heading to the final, the place indecision along with his method shot left him ending on the entrance fringe of the inexperienced.
Tommy Fleetwood’s runner-up end is his sixth on the PGA Tour
A poor first putt completed seven ft in need of the outlet and Fleetwood missed his subsequent effort for par, leaving him watching on as Bradley transformed his putt to spark wild celebrations on the 18th inexperienced.
Fleetwood completed tied-second with Henley, who holed out from the tough on the par-four final to additionally end on 14 underneath, whereas Bradley’s victory is his eighth PGA Tour title and enhances the prospect of him being a playing-captain on the Ryder Cup this September.
“Actually, actually loopy,” Bradley stated. “I felt like I used to be simply too far behind the entire day. I used to be simply chasing, chasing. I simply had that feeling that I used to be simply too far behind the entire day, however I got here in right here and made the putts once I wanted to.”
Harris English and Jason Day shared fourth spot on 13 underneath, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy an extra stroke again in tied-second after each carding final-round 65s.
Rory McIlroy recovered from a wayward tee shot to make a powerful birdie on the driveable fifteenth in the course of the last spherical
Fleetwood: Close to-miss ‘worst option to end’
Tommy Fleetwood, chatting with CBS: “I am gutted. A few fallacious golf equipment down the final couple. I did not putt nice right now after placing nicely all week. There was a stretch on the again 9 the place I ought to have taken management.
“I left one within the jaws on 12 and I used to be taking part in good. On 14, a weak putt. On 16, a tricky up and down. I used to be feeling good after flashing the drive on 18 however we received that one fallacious and left it within the worst doable spot in entrance of Keegan’s ball.
Tommy Fleetwood was despondent after narrowly lacking out on a maiden PGA Tour title on the Vacationers Championship
“Then I did not hit the very best putt. Issues to work on. I hadn’t been in that state of affairs for a very long time and I felt I did an excellent job for essentially the most half. Nevertheless it’s the worst option to end: main by two with three to play after which main by one down the final however not even making a play-off.”
Henley, talking after his runner-up end: “He [Bradley] simply performs with a lot ardour. He desires it, he desires to compete, he desires to win. It simply means a lot to him. That was a very, actually cool second on 18. I undoubtedly really feel for Tommy and I have been in that state of affairs earlier than and it stings, so it is the character of sport.”
What’s subsequent?
The PGA Tour heads to Detroit subsequent for the Rocket Basic, the place Australia’s Cam Davis is defending champion. Early protection from Detroit Golf Membership begins on Thursday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports activities Golf forward of full protection from 8pm. Not received Sky? Stream the PGA Tour and extra with no contract.
Get the very best costs and e book a spherical at certainly one of 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire
