Keegan Bradley called last Sunday one of the toughest afternoons he’s had on the PGA Tour. A third-round 74 knocked him well down the leaderboard at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and although he rebounded with a final-round 68 he had to wait to see if he’d sneak into the top 50 in FedEx Cup points to advance to the second leg of the playoffs. He started the week at No. 39.
He was in his hotel room. Watching television coverage. Following featured groupings. Scrolling furiously through his phone.
“I had it all going,” he said Thursday after shooting a first-round 66 to lead the BMW Championship at Castle Pines in Colorado.
Ultimately, he ended exactly on the number. Right on the 50th position. That got him into this week’s event, but it also gets him into the eight signature events in 2025. Plenty of guaranteed money is there to be had.
But there’s another reason why it’s so important for the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.
“I want to be out there with the guys and the Ryder Cup team,” he said. “I want to be playing with them, on the range with them, in the locker room, in the tournament. It was really important for me to be in this top 50.”
Now that he’s here, he told Golf Channel that, “I have no worries.”
Apparently. The six-time PGA Tour winner played a flawless opening round at the BMW that included six birdies. He held a two-shot lead over a host of players when he finished. Sure, there’s a long way to go this week, but his projected placing in the FedEx Cup is up to fourth.
Advancing to East Lake for the Tour Championship would be a bonus for Bradley, but for now, he’s just enjoying the ride.
“I just went out and played as if I would play a normal round,” he said. “Try to birdie any hole … That was the plan.”