I've paced myself a little more this year, says Keegan Bradley
Last year, Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship and became the third player in the history of the sport to record a major title victory in his first attempt.
Bradley did that in a style, as he had a five-stroke deficit against Jason Dufner while heading for the final three holes of the tournament.
He then recorded two back-to-back birdies, followed by a par save on the 18th hole. Meanwhile, Dufner, who was flawless throughout the round, fired his ball into a greenside water hazard and ended up with a bogey.
It was his first of three bogeys in a row, which levelled his score with Bradley, forcing the game to enter the playoffs.
The Jupiter resident then recorded a birdie on the 16th hole and took the lead for the first time in the tournament and retained it till the end.
It was a phenomenal display of game at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He became a popular personality in the United States and his fans increased massively in just a few days.
However, he failed to retain them longer, as he missed two cuts in a row, following his major title victory. This year, he has once again returned to one of the two fields where he missed the cuts – Deutsche Bank Championship.
"When I got to that first tee, the fans just gave me a huge cheer before I was even introduced," he said by phone on Monday, during a press gathering to promote the 10th anniversary of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
"I had a lot of great things happen to me because of winning the PGA but hearing that cheer, I'll always remember that".
According to him, he was worn out by the time he entered the Deutsche Bank Championship. That was the main reason behind his poor performance. “I was just a little bit worn out by then,” he said.
He now believes that he can do much better this year, as the pressure of being the recent major champion has shrugged off him and he can now play the tournament with peace.
"I've paced myself a little more this year," he said.
The tournament is scheduled to be played during the Labor Day week this year, same as it was held last year.
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