Date: July 26, 2012
Author:

2011 Review: Keegan’s brilliant break out

American Keegan Bradley produced one of the more remarkable wins in recent years to win the 2011 PGA Championship following an extraordinary comeback in regulation to defeat Jason Dufner in a play-off. Bradley, who won the HP Byron Nelson Championship earlier in 2011, became just the third player since 1913 to win a Major in his first appearance. 1913 U.S. Open winner, Francis Ouimet, and Ben Curtis, who claimed the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St George&aposs, were the other two players. 25 year-old Bradley went to the 16th hole on Sunday down by five strokes, but he made two straight birdies and Dufner bogeyed three holes in a row to leave them tied at 8-under 272 at the close of regulation play. In the playoff, Bradley made a 4-foot birdie at the 16th hole to gain the upper hand. Dufner nearly holed out from the fairway, but missed a 6-foot birdie try. Bradley lead by two shots when Dufner three-putted the 17th for a bogey. Dufner made birdie at the tough finishing hole but it wasn&apost enough. Bradley tapped in from a foot away to claim the Wanamaker Trophy by a single stroke and became the first American champion since Tiger Woods&apos win at Southern Hills in 2007. The 25-year-old also became the first American since Phil Mickelson at the 2010 Masters to win a major championship, the longest such run for the country in the history of the game.