Paramus, NJ …
Former PGA champ, Keegan Bradley ignited a goal to get back to playing all four Majors next year with his lowest round in over seven-year in posting a sizzling eight-under par 62 on day three of the Northern Trust in New Jersey.
Bradley, 32 came from seven shots back and storm to the clubhouse lead with eight birdies and move to 12-under par in ideal conditions on the Ridgewood Country Club course in Paramus.
Bradley commenced his round holing a 10-footer for birdie and ended in sinking an eight-footer, and with the pick of the rest finding the bottom of the cup with a 15-footer at the par-5 13th.
It is the 2011 PGA Championship winner’s lowest score since an opening day 60 on route to second place in the 2013 HP Byron Nelson Classic in Texas.
Keegan Bradley shoots his lowest PGA Tour round in seven years – 62. (Photo @tourmiss)
Keegan Bradley clearly delighted to be back into contention in shooting a 62. (Photo @tourmiss)
“It was a decent round and I’ve been saying, I can’t remember the last time I felt that calm and together the whole round, from the very first tee,” he said.
“I actually felt calmer as the day went on. It’s not really normally the case with me. That was fun.”
Bradley, and who has not tasted success since a third Tour victory at the 2012 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, birdied his opening three holes and then five of his closing seven holes and in the process hitting all 18 greens in regulation and then needing just 27 putts.
The Vermont-born but now Florida-based Bradley burst onto the world stage in stunning manner defeating fellow American Jason Duffner in his very first Major at the Atlanta Country Club.
The win earned Bradley a five-year exemption into all four Majors but that expired at the end of 2016 so much so, he’s then competed in only five of the last eight having failed to qualify for the last two Masters and last year’s Open Championship.
Bradley is currently 49th on the FedEx Cup standings and knowing that a top-30 result in the season-ending Tour Championship would see him return to competing all four of the 2019 Majors.
And it was question asked of the World No. 67 and former double Ryder Cup player after his round what now needed to reach that goal.
“It’s going to take days like tomorrow, getting back in it, and days like today where I finish off a round like that,” he said. “Days like tomorrow where I can go out there, whether I win, lose, shoot a hundred or whatever, I’m in it and I can feel that again.
“Any day like that is going to help me in the future.”
Bradley posted his score three groups after Jordan Spieth walked from the course with a 64 for nine-under par tally.
