Keegan Bradley heads into his defence of this week’s PGA Championship in the best form possible but only after fellow American Jim Furyk horribly double bogeyed the last to hand victory to his rival.

Bradley came from four shots behind at the start of the final day to post a final day six under par 64 and defeat fellow Americans Jim Furyk (69) and Steve Steve Stricker (64) by a stroke with a 13 under par tally.

Furyk, who was looking for his first wire-to-wire success in his 18th PGA Tour victory, began superbly with three birdies in his first three holes.

He and playing partner, Louis Oosthuizen traded birdie for birdie and par for par until ninth hole when the South African dropped a shot.

Keegan Bradley with the Gary Player Trophy. (Photo -- Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

Bradley, looking for his first success since capturing last year’s PGA Championship, stepped up to the challenge with birdies at his seventh, 10th and 11th hole before exerting further pressure on Furyk with birdies at the 14th and 16th holes.

Coming to the last, Furyk was also under threat from Steve Stricker who eventually birdied his closing three holes in a round of 64 and a similar score to Bradley.

Two weeks after Adam Scott gave up a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the British Open.

Furyk was poised to finish off a first career wire-to-wire win his mishap at the last.

“I led the golf tournament the entire way and lost it on the very last hole,” Furyk said.

“To get that close and to know that I played more than good enough to win the golf tournament, and not close the door, is disappointing. It is a cruel game. I’ve lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don’t think I’ve let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event.”

But lost in his 18th hole collapse was a sterling performance by Bradley, who shot 31 on the back and came up with one clutch putt after another.

“I didn’t think for a second I was going to that putt at the last,” Bradley said.

“It was unbelievable. I got behind it, and I barely even had to read it. I knew the exact way it was going to break. I just needed to hit it hard enough. I knew that. And it was dead center.”

The win is Bradley’s third PGA Tour success and could be the springboard into USA Ryder Cup selection.

“My hope standing on the 18th tee was to make birdie and maybe force a playoff,” Bradley said.

“But you know, just from being out here, you just never know what’s going to happen.”

It was the 11th time this year, and fourth time in the last five weeks, the winner came from at least four shots behind in the final round.

Furyk left the 18th green gutted and in a manner rarely seen before in the career of the 43-year old.

He had been tied for the lead at the U.S. Open with three holes to play when he hooked his tee shot on the 16th hole, made bogey and never caught up.

This time, he was in the driver’s seat at the Bridgestone and apparently in cruise control to success.

But as Scott rightly pointed out after losing the British Open, this is why the game is called golf.

“I have no one to blame but myself,” added Furyk.

“But when things go wrong, it’s an empty feeling. I’m disappointed. I walked over, my boy is crying right after the round. And I guess it reminds you as an adult — as a parent — that you have to act the proper way. You have to do and say the right things to try to give the right lessons.

“But there’s no way I should have made any worse than 5 on the last hole,” he said. “There’s no way I should have done worse than a playoff.”