Fair play to Keegan Bradley after he recognised the errors of his ways and apologised for his constant spitting during Sunday’s final round of the Northern Trust Open.

As www.golfbytourmiss.com hinted, Bradley indicated his spitting was a nervous twitch and something the reigning PGA Champion for the most part didn’t know he was doing.

Bradley got on to Tweeter to say:  “Id like to apologize for my spitting. It’s like a reflex, I don’t even know I’m doing it, but it’s a longtime habit I’ve got to try to conquer.”

Bradley then attended a formal press conference on the eve of the Match-Play and it was not surprising he was asked about his spitting habit.

Keegan Bradley receives his 2011 'Rookie of the Year' award from Tim Finchem but did the PGA Tour Commissioner bring up Bradley's serial spitting and slow play habits? (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)

Here was his formal response:  “Yeah, I was very surprised to see the replay of the telecast to see how much I was spitting. 

“To be honest with you, I really had no idea I was doing it.  And I feel bad.  It’s something that I’m going to work on and I just ask everybody to just kind of bear with me as I go through this, because it’s something I’ve done without even knowing it.  I’m going to truly work on it.  It might take some time.  But I will do any best to stop. 

“It’s something that I’m glad that’s come up, because I’m able to kind of nip it now.  It’s just a thing where I’m watching the rear‑‑ I’m watching myself, and I never even knew I was doing it. 

“So in a way I’m glad it happened, but it’s something that I’m going to try very hard to stop.”

Bradley had drawn widespread criticism for his spitting antics including on the 13th tee where he was counted spitting four times.

Naturally, the majority of complaints were from outside of the U.S. and particularly among European TV viewers of the PGA Tour event.

However there was other players who were shown spitting last Sunday, including Pat Perez and Dustin Johnson.

www.golfbytourmiss.com still calls upon the PGA Tour to enact a rule where ‘serial  spitters’ are fined as they’re doing the game of golf little favour.

We are reminded also that it was exactly 53 weeks ago when Tiger Woods drew widespread condemnation for spitting during the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic,

And to Woods’ credit he also later apologised.

But while Bradley has apologised for a constrant stream of saliva leaving his mouth last Sunday there is still the question of slow play as it took the final group of himself, Phil Mickelson and Bryce Molder 5 hours, 10 minutes to complete the final round.

Where were the rules officials?