Sunday at the BMW Championship served up another dramatic finish as the last man in the field, entering the week in 50th spot on the FedEx Cup standings, Keegan Bradley was pushed all the way to the 18th green before securing his seventh PGA Tour victory by a single stroke on -12.
This was Bradley’s second victory at the BMW Championship, with the win shooting him up to fourth in the standings heading to the Tour Championship at East Lake, and with a realistic shot at the FedEx Cup. Sam Burns, Adam Scott and Ludvig Åberg finished in a tie for second spot, just one shy of the Ryder Cup Captain while a group of four sit tied on eight-under to round off the top five.
Rory McIlroy closed out his week with a one-under, 71 to see him tied for 11th at the end of play. It was another up and down round for McIlroy who ended up standing in the creek on the ninth after his first flirted with the hazard, and accidentally snapped the shaft on his driver back on the tee. A fine recovery shot followed though, and he managed to scramble for his par. A better back nine followed with four birdies helping him round off his week on six-under. He sits in sixth spot on the rankings heading to the final week.
Shane Lowry had a strong outward nine with three birdies including back-to-back from the fifth before handing one back at the turn on the par-four ninth. This was snatched back on the subsequent hole but two more dropped shots on his homeward leg meant the Clara man would have to settle for a 71 and a T13 for the week. He will head to Atlanta in 13th having slipped outside the top 10 in recent weeks.
One man feeling the drama of the playoffs was Matt Fitzpatrick who called for a ruling during his round, having discovered a small crack in the face of his driver. After much conferring with senior rules officials and much to the dismay of the Englishman, the ruling was handed down that the crack did not represent significant enough damage to warrant replacement. A decision which raised more than a couple of eyebrows, not least of his playing partner Scottie Scheffler.
Another man who had a fruitful week was Fitzpatrick’s compatriot Tommy Fleetwood. He began the week just outside the bubble but his tie for fifth dragged him inside the magic top 30 who will tee it up at the Tour’s showcase finale.
“Oh, man, I was shaking over that last putt. I was ready for those cheers. We did it. It was a battle all day,” said an elated Bradley as he was joined with his father on the 18th green.”
“Oh, man, it just shows why you’ve got to grind it out every week because you never know how fast it can switch. Now I go to Atlanta with a chance to win the FedEx Cup. I can’t believe it. I’m so excited. My dad, first time he’s seen me win, so we’re pumped,” added the emotional victor. “Well, he taught me how to play. He was a club pro his whole life. I went to work with him every day. Fast forward to now, he got to see me win for the first time. What a day.”
The top 30 have a quick turnaround for the prestigious Tour Championship as the circus rolls into town in Georgia do decide the big one. The 2024 FedEx Cup Championship will play out from August 29th and September first with the year’s top players doing battle one last time this season in what should be an epic conclusion for the ’24 PGA Tour season.
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