Presidents Cup 2024: Keegan Bradley’s moment was worth the 10-year wait

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MONTREAL— Keegan Bradley waited for this moment. Ten years this week, to be exact. He was never shy about his love for team events, saying they were always on his mind and going so far to say they defined him. It broke him to his core when he was left off last year’s Ryder Cup, because it underlined that the hardest part of the wait was understanding it may never come.

But Bradley got it, Thursday evening in Montreal, his 10-footer for a win still feet from the cup as he raised his hands in celebration, and when that 10-footer disappeared Bradley unleashed 10 years’ worth of passion that could no longer be contained.

“It was 10 years of pent up energy, it looks like, of not playing these,” Bradley said. “I just had such a blast out there today. It’s really fun for me to be out here with these guys. I told Wyndham on 17 or 18 just how much I missed being out here and doing this.”

Scottie Scheffler is trying to put an exclamation mark on one of the best seasons in recent golf memory. Xander Schauffele, who six months ago faced questions about his finishing ability, is turning into a stone-cold closer. Tom Kim is becoming (for better and worse) the face of the International team. There’s the uncomfortable question facing this event, that its current format is in desperate need of overhaul, a notion that will only grow louder following Thursday’s 5-0 American sweep. But perhaps the most poignant of storylines from Day 1 at Royal Montreal was Bradley’s return to the red, white and blue.

It has nothing to necessarily do with who Bradley is, and was, as a player, although it is worth remembering why he was once a staple of American clubs in his late 20s. The 2011 PGA champion was one of the game’s best ball-strikers and someone who formed a formidable and animated pair with Phil Mickelson. Despite how lean those American rosters were, Bradley seemed like a surefire bet to be a part of its nucleus, only to watch his game go sideways following the game’s ban on anchor putters. By the time Bradley righted the ship another generation had moved in, one that didn’t necessarily go out of its way to bring Bradley back into the fold. But the real reason his return resonated is because Bradley cared in a time when Americans were accused of not caring at all. He has often told the story of his unopened luggage from the 2012 Ryder Cup, promising only to do so when he was a part of a winning American Ryder Cup team again, and when he had a career revival in 2023 Bradley let it be known how badly he wanted to be a part of the American effort in Rome. It’s why his exclusion last fall got the attention it did, and frankly why he was named captain for the 2025 event; if the Europeans’ success is correlated to their love of the event, Bradley was the closest thing to an American avatar.“This morning when I heard the National Anthem and I was seeing the boys getting ready, I was really emotional,” Bradley said. “It really took me by surprise. There’s been a few times this week where I’ve been emotional about this week. I’ve said I didn’t—there was a point in my life I never thought I’d get to do this again.”

In a sense the Bradley comeback has already happened with that surprising Ryder Cup appointment, where you better believe Bradley will bring that suitcase to Bethpage to unpack his team and country to see. But that was an honor given while his selection on this Presidents Cup was earned by a win in the FedEx Cup playoffs, allowing Bradley at least one more chance to be the guy he once was.

It is different. He is no longer a fledgling talent but the team’s oldest player at 38. The clubhouse vibe is unrecognizable, something for the better but also one that lends itself to remorse.

“What I’ve learned is how much they care for each other. I was of an era, I guess, where I felt like everyone I was playing against was my enemy, and I really regret that,” Bradley said. “These guys care about each other. They want to beat them inside the ropes bad, but when they get outside the ropes, they’re friends, the wives are friends. It’s a much happier way to go about this life.”The one constant was the chance to prove himself to his team, to himself, inside the ropes. His teammate Wyndham Clark carried most of the load (over 3.4 strokes gained for the 2023 U.S. Open champ), although Bradley dropped six putts over 10 feet, many of them spurring Bradley to chase after the putt with a fist pump, including the birdie at 18 that gave the pair a win and their team a sweep. Clark embraced him, followed soon by his wife and the rest of the American team, all knowing what that moment meant to Bradley. “This was special, man,” Bradley said moments after his final putt dropped. “I don’t take these weeks for granted anymore. I’m kind of speechless. It was just amazing.”There’s still three days left at this Presidents Cup, and at least for tomorrow, Bradley will be watching from the sidelines. Perhaps the Internationals make a comeback. It could also turn into a snoozer. No matter. Keegan Bradley got his moment. One that was worth the wait.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com