Keegan Bradley extended Tommy Fleetwood’s wait for a maiden PGA Tour title after snatching a dramatic victory in a thrilling finish to the Travelers Championship.
Fleetwood took a three-shot lead into the final day at TPC River Highlands and recovered from three bogeys in his first four holes to stay top of the leaderboard heading into the closing holes.
Bradley was three back with four to play but closed on Fleetwood with a 35-foot birdie at the 15th, having holed from 65 feet earlier in his round, with the Ryder Cup captain getting within one when his playing partner bogeyed the par-three next.
Fleetwood stayed one ahead heading to the final hole, where he three-putted from the fringe for a closing bogey as Bradley fired his approach to six feet and converted a tournament-winning birdie.
Bradley’s dramatic finish closed a two-under 68 and saw him end the week on 15 under, with Fleetwood ending a shot back in tied-second alongside Russell Henley after a final-round 68.
How Bradley snatched PGA Tour thriller from Fleetwood
Fleetwood’s overnight advantage was immediately cut to one at the par-four first, where he failed to get up and down to save par from the greenside bunker as Henley made a 12-foot birdie.
The Englishman responded with a five-foot birdie at the next, where Henley dropped a shot, only to fall back into a share of the lead alongside Bradley after successive three-putt bogeys on his next two holes.
Bradley bogeyed the par-five sixth but pulled back level with Fleetwood after holing an extraordinary 65-foot birdie at the par-four ninth, leaving the pair on 14 under at the turn as the chasing pack continued to bunch.
Keegan Bradley moved into a share of the lead with an incredible birdie at the par-four ninth
Fleetwood edged back ahead when Bradley bogeyed the 10th and doubled his lead with a 15-foot birdie at the par-three next, then saw a 20-foot attempt at the par-four 12th agonisingly fall short of the target.
Both players took advantage of the par-five 13th, where Henley also made birdie, while Bradley’s title challenge appeared over at the par-four next – despite Fleetwood missing a six-foot birdie chance – after a bogey dropped him three behind.
Tommy Fleetwood mixed three birdies with five bogeys on the final day
Bradley kept his seemingly slim hopes alive after holing from long range at the par-four 15th, with Fleetwood’s lead halved when he went long of the green at the par-three next and failed to get up and down for par.
Fleetwood safely two-putted the 17th hole to retain his one-shot advantage heading to the last, where indecision with his approach shot left him finishing on the front edge of the green.
Tommy Fleetwood’s runner-up finish is his sixth on the PGA Tour
A poor first putt finished seven feet short of the hole and Fleetwood missed his next effort for par, leaving him watching on as Bradley converted his putt to spark wild celebrations on the 18th green.
Fleetwood finished tied-second with Henley, who holed out from the rough on the par-four last to also finish on 14 under, while Bradley’s victory is his eighth PGA Tour title and enhances the prospect of him being a playing-captain at the Ryder Cup this September.
“Really, really crazy,” Bradley said. “I felt like I was just too far behind the whole day. I was just chasing, chasing. I just had that feeling that I was just too far behind the whole day, but I came in here and made the putts when I needed to.”
Harris English and Jason Day shared fourth spot on 13 under, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy a further stroke back in tied-second after both carding final-round 65s.
Rory McIlroy recovered from a wayward tee shot to make an impressive birdie at the driveable 15th during the final round
Fleetwood: Near-miss ‘worst way to finish’
Tommy Fleetwood, speaking to CBS: “I’m gutted. A couple of wrong clubs down the last couple. I didn’t putt great today after putting well all week. There was a stretch on the back nine where I should have taken control.
“I left one in the jaws on 12 and I was playing good. On 14, a weak putt. On 16, a tough up and down. I was feeling good after flashing the drive on 18 but we got that one wrong and left it in the worst possible spot in front of Keegan’s ball.
Tommy Fleetwood was despondent after narrowly missing out on a maiden PGA Tour title at the Travelers Championship
“Then I didn’t hit the best putt. Things to work on. I hadn’t been in that situation for a long time and I felt I did a good job for the most part. But it’s the worst way to finish: leading by two with three to play and then leading by one down the last but not even making a play-off.”
Henley, speaking after his runner-up finish: “He [Bradley] just plays with so much passion. He wants it, he wants to compete, he wants to win. It just means so much to him. That was a really, really cool moment on 18. I definitely feel for Tommy and I’ve been in that situation before and it stings, so it’s the nature of sport.”
What’s next?
The PGA Tour heads to Detroit next for the Rocket Classic, where Australia’s Cam Davis is defending champion. Early coverage from Detroit Golf Club begins on Thursday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 8pm. Not got Sky? Stream the PGA Tour and more with no contract.
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