Keegan Bradley poses with the Wanamaker Trophy on the 18th green after winning a three-hole playoff against Jason Dufner at the PGA Championship golf tournament Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga.JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Bobby Jones would have appreciated the drama on Sunday at a major in his home state and at his home club.
He would have applauded the bravado of Keegan Bradley, the steadiness of Jason Dufner, the consistency of Anders Hansen and knowing that the guy who played the best golf drove down Bobby Jones Drive with a major trophy riding shotgun.
Bradley, a PGA Tour rookie, shook off a triple-bogey which momentarily put him five shots off the lead with three holes to play overcame the deficit by winning an aggregate three-hole playoff over Dufner to claim the PGA Championship.
“It’s unbelievable considering the fact that 2 1/2 years ago I was playing on the Hooters Tour, grinding for survival to keep playing,” said Bradley, who finished at 8-under-par 272. “It seems like a dream, and I’m afraid I’m going to wake up here in the next five minutes and it’s not going to be real.”
It is. So was the silver Wanamaker Trophy that he posed next to on the 18th green and carried with him for the rest of the evening.