Keegan Bradley, captain of the 2025 US Ryder Cup team, showed that he has more than enough talent to represent his country as a player in New York next year when winning the BMW Championship, the second leg of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup play-offs.
The 38-year-old came into Sunday’s final round at Castle Pines, near Denver, with a one-shot lead over Adam Scott, who drew level after the opening hole. But a run of three straight bogeys by the Australian from the 10th hole gave Bradley a lead he would not relinquish.
He could afford to bogey the last to finish with a level-par 72, on 12 under for the week, one shot clear of runner’s up Scott, Sam Burns and Ludvig Aberg to claim his seventh PGA Tour title.
Bradley, who qualified in 50th and last place for the BMW Championship, will now enter next week’s season-ending Tour Championship – which features just the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings – in fourth place, and in with a real chance of winning the FedEx Cup title, which comes with a $25m first prize.
“Oh, man, it just shows why you’ve got to grind it out every week because you never know how fast it can switch,” Bradley said. “Now I go to Atlanta with a chance to win the FedEx Cup. I can’t believe it. I’m so excited.”
Aberg was two shots off the lead coming into the final round and closed with a 71, while Burns came from way off the pace, firing a seven-under 65 to finish joint second. The 28-year-old had eight birdies in his final round and narrowly missed another from a bunker shot on the par-four 18th that would have tied the lead.
Tommy Fleetwood also climbed the leaderboard on Sunday, shooting a three-under 69 to finish on eight under. That effort saw him move from 31 to 22 in the FedEx Cup standings and secure a place in next week’s Tour Championship.
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDER
At next week’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, the final event of the PGA Tour season, the players start with a staggered score dependent on their standing in the top 30 as they battle to be crowned FedEx Cup champion.
As leader in the standings, world no.1 Scottie Scheffler will begin on 10 under par, two shots clear of second-placed Xander Schauffele. Hideki Matsuyama, who withdrew from the BMW with a back injury, starts on seven under, with Keegan Bradley on six under and fifth-placed Ludvig Aberg one shot further adrift.
Rory McIlroy, who qualified in sixth after finishing tied 11th in the BMW Championship, will begin his attempt to win his fourth FedEx Cup on four under, alongside Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay.
Shane Lowry is among five players starting at three under, one clear of another quintet which includes Bob MacIntyre and last year’s winner Viktor Hovland.
Fleetwood is in the group starting at one under, while compatriot Aaron Rai will begin at level par – a full 10 shots behind Scheffler.
