Keegan Bradley (-12) has won the BMW Championship, second play off of the FedEx Cup. A par card on the final round was enough, but it had to be achieved at a Castle Pines Golf Club that has been gaining in fierceness, especially over the weekend, with the decided appearance of wind and firmer and encrypted greens. However, let’s also say that the American captain of the Ryder -the shouts of “USA, USA”, have accompanied him all four days- has found an ally in the putter of Adam Scott (-11), who only in the second nine holes of today’s round missed three putts of less than two meters and another one of just over two meters… It is true that the Australian started his round by sinking a considerable eagle on hole 1, but when it comes to the truth, in the last nine of the tournament, you can’t give so many advantages in short distances. Be that as it may, Scott was outside the top thirty in the ranking and has made it into the Tour Champions thanks to his second final position.
Similarly, Bradley, chaining up to thirteen consecutive pars today, has starred in one of the big hits of the season, as he had barely made it into this second play off (50th place, the last to enter) and will arrive at East Lake next week in fourth position and, therefore, with chances to win the FedEx Cup. The famous verses of Walt Whitman resonate, if the license is allowed: Oh, captain, my captain, rise up to hear the bells, it is for you that the flags are hoisted, it is for you that the trumpets sound…
In addition, it is more than likely that Jim Furyk, colleague-captain of the imminent Presidents Cup, will include him among his six choices, which will be made public within a week. The victory in Colorado has just missed Bradley to get in on his own, but it is obvious that Furyk will want to have him in the locker room, living with many of the players who will defend the stars and stripes in Bethpage in a year’s time.
One stroke behind the winner, in addition to Scott, were also Aberg (-11) and Burns (-11). The young Swede is almost always there, let’s face it, but he still has a hard time letting his hair down when it’s really time to make a difference (his round today was 71 strokes). You can’t have everything and it’s probably just a matter of time. As for Burns, he had signed the card of the day (65) almost two hours before the star match reached the 18th and at that time his accumulated -11 did not seem like a winner… And it wasn’t, but by little, truth be told. It is normal that Furyk also includes him among the six choices for the Presidents and, in passing, he has moved up to ninth place in the FedEx ranking for the final in Atlanta. Magnificent harvest.
Yesterday we announced here the more than likely threat in the final round of two sharks like Schauffele and Clark. Error: they have barely moved or even moved backwards (rounds of 71 and 74 strokes). Neither has Scheffler had his day. Is the season getting long for the Sche-Scha hurricane? The last time we asked ourselves a similar question Scheffler ended up winning the Olympic gold and Schauffele sinking in the same tournament. One of lime and one of sand. Xander spoke yesterday about how he was already seeing himself at times scraping the bottom of the patience tank, that he was very tight in that sense and Scottie has been seen this week more desperate than anything else… Keep an eye on the outsiders in East Lake, although the logical thing is to think that these two guys will be able to give the last push and play themselves the great final victory in the FedEx Cup.
Three players who arrived in Colorado outside the top thirty have made it to the final: Bradley, Scott and Fleetwood. The three who have been left out, having arrived inside are McCarthy, Day and Harman, who starred in the truly dramatic moment, finishing with a double bogey on hole 72 of the tournament that left him just outside, in 31st place.
Where will the adventure of Bradley, the guy used to nobody ever including him in the list of favourites, end? Nobody arrives in Atlanta with more energy. With more euphoria. Oh, captain, my captain, rise up to hear the bells, it is for you that the flags are hoisted, it is for you that the trumpets sound…
