CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Keegan Bradley went from a bundle of nerves waiting to see if he would advance to the PGA Tour postseason to a great day of birdies in the high winds for miles on Thursday that resulted in a 6-under 66 and one. -took the lead in the BMW Championship.
Bradley, the newly appointed US Ryder Cup captain, was the last man into the 50-man field at Castle Pines, and he had to work up a sweat on Sunday. He was in his hotel room with the TV on, the FedEx Cup standing on one screen and his phone ringing.
“One of the toughest afternoons of my PGA Tour career,” Bradley said. “It was really brutal. It’s very relaxing to be here. I felt very calm today. But I played really well.”
It shows in a way that can do away with punishment without a moment’s notice. Bradley missed just two fairways and two greens, took advantage of par 5 and made it look easy on the 8,130-yard course, the longest in PGA Tour history.
The opening round was delayed for a little more than three hours due to thunderstorms, a common occurrence on afternoons when The International has been held at Castle Pines during its two decades on the PGA Tour schedule.
Hideki Matsuyama, who won the playoff opener last week, was 5 under when the play was suspended. He came back and hit his way on the 18th to 2 feet. He missed the birdie putt and had to score a 67.
Rory McIlroy had just settled in for a 20-foot par putt on the 18th when he heard the tee-off horn, smiled and marked his ball. Three hours and two putts later, he had a 70.
Adam Scott, one of two players at Castle Pines during a decade-long run on the PGA Tour, made a par-saving putt on the 18th for a 68 and was joined by Sungjae Im, Alex Noren and Corey Conners.
Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele opened with a 69 while playing alongside Scottie Scheffler, who has been working through minor back pain for 71. Scheffler is guaranteed the No. 1 seed at the Tour Championship next week unless Schauffele wins.
It’s all about the numbers at Castle Pines, and that’s not just the math needed to figure out how far the ball goes at 6,300 feet above sea level. The simple math is to take 10% of the yard, easy enough unless the pool guards the front of the green.
Another 30 players will travel to East Lake next week to compete for the $25 million FedEx Cup. The higher the seed, the better the chance.
Bradley had reason to think he could join them with the way he’s playing, even with three rounds to go. The key was securing the BMW Championship, which allows him to organize a program that will put him in the same position as players who aspire to be on the Ryder Cup team.
“I want to be there with the guys on the Ryder Cup team,” he said. “I want to play with them, at their level, in the locker room, in the competition. It was important for me to be in the top 50.”
It was a great start for Noren, who has never been to a Tour Championship and is No. 45 in the FedEx Cup. Ditto for Scott at No.41.
The Australian’s experience at Castle Pines is a little more than that. Scott was a 20-year-old who received a sponsor’s exemption in 2000 to play his first PGA Tour event. He remembered the few holes, the elevation changes, the hard going and the beauty.
“I remember being among all the players I watched throughout my childhood and I felt unprepared, to be completely honest,” he said. “But it gave me motivation to get better and work on my game and make sure I’m ready to be here.”
Scheffler stretched his neck to the side a few times, but on the 17th he appeared to catch his lower back with a long iron heading into the par 5. His last two putts looked good, as did many others. all around. Scheffler said there is nothing to panic about.
“I woke up a little sore this morning. I had trouble loosening it,” he said. “I was working hard all day to get through the ball. On 17, I was trying to hit a high draw, and that was a shot where I had to use a lot of spin, a lot of movement. A little bit but other than that, it’s all good.”
Scheffler had a neck problem at The Players Championship and nearly withdrew midway through the second round. Two days later, he rallied from five points behind to win. And he won the Masters three weeks later.
“He was strong at the Masters, at The Players and he had to work on all those times,” Schauffele said. “I think it’s a bad sign for everyone else.”
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