Bradley Comes Up Clutch At BMW, Ko rallies for Women's Open Title | The Sunday Swing

The Sunday Swing
August 25th, 2024

Welcome back to another edition of the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week in the world of professional golf the FedEx Cup playoffs continued from Colorado with the BMW Championship, and the ladies played their final major championship of the season- the AIG Women’s Open from the Old Course at St. Andrews. 

BMW Championship - Tournament History 

The BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament that is currently the 2nd leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. It has been an annual event on the PGA Tour since 2007 and this year marks the 12th different host venue – Castle Pines Golf Club. The tournament features a field of the top 50 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings, and it is known for its challenging courses and competitive atmosphere. This prestigious event has been held at various top golf courses around the United States, and it has a rich history of showcasing the best talent in the game. 

After last week’s top-50 cutoff, 2025 Team USA Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was the last man into the field for this week, and would need a big week to advance to the Tour Championship. The BMW Championship does a great job showing the tournament within the tournament, in which players are vying for their spot on the top-30 to move on. The previous five winners of this event are as follows: 

2024 - Keegan Bradley (-12)
2023 - Viktor Hovland (-17)
2022 - Patrick Cantlay (-14)
2021 - Patrick Cantlay (-27)
2020 - Jon Rahm (-4) 

The Big Swing 

This week the big swing belongs to the bubble boy Keegan Bradley. Before last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, Bradley was kept off the team despite a strong season that positioned him within the top-12 in terms of the team standings. Captain Zach Johnson made some controversial picks that ultimately kept Bradley out, while players like Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler were selected despite both being ranked below Bradley in the team standings. The hit Netflix series “Full Swing” showed the emotional moment where Bradley got the call and the bad news, and it’s clear representing the United States means a lot to him. Earlier this summer, Bradley was selected as the next Team USA captain for the 2025 event. Perhaps he could be a playing captain?

Bradley entered this week as the 50th man in a 50-player field and needed to have a great week if he was to advance to East Lake. He started off strongly, posting rounds of 66 and 68 to send a message to the field that he was a force to be reckoned with. But it was 44-year-old Adam Scott setting the pace at 13-under thanks to a course-record round of 63 on Friday afternoon. Swedish phenom Ludvig Aberg matched Scott’s 63 to put himself in the top 5.

On Saturday, Bradley kept moving in the right direction. Despite making six bogeys, he was able to shoot a 2-under par 70 thanks to his eight birdies, including the final two holes. Scott got off to a rough start that included two bogeys and a double bogey in his first four holes, but was able to grind out a round of two-over to stay in the mix. For Bradley, it was enough to regain the lead by one at 12-under over Scott, while Swedes Ludvig Aberg and Alex Noren were both just two back at 10-under. 

On Sunday the chase was on for those who trailed Bradley and those who sat outside the top-30 bubble. Scott made the first move, canning a 40-foot eagle putt on the first hole to pull even with Bradley. The pair stayed tied through the first nine holes, Scott’s round took a turn in the wrong direction on the back nine. The Aussie made bogeys at 10, 11, and 12, while Bradley made par on all three. 

Meanwhile, Sam Burns was having himself a day at 5-under through 14 and had pulled within a couple of shots of Bradley. Burns would make two more birdies at 16 & 17 to get to 7-under. After a par on the 18th he would card 65 and post 11-under in the clubhouse as the number to beat. 

Bradley stood on the 18th hole with a two-shot lead over Burns, Aberg, and Scott. He was able to hit the fairway and leave himself some 40 feet away, just off the green, and get the ball in the hole in three more shots to make bogey and win the tournament. It’s Bradley’s seventh career PGA Tour win and it vaults him to fourth in the FedEx Cup Standings entering the Tour Championship, trailing only Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler.

Winner’s Bag - Keegan Bradley 

Even though Keegan Bradley is a Cleveland/Srixon staffer, his bag is one of the most unique on Tour and features a wide variety of equipment and brands. Starting at the top, Keegan plays the Ping G430 LST Driver (10.5 degrees). He carries one fairway wood, a Taylormade Qi10 4-wood (16.5 degrees). Keegan also plays a Callaway Apex Utility Wood (19 degrees), one of the more popular clubs out there for players who elect not to play a hybrid or utility iron. His irons are a Srixon combo set, with the 3-5 iron being the Srixon ZX5 MK II and the 6-PW being the ZX7 MK II. Bradley only carries two wedges, both of which are Cleveland RTX ZipCore (52 & 58 degrees). On the greens, Bradley still plays the Odyssey Versa Jailbird. 

In the World of Women’s Golf 

This week the ladies best gathered at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland for the AIG Women’s Open. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko won a gold medal in Paris just a couple of weeks ago, and now she arrives in Scotland with newfound confidence. The 27-year-old future hall of famer has done virtually everything you can do as a professional golfer, having won two majors and a gold medal before turning 30. One thing she hasn’t done is win at the home of golf – St. Andrews. 

The Old Course provided a fantastic tournament as it always does, and as usual, wind and rain were a factor. Players faced blustery and cold conditions all week long, making it a mental and physical battle. Ko also had to chase down world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who looked like she was going to run away with it after 36 holes. Korda opened with back-to-back 68s to open a big lead. That lead faded some on Saturday however after shooting a 3-over 75. Meanwhile, Ko kept her steady play going, following up her 71-70 start with another 71. Lilia Vu was also playing well at another major, and she grabbed the lead after a Saturday 71 moved her to 6-under for the championship. 

On Sunday, Korda made a charge back to the top of the leaderboard after getting to 3-under through 10 and 8-under for the championship. Unfortunately, her round was derailed by a double bogey at the par-5 14th. She would then make another bogey at the 17th and drop back to 5-under par. Despite starting the day three shots back, Ko had managed to claw her way to the top thanks to consistent play and minimal mistakes. A birdie on the 18th had Lydia Ko in the clubhouse with the lead at 6-under, with the final pairings yet to finish. After Lilia Vu left her birdie putt short on 18, Ko was crowned a champion again. The victory marks her third major title, and her 21st on the LPGA Tour.