PGA Championship Final Round Fun to Watch

A five shot lead, a double bogey, back to back birdies, a comeback and a collapse all in the last five holes of a major on Sunday. Was it Tiger Woods making the charge? Maybe it was the crowd favorite Phil Mickelson trying to hold on to a lead? Or how about the young superstar Rory McIlroy trying to take home his second major? No. The thrilling finish belonged to Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner. Two guys who have hardly ever seen the spotlight in the golfing world. And with all the major superstars nowhere to be found, this is exactly the kind of finish the PGA Tour needed to stay relevant.

Bradley is a 25 year old rookie on the PGA Tour with only one career win and Dufner is a 34 year old golfer who has never won on the PGA Tour. But on Sunday these two players put on a show. The show displayed brilliant golf as well as big time mistakes which made it great entertainment to watch.

Start with Bradley double bogeying the 15th hole to give Dufner a five shot lead and all but end the tournament. But in reality the tournament was just getting started. Bradley followed up with back to back birdies on 16 and 17 while Dufner bogeyed three straight holes to force a playoff. Bradley’s comeback was miraculous, doing it on the final stretch of the golf course that had been mowing down players all day.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better just look at the three hole playoff where Bradley and Dufner came close to holing there second shots on the par four 16th that had the crowd standing and applauding. Bradley was able to make birdie while Dufner made par. And that was the difference as Bradley, who was competing in his first ever major, brought home the championship. Bradley was also the first American to win a major since 2010 when Mickelson won the Masters.

The final round on Sunday started off as an “I probably won’t watch kind of round” or an “I might flip over and check the scores round” but by the back nine it was a “who is going to survive” and “put down the remote and don’t change the channel” kind of finish. The PGA Tour had to appreciate the finish and are probably hoping for more like these to come with some of the biggest stars in the game struggling. Bradley and Dufner won’t ever come close to the big time TV ratings like a Tiger or a Phil but if you are a true golf fan then you can really appreciate the drama filled golf that was played on Sunday.

(Picture provided by USAToday.com)