Glory's Last Hope

Let's just say that these past few years haven't been so easy on us Americans. We're still stuck in two deadly wars, the economy is tanking and there doesn't seem to be any real cohesive plan to fix our numerous problems. In times like these, citizens tend to look for heroes to lift our spirits. While it may not solve our money woes, it at least shows the rest of the world that we've still got it. Unfortunately, we've been failing at that too. Our American women made it all to the way to the World Cup Final against Japan but lost a stunner in penalty kicks. Our NBA players are moving to the other side of the Atlantic while we eagerly wait for some kind of progress in the NBA labor talks. Don't even bother with tennis. Andy Roddick? Please. Even golf, a sport that we have dominated for so long thanks in large part to a Mr. Tiger Woods, is turning towards the Europeans as I type. Can anybody save us from this wretched horror?

Keegan Bradley.

Who?

Keegan Bradley, the 22-year old kid who single-handedly lifted us out of obscurity. So who is this guy? Well even the avid PGA Tour fan knew little about Bradley going into the PGA Championship. He had won at the HP Byron Nelson Championship earlier in the season but his name was still unknown heading into last weekend's final major of the season. Just what did Bradley do? He put on perhaps one of the greatest comebacks in PGA Championship, heck, PGA history. After recording a triple bogey on the water filled treacherous par 3 15th, Keegan stood on the 16th tee down 5 strokes to Jason Dufner who was just approaching the 15th tee box. 5 strokes down with 3 holes to go? The tournament's in the bag right? Wrong. Dufner, a fellow American, made the biggest mistake of his PGA Tour career. He chunked a 5 wood right into the water about 20 yards in front of the hole. When he could have played it safe and likely run away with the Championship, he chose to challenge the pin and it cost him. Oh, did it cost him. Dufner was able to save bogey on the hole but as he was losing a shot, Bradley was hitting a remarkable approach shot to the 16th green. He would drain the birdie putt and a 5 stroke lead was now down to 3. Dufner approached 16 with the same attitude from his previous 69 holes but even he could not predict what would happen next. Dufner's approach shot into the 16th green fell onto the middle of green but a long way from the hole. His birdie putt ran by the hole and he was in danger of bogeying yet again. Just as Dufner was lining up his par putt, Bradley was about to drain a remarkable putt from the center of the green at the par 3 17th, a hole that had been troubling players all day. Bradley sank the birdie putt, Dufner missed the par putt and the players were suddenly just a stroke apart. Bradley approached 18 tee, not knowing the score as Dufner headed to the difficult 17th. Bradley found fairway, Dufner found the center of the green, similar but farther than the spot of Bradley's approach at 17. Bradley found the green with his approach and Dufner again ran his birdie putt past the hole, setting up yet another troublesome par putt. Bradley was able to two putt for par but Dufner was not so lucky. He made the same mistake that he made on the 16th green, 3 putting yet again. The score was tied. Dufner would par the 18th and the two would go to a playoff. After Keegan birdied the 16th yet again on the first playoff hole, it was all but over. Bradley would go on to win the 3-hole aggregate playoff and claim his first major championship in his first season on the PGA Tour.

So why did I bother to tell you all of this? Well, Americans had failed to claim the previous six major championships dating back to Phil Mickelson's triumph at last year's Masters. All hope seemed to be lost. Tiger was still not himself and European domination seemed sure to captivate the final major of the season. You know, the PGA Championship is frequently referred to as "Glory's Last Shot", primarily because it is a player's last chance to claim a major for the season. But this year's PGA Championship had greater importance. America needed a pick me up. America needed someone to help them claim it's last shot at glory. Looking forward, is Keegan Bradley "Glory's Last Hope?" I think it's safe to say he's "Glory's Next Shot." Preposterous? Maybe. But he may be our best hope. The remedy for our great nation of America.