December 15, 2011
Emerging as golf’s brightest young star,
Keegan Bradley ‘08CPS has been named the 2011 PGA Tour “Rookie
of the Year.”
The announcement caps a history-making season for the St. John’s
University
golf alumnus. In August, Bradley became the first rookie in
eight years — and the third ever — to win the PGA Championship in
his first appearance.
Bradley earned his first PGA Tour victory in May, when he won the
2011 HP Byron Nelson
Championship in Texas. His is the first rookie since Todd
Hamilton (2004) to win two major tour events.
Four other players were nominated for PGA Tour “Rookie of the
Year”: Chris Kirk, Charl Schwartzel, Scott Stalling, Brendan Steel
and Jonathan Vegas.
"I’m thrilled to win rookie of the year for all it means," Bradley
told the Florida Times-Union. "It’s an award that you can only
win one time in your entire career. You get one chance at it, and
it was the main goal of mine to start the year."
The only American golfer to win a major title in 2011, Bradley
leads the 2012
Ryder Cup “points standings” for the American squad. Overall
this season, he totaled four Top 10’s in 29 starts, finishing 20th
on the final FedExCup “points list.”
He narrowly missed a President’s Cup bid.
Bradley maintains a special bond with his alma mater. After winning
the PGA Championship, he said, “I don’t think I’d be here without
St. John’s,” he said. A member of the men’s golf team from 2004 to
2007, he won nine collegiate events and was voted team MVP in his
final year.
The Vermont native majored in
Sport Management at St. John’s. He is the son of PGA
Professional Mark
Bradley and nephew of LPGA luminary and World Golf Hall of Fame
member
Pat Bradley.
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