As newly minted PGA champ Keegan Bradley prepared to tee off in his first FedEx Cup event Thursday at The Barclays, the New England native was thrilled to learn he would play the first two rounds with mentor and huge Bradley booster, Phil Mickelson.
“It’s an honor to play with Phil any time, but to be paired with him because of how he played is even cooler,” Bradley, from Hopkinton, Mass., by way of Woodstock, Vt., told reporters Tuesday. “That’s a great sign for anybody to be paired with Phil.”
PGA Tour officials base playoff tee times on FedEx Cup points. Bradley begins the week fifth in the FedEx Cup standings; Mickelson is sixth; and Luke Donald, the third member of the marquee group and No. 1 in the world, is fourth.
Mickelson returned Bradley’s praise and then some. He let it be known that, in addition to walking The Barclays fairways at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J., with Bradley, the big southpaw hoped to have him as a U.S. Presidents Cup teammate. During a Wednesday press conference, Mickelson made a point of urging U.S. captain Fred Couples to make Bradley a wild card pick if he somehow did not make the squad on merit.
Bradley entered the first of four FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 18 in Presidents Cup points, which players accumulate over two years based on their earnings from the 2009 Wyndham Championship through the 2011 BMW Championship in three weeks. A tour rookie with two wins, Bradley has earned all of his points this season, an issue not lost on Mickelson.
“Last year, he was not on the PGA TOUR; this is his first year.” Mickelson told reporters. “He’s had arguably the best year for any U.S. player. I think he needs to be a pick if he doesn’t get on it on his own.”
Mickelson went out of his way to praise the Byron Nelson Championship titleholder, with whom he’ll play for the first time when it counts. He and Bradley got in a practice round at the Players Championship in May.
“You could tell right away that this guy’s got a lot of game,” Mickelson said. “There’s no substitute for speed, and he’s got a lot of clubhead speed.”
The maestro of the short game, Mickelson noted Bradley’s “incredible touch on the green.
“I mean, he putts really, really well,” Mickelson said. “And he’s got great short game, good hand action, great short irons but really hits the ball a long ways if he has to.”
Mickelson also paid tribute to Bradley’s go-for-broke mindset — something that the guy who’s earned the nickname, “Phil the Thrill,” would know a little something about.
“He doesn’t back down to anybody,” Mickelson said. “I think that just is a sign of a great character player, a guy that’s going to have a successful career. And then he went on to win two times now with the major championship at the PGA. I think he’s going to be an impressive player.”
As for Bradley’s controversial belly putter — Mickelson believes there’s no reason to ban them and may, in fact, add the long stick to his bag at some time in the future.
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Mickelson said of switching to the big bat. “I’ve grabbed one off the rack and just hit one with it, sure. I don’t see very many left-handed but I’ll grab one when I see it and just take a few practice strokes.”
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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