Keegan Hansen Bradley Bio
Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won eight PGA Tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship, which he captured in his first-ever major appearance. Bradley was named the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and has briefly featured in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking. He is also a distinguished international team representative, and in 2025 he captained Team USA at the Ryder Cup.
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, Bradley has built a career defined by steady ball-striking, resilience in high-pressure moments, and a willingness to learn from older players. He currently resides in Jupiter, Florida, with his wife, Jillian Stacey Bradley.
Early Life and Background
Keegan Hansen Bradley was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and grew up in a family with deep roots in golf. He is the eldest child of Mark Bradley, the head professional at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club in Wyoming. Bradley’s aunt is former LPGA player and World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley, whom he has described as an inspiration. As a child, he attended some of her tournaments, and his other aunt, Peggy, is a seven-time Women’s Club Champion at York Golf and Tennis Club in York, Maine.
Bradley was an all-state ski racer in Vermont as a young athlete. As a teenager, however, he chose to pursue golf over skiing, a decision that shaped the rest of his life. He lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 2001 and 2002, when his father served as an assistant professional at Portsmouth Country Club. The family later moved to Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where Bradley attended Hopkinton High School and won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 2 individual state championship in 2004.
Despite his high school success, Bradley did not attract heavy attention from top college recruiters. He went on to attend St. John’s University, where he won nine collegiate events before graduating in 2008. His college career laid the foundation for a smooth transition into the professional ranks.
Path to Professional Golf
Bradley turned professional in 2008 and began playing on the NGA Hooters Tour, where he won the Southern Dunes event in just his fifth and final start of the year. The following season, he captured a second Hooters Tour title at the Texas Honing Open, made 22 cuts in 26 events, and earned roughly $84,000. He also played two Nationwide Tour events in 2009, making the cut in both.
Bradley’s first attempt to earn a PGA Tour card through qualifying school ended two strokes short of the required mark. Undeterred, he shifted his focus to the Nationwide Tour in 2010, where four consecutive top-five finishes late in the season lifted him to 14th on the money list and secured his PGA Tour card for 2011. That breakthrough set the stage for one of the most memorable rookie seasons in recent PGA Tour history.
Keegan Hansen Bradley Career
Early Career (2008-2010)
Bradley’s earliest professional years were spent splitting time between the NGA Hooters Tour and the Nationwide Tour. His first professional victory came at Southern Dunes in 2008, and he added a second Hooters Tour title in 2009. Those results, combined with consistent play in 2010, helped him earn his PGA Tour card and begin competing at the game’s highest level.
2011: PGA Rookie Season and First Major Win
Bradley made the cut in his first PGA Tour start at the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii and quickly piled up top finishes, including a tie for seventh at the Bob Hope Classic and a top-ten result at the Valero Texas Open. In May 2011, he captured his first PGA Tour title at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, defeating Ryan Palmer on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The win earned him a spot in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he shared the 36-hole lead and finished tied for 15th.
The week after that WGC event, Bradley played in his first major championship, the 2011 PGA Championship. A second-round 64 put him in a share of the halfway lead, and he entered the final round within one shot of the lead. A triple bogey on the 15th hole appeared to end his chances, but back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17, combined with three late bogeys from Jason Dufner, forced a three-hole playoff. Bradley won the playoff with a birdie and two pars, becoming only the third player, after Francis Ouimet in 1913 and Ben Curtis in 2003, to win a major in his first attempt. He was also the first golfer to win a major using a long putter. The victory vaulted him from 108th to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he was later named the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
2012-2014: Consistent Contention and International Debuts
Bradley opened 2012 with nine consecutive top-25 finishes before struggling mid-season. He contended at the Northern Trust Open, where he and Phil Mickelson each made long birdie putts on the 72nd hole to force a three-man playoff ultimately won by Bill Haas. Bradley then captured his third PGA Tour title at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, rallying from four shots back to beat Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker by a stroke. That win made him the 11th player to capture both a major and a World Golf Championship, and it lifted him to a career-high ranking of 12th the following week after a tie for third at the 2012 PGA Championship. He finished 10th on the PGA Tour money list and made his Ryder Cup debut later that year.
In 2013, Bradley recorded two runner-up finishes, including a final-round loss to Sang-Moon Bae at the HP Byron Nelson Championship and a seven-shot defeat to Tiger Woods at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He finished 11th on the money list and helped the United States win the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village. In 2014, he was the runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finished 28th on the money list before being selected as a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup in Scotland.
2015-2019: Setbacks and Steady Recovery
The 2015 season was Bradley’s weakest on tour, with just three top-ten finishes and a 64th-place money-list ranking. The following two years brought limited success, as he finished 114th and 51st on the money list in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In 2018, however, he won the BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup Playoffs event, and finished eighth in the season-long FedEx Cup standings. A tie for second at the 2019 Travelers Championship underscored his steady return to form.
2022-2025: Renewed Success and Ryder Cup Captaincy
In October 2022, Bradley won the Zozo Championship for his fifth PGA Tour title and his first since the 2018 BMW Championship. In June 2023, he captured the Travelers Championship with a tournament-record 23-under 257, his sixth PGA Tour victory. In August 2024, he won the BMW Championship for the second time, becoming the first Ryder Cup captain to win a PGA Tour event since Davis Love III in 2015.
Bradley continued his strong play in 2025, winning the Travelers Championship for the second time in three years. He rallied from three shots behind with four holes to play and birdied the 18th to win by one stroke over Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley. In November 2025, he won the Skins Game, claiming 11 skins worth $2.1 million. That same year, he served as captain of the United States team at the Ryder Cup.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bradley’s most defining moment remains his 2011 PGA Championship victory, where his late-round birdies and steady playoff performance made him only the third player to win a major on debut. He is also the first golfer to win a major with a long putter and the first Ryder Cup captain to win a PGA Tour event since Davis Love III in 2015. In 2025, he further cemented his legacy by winning the Skins Game, taking home 11 skins worth $2.1 million.
Keegan Hansen Bradley Career Wins
Bradley has won eight PGA Tour events, beginning with the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship and most recently the 2025 Travelers Championship. His breakthrough major title at the 2011 PGA Championship stands as the cornerstone of his career, and he has added signature wins at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the 2018 and 2024 BMW Championships, the 2022 Zozo Championship, and the 2023 and 2025 Travelers Championships.
PGA Tour Highlights
Bradley’s first PGA Tour win came at the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship, where he defeated Ryan Palmer in a sudden-death playoff. His most recent victory at the 2025 Travelers Championship showcased his trademark closing ability, as he birdied the 18th to win by one stroke. He has also won the BMW Championship twice, in 2018 and 2024, with the second victory coming in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his PGA Tour titles, Bradley captured one NGA Hooters Tour event at Southern Dunes in 2008. He has represented the United States in the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup, and other international team competitions, contributing to a winning Presidents Cup team in 2013.
Keegan Hansen Bradley Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Golf runs deep in Bradley’s family. His father, Mark Bradley, is the head professional at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club in Wyoming, and Bradley’s aunt, Pat Bradley, is a World Golf Hall of Fame member and former LPGA star. He has credited Pat with inspiring his career, recalling that he attended some of her tournaments as a child. His other aunt, Peggy, is a seven-time Women’s Club Champion at York Golf and Tennis Club in Maine.
Personal Life
Bradley is married to Jillian Stacey Bradley, and the couple lives in Jupiter, Florida. He is a fan of Boston’s major professional sports teams, including the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, and Bruins, and has said his dream golf foursome would include his father, Ben Hogan, and Tom Brady. He considers Phil Mickelson a mentor and credits him with helping him win the 2011 PGA Championship.
2025 Season Performance
Bradley’s 2025 campaign was defined by his second Travelers Championship title in three years. Trailing by three shots with four holes to play, he closed with a birdie on the 18th to win by one stroke over Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley. The win reinforced his reputation as one of the tour’s strongest closers and added to a resurgent stretch that began with the 2024 BMW Championship.
Beyond individual play, 2025 marked Bradley’s debut as United States captain at the Ryder Cup, a role that placed him at the center of the year’s biggest team event. He balanced captaincy duties with his competitive schedule, an unusual but successful dual role. He capped the year by winning the Skins Game, taking 11 skins worth $2.1 million, one of the largest single-event paydays of his career.