Philadelphia, PA – PGA OF AMERICA - PGA CHAMPIONSHIP, The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina -- The season's final major is upon us and the defending champion is coming off a victory last week.
Keegan Bradley fended off Jason Dufner in a playoff last year at Atlanta Athletic Club for his first major championship and second PGA Tour win.
Bradley fired a 64 on Sunday and won the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational when Jim Furyk missed a 5-foot bogey putt. The win was Bradley's first since last year's PGA.
Last year, Bradley and Dufner were close throughout all four rounds. Anders Hansen moved into the mix with a 66 in the final round, but he missed the playoff by a shot.
In the extra session last year, the duo played the final three holes (16, 17 and 18). Bradley birdied the 16th to move one ahead. Dufner fell two back as he bogeyed the 17th. Dufner managed to birdie the 18th, but Bradley calmly 2- putted for par and the victory.
Prior to his win on Sunday, Bradley hadn't had a top-10 finish since the Houston Open, which ended on April 1.
In the year's first three majors, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson and Ernie Els were the victors.
Watson downed former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff at the Masters. Simpson came from behind with a final-round 68 to win the U.S. Open. Els closed with back-to-back 68s and benefited from Adam Scott closing with four consecutive bogeys.
The Ocean Course has never hosted a major championship. It is best known for the 1991 Ryder Cup, which was nicknamed, the "War at the Shore."
TNT has extensive coverage on Thursday and Friday, then early coverage Saturday and Sunday before CBS takes over.
The PGA Tour heads to North Carolina next week for the Wyndham Championship, where Simpson won by three shots last year.
LPGA TOUR
JAMIE FARR TOLEDO CLASSIC, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio -- The Jamie Farr Toledo Classic returns to the schedule for the first time since 2010.
Na Yeon Choi, the reigning U.S. Women's Open champion, birdied the second playoff hole two years ago to earn her third LPGA Tour title as she beat Christina Kim, I.K. Kim and Song-Hee Kim, none of whom are related.
Choi, now ranked third in the world, closed with a 73, but still cruised to a 4-shot win at this year's U.S. Women's Open.
Choi will be the only reigning major champion in the field this week. She is one of six players ranked in the top 10 in the world that are playing at Highland Meadows.
There is no television this week.
The LPGA Tour heads to Oregon next week for the Safeway Classic. Suzann Pettersen closed with a 64, then parred the first playoff hole to beat Choi last year.
WEB.COM TOUR
PRICE CUTTER CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Missouri -- He's done it twice, can he do it again this week?
Ben Kohles has won the last two Nationwide Tour events, making him the first person to ever win his first two tour starts.
Kohles closed with a 62 on Sunday to beat Dawie Van Der Walt by three. Van Der Walt fired a 11-under 60 in the final round and had putts for 59 on 17 and 18, but failed to convert.
That duo and the rest of the field will battle defending champion Steve Friesen for the title. Friesen cruised to a 5-shot win last year as he fired four rounds in the 60s.
However, he has struggled mightily this year with eight missed cuts and just one top-30 finish.
There is no television this week.
The tour remains in the nation's heartland next week for the Midwest Classic. James Nitties carded three 65s to go with a 63 last year as he won by five shots over a pair of players.
USGA
U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR, The Country Club, Cleveland, Ohio -- Danielle Kang, who won this title the last two years, has turned pro, but there will be plenty of talent in the field this week.
Ten of the top 15 female amateurs in the world will be at the Country Club this week to fight for this crown.
The field also includes Latanna Stone, who qualified for the championship at the age of 10. She is the third-youngest qualifier in USGA history. The field itself is young as the 156-player field averages 20.4 year of age.
Ariya Jutanugarn, the second-ranked amateur in the world, won last year's U.S. Girls Junior and is one of eight USGA Champions competing this week.
Golf Channel has coverage of the match play rounds from Wednesday until Saturday's 36-hole final.
The next USGA event is next week as the U.S. Amateur kicks off at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado.
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