Tommy Fleetwood vs. Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship Had Big Ryder Cup Energy originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A lot was on the line on Sunday at the Travelers Championship. Tommy Fleetwood was chasing his first PGA Tour title after 41 career top ten finishes without a win. Keegan Bradley was looking for a win and the signature event points that come along with it, which would inch him closer to qualifying outright to play on his own Ryder Cup team this September at Bethpage Black. He would become the first playing Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer last held that role in 1963.
These two storylines collided in dramatic fashion as the 34 year-old European Ryder Cup veteran and 39 year-old American Ryder Cup Captain teed off together in the final group on Sunday at the Travelers Championship. What started off as the final round of a stroke play tournament quickly started to feel like match play between Fleetwood and Bradley, as noted by commentators during the CBS broadcast of the tournament, especially as the final group made their way down the finishing holes.
“Mini Ryder Cup moment right now,” explained golf commentator, Frank Nobilo, as chants of “U.S.A! U.S.A!” erupted from the crowd on the 16th hole following Bradley’s tee shot and continued while Fleetwood was getting ready to hit.
“Tommy’s experienced that a lot,” Nobilo continued, referring to chants from the opposing team during Ryder Cup matches.
CBS golf commentator Trevor Immelman even suggested the “U.S.A.” chants might help Fleetwood, calling out how the Europeans have such a great record at the Ryder Cup and are able to use a fired up crowd to help focus on the shot at hand.
The match play moments continued through the 72nd hole, where Bradley was one down with one to play, in match play terms, and delivered a devastating blow to Fleetwood with a clutch birdie, making his putt on top of Fleetwood’s missed putt on the exact same line.
One thing is for certain, though. If the 2025 Ryder Cup is anything like the exchange between Bradley and Fleetwood in the final round of the Travelers Championship, we’re in for a wild ride at Bethpage Black come September.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
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