U.S. Ryder Cup captain Bradley wins Travelers; Lee, Jimenez claim major titles

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CROMWELL, Conn. — Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley rallied from three shots behind with four holes to play and birdied the 18th hole before a delirious home crowd Sunday for a 2-under 68 to win the Travelers Championship.

The victory only strengthened the case for Bradley to bring his clubs to Bethpage Black for the September matches against Europe. He moved to No. 9 in the standings.

And he wound up beating Tommy Fleetwood, who scored the clinching point for Europe at Marco Simone two years ago.

One shot behind Fleetwood going to the 18th hole, Bradley stuffed his approach to just under 6 feet below the hole. Fleetwood, looking like this might be the time he wins a PGA Tour title, came up some 50 feet short and took three putts for bogey and a 72.

Bradley kept his feet planted when the putt dropped and shook his fist. New England’s favourite son delivered a stunner at the TPC River Highlands, capping off the finish in oppressive heat with a 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th and the 6-footer at the end.

It was crushing for Fleetwood, the 34-year-old from England who has built a reputable record around the world but is 0-for-84 in regular PGA Tour events.

Russell Henley chipped in from across the 18th green for birdie and a 69 to join Fleetwood one shot behind. Henley called a one-shot penalty on himself in the second round when he saw his golf ball move the length of a dimple as he was playing a chip.

Bradley finished at 15-under 265 and won $3.6 million for his first title in a signature event. He also won the BMW Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event, last August at Cherry Hills outside Denver.

LPGA Tour

Minjee Lee closed with a 2-over 74 but never gave up the lead in the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas, to win her third major title.

While Lee had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine, she had started the day with a four-stroke lead over Jeeno Thitikul. And the world’s No. 2-ranked player, also in that final group, bogeyed both par 5s that are among the first three holes on Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

Lee, ranked 24th, finished at 4-under 284, three strokes ahead of Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen, the only other players under par.

Kim and Wannasaen both shot 68 to match the best rounds of the day, and the tournament, after only two 68s combined the first three rounds.

With a record $12-million purse that was up from $10.4 million a year ago and matched the U.S. Women’s Open for the most prize money, Lee took home $1.8 million. That matches the $1.8 million Lee got for her four-stroke win in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open.

The 29-year-old Australian, who lives in nearby Irving, Texas, got her 11th career win. It was her first this season, making it 16 players to win 16 LPGA tournaments this year.

PGA Tour Champions

Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Kaulig Companies Championship in Akron, Ohio, for his fourth PGA Tour Champions victory of the season, rallying to force a playoff and beating Steven Alker with a 20-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole.

Two strokes down after playing partner Alker birdied the par-5 16th, Jimenez made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th and an 18-footer on the par-4 18th.

Tied for the lead entering the round at Firestone South, the 61-year-old Jimenez and 53-year-old Alker each shot 2-under 68 to finish at 10-under 270. Stewart Cink was third at 8 under after a 66.

Jimenez won his third major title after taking the Regions Tradition and the Senior British Open — both in 2018 — and earned a spot next year in The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass. The Spanish star has 17 career victories on the 50-and-over tour.

The U.S. Senior Open begins Thursday at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

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