Keegan Bradley says Sony Open runner-up is ‘one of the hardest losses’

HONOLULU – This Sony Open in Hawaii was Keegan Bradley’s to win until it wasn’t.

The feisty New Englander held a share of the 54-hole lead at Waialae Country Club and had the meatiest resume of anybody on the first page of the leaderboard – six PGA TOUR wins, including a major. Bradley hung in without his best stuff, needing a birdie on the reachable par-5 18th hole to win outright. But he couldn’t convert. He missed the fairway off the tee, laid up with his second and hit a so-so wedge to 24 feet. The winning birdie attempt missed on the high side.

Grayson Murray then won with a 38-foot birdie on the first extra hole (having matched Bradley and Byeong Hun An at 17-under 263). Bradley couldn’t convert from 17 feet to extend the playoff, nor could An from 4 feet.

Bradley has experienced plenty of near-misses on TOUR – this marks his 10th runner-up finish. It very likely won’t be his last time in contention. He is too talented and too motivated. He carries a chip on his shoulder that is evident in his purposeful stride, head focused squarely ahead – which broke Sunday for just two glances at the Pacific Ocean as he walked to the par-3 17th green.

Bradley will be back. That didn’t lessen the sting.

“It's tough right now,” Bradley said afterward. “This is one of the hardest losses I've ever had in my career, if not the hardest, because of just how long I fought, hung in there. Playing in the last group with the lead is hard on the TOUR. I've done a really good job of doing that the last couple years.

“Proud of the way I played today, but I just needed a (birdie) four on that 18th one time there. But next time – I'll learn from what happened today. I know I can hang in there with not my best game, and I'm proud of that.”

Bradley, who won twice on TOUR last season but wasn’t selected for the Ryder Cup team, said earlier this week that it took him a dozen years on TOUR to feel confident in this position, contending deep into the weekend. Perhaps in years past he would’ve faded after a shaky start. He played his first eight holes Sunday in 1-over while several chasers ahead were going low (including J.T. Poston, who shot a final-round 61 to finish two strokes outside the playoff).

Yet Bradley, 37, stayed resilient. He made an eagle at the short par-5 ninth, then added birdies at Nos. 12 and 15 to set the stage for his walk-off chance at the 72nd hole. Two groups ahead, An had closed with a two-putt birdie to post the clubhouse lead at 17 under. Murray was moments from a tap-in birdie at the 72nd hole to match An’s score.

The ball was in Bradley’s court, and he couldn’t convert.

“I’m having trouble putting words together,” Bradley said. “I’m pretty bummed out. … It was a great week. I played great. I played good enough to win. But sometimes it’s just not quite good enough.”