CROMWELL, Connecticut – If there was any lingering doubt as to the Travelers Championship being the biggest sporting event in Connecticut, it was emphatically reduced again last weekend when hometown favorite Keegan Bradley rallied to win his second title in three years.
This week, CBS announced an astonishing 3.519 million viewers watched Bradley’s emotional win, a 35 percent increase from last year’s 2.607 million who viewed the playoff victory by No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler over Tom Kim. It became the second-most-watched final round of the tournament in 22 years, and viewership peaked at 5.435 million viewers.
Breaking down the numbers, CBS attracted 2.442 million viewers for Saturday’s third round, the strongest turnout for that segment since 2002. For the entire weekend, the network averaged 2.939 million, reflecting amazing 64 percent jump over 2024. Sunday alone ranked as the third‑highest non‑major broadcast of the year, trailing only The Players Championship (3.6 million) and Heritage Classic (4.362 million).
Bradley captured his second Travelers Championship title (the first being in 2023) when he rallied from three shots down with four holes to play, clinching the victory with a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that edged Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley by a stroke and elicited a raucous roar from the thousands of fans jammed into the amphitheatre surrounding the green. Fleetwood had started the final round with three-stroke lead but bogeyed three of the last four holes, missing an 8-foot par putt at No. 18. It extended Fleetwood’s PGA Tour record of Top-10 finishes without a win to 42.
The victory at TPC River Highlands on Cromwell was accompanied by constant “U-S-A, U-S-A” chants caused by more demand for Bradley to be the first United States Ryder Cup playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. Bradley, who won on the anniversary of being named captain by the PGA of America, had insisted he wouldn’t put himself on the 12-man team unless he was one of the six automatic qualifiers.
After his eighth PGA Tour win and second in 10 months vaulted him to a career-best seventh in the world rankings and ninth in the Ryder Cup points standings, Bradley hedged a bit on his decision criteria.
“My whole life, every year I was out here I wanted to play on the Ryder Cup team,” Bradley said, “and then this would be the first year where maybe I didn’t want to. I just wanted to be the captain and, of course, this is what happens. Whether it’s me on the team, this certainly changes a lot of things. I was never going to play on the team unless I had won a tournament and so that’s changed, but we’ll see.
“Listen, this (win) changes the story a little bit. I never would have thought about playing if I hadn’t won. This definitely opens the door to play. I don’t know if I’m going to do it or not, but I certainly have to take a pretty hard look at what’s best for the team.”
Those thoughts speak volumes about Bradley’s popularity and underscore the reason for the viewership numbers. He will continue his bid for a spot on the team on Thursday in the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
Bradley also gave wife Jillian major credit for his win during a heartfelt press conference, reflecting on what keeps him grounded and sharing a glimpse into their family life.
“(Saturday) night, my 4‑year‑old (Cooper) was throwing up all night. I didn’t know until I woke up (Sunday),” Bradley said. “So she plays a major role in me doing what I do, and she allows me to be the best that I can be out here.”
Bradley called Jillian “the hero of our family,” and her commitment helps Bradley focus on golf.
“You don’t always get that in sports or in business or in life,” he said. “She allows me to be the best that I can be, work on my game, practice as hard as I can, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Keegan and Jillian, who attended Eastern Connecticut State University, got married in 2016 and now have a loving family with sons Logan, 6, and Cooper. The Bradleys were featured in the third season of “Netflix,” and Jillian was behind the scenes offering emotional strength and candid insight into Keegan’s journey.
As Keegan put it in the series, “Jillian is the real champion of our family, she holds us all together.” Jillian previously had revealed her feelings after seeing Keegan win at the Travelers during “Full Swing.”
“To win in front of the New England crowd, in front of both of our families, it was perfect,” Jillian said. “It’s one of those tournaments that we’d go to every year, and I know I just imagined picturing how cool it would be to win here.”
Bradley, a Vermont native, fulfilled her desire again, and in a fitting climax, Travelers chairman and CEO Alan Schnitzer presented miniature replica trophies to Bradley’s sons during the awards ceremony on the 18th green. Then it was announced the tournament had raised a record $4 million for a record 210 charities.
