CROMWELL, Conn. – New England native Keegan Bradley nearly wrote a storybook ending in his own backyard Sunday June 23, but finally fell to Chez Reavie on the 17th hole after shaving five strokes off a six-stroke lead in the 2019 edition of the Travelers Championship.
The Woodstock, Vermont-native who played high school golf in Hopkinton, Mass, sent shock waves throughout the partisan crowd supporting him, as he began his back-nine charge with birdies on No. 10 and 11 and then added more, before double-bogeying 17, while Reavie birdied it to turn his razor-thin one stroke lead into a clinching 4-shot lead heading to No. 18.
Thus, what was seemingly shaping up as another New England championship moment fell short, but the massive and classy crowd at the amphitheater 18th embraced the new champion coming up the fairway and at the green as he made it official.
Bradley’s charge made it easy to see why year-in and year-out the Travelers delivers, as the passionate New England fans turn out in droves especially with Chamber of Commerce weather like this past weekend.
Having one of their own looking to pull off a miracle finish only served to amp up an already fired-up crowd, making for yet another memorable back nine where the huge crowds following this final pair were loud and proud.
This provided a perfect complement to the tournament that has received the “Players Choice” award the past two years, and is well known as one of the best PGA Tours stops for spectators.
Sprinkle in starting with a star-studded Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday featuring the likes of Connecticut legends Ray Allen and Jim Calhoun, combined with Chris Berman, who also emceed the Championship Ceremony on Sunday evening, it was again another five days of fun for New Englanders. The Travelers Championship is the PGA Tour’s only New England stop in 2019.
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