Keegan Bradley and the 7 Lessons We Learned at the Byron Nelson Championship
When PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley outlasted Ryan Palmer on the first playoff hole of the HP Byron Nelson Championship Sunday, it ended one of the crazier weekends in the history of the tournament.
The tournament, which took place at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas featured a different leader at the end of each day of the tournament, and a multitude of lead changes in between as well. Much of that had to do with the persistently windy weather that kept the pack tight.
Bradley's score of minus-three was the second-highest winning score in the history of the tournament and the highest score by a winner on tour this season. Although many of the tour's top players didn't participate in the tournament, there was certainly plenty of excitement.
Here are seven lessons we learned from the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship.
Dustin Johnson Is Talented, but Can't Finish
1 of 7
Usually Dustin Johnson waits a little longer before his game breaks down, but Johnson essentially knocked himself out of contention during the second round of the Byron Nelson Championship. When the weather was mild in Round 1, Johnson started off hot by shooting a four-under 66.
Things unraveled once the wind picked up over the duration of the tournament, however, as Johnson shot a five-over 75 in the second round, and was never able to recover. Ultimately failing after showing flashes of brilliance has become the rule rather than the exception when it comes to Johnson.
Despite scoring four career victories on the PGA Tour, Johnson has routinely come up small on the grandest stages. Examples include the 2010 PGA Championship when Johnson blew a one-shot lead entering the final hole and the 2010 U.S. Open when Johnson entered the final round with a three-stroke lead, only to shoot an 82.
Johnson is certainly one of the United States' most talented young golfers, but if he doesn't learn to finish what he started, he might earn a “choker” label that he won't be able to shake.
Golf Is Now a Young Man's Game
2 of 7
For people who don't closely follow the sport of golf, it's often misconstrued as a game for old people. While it's definitely true that golfers have a much longer shelf life than other athletes, the strength and athleticism of younger golfers is starting to come to the forefront more and more.
A case in point is the fact that 24-year-old Keegan Bradley scored the victory as a rookie. Also, the defending champion of the Byron Nelson, 23-year-old Aussie Jason Day, came in fifth. When you add the likes of under-30 players such as Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and so many more, it's clear that PGA Tour has a bright future, as well as present.
Perhaps the best thing to happen to these young players was the scandal that rocked Tiger Woods and has clearly affected his psyche. It used to be that you could count on Woods to win a couple majors per year, but with Woods injured and playing poor golf, the youngsters have a better opportunity than ever before.
USA Golf Is on the Upswing
3 of 7
When looking at the final leaderboard for the Byron Nelson Championship, the amount of American flags in the top 10 really jumps out at you. In fact, nine Americans finished inside the top 10, although there were actually 13 golfers who finished in the top 10 due to ties, it's still impressive.
Among the top 10 finishers were Matt Kuchar, Jeff Overton and Nick Watney, all of whom have competed for the United States in international competition. Dustin Johnson and Ricky Barnes also turned in respectable finishes.
Additionally, when you consider golfers like Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and veterans like Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, it's clear that the United States has enough firepower to resist the recent movement of highly-skilled European players on tour.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Bad Weather Makes for Dramatic Finishes
4 of 7
As sloppy as the golf was on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there's no denying that the 25-40 mph winds in Irving, Texas went a long way in making the Byron Nelson Championship both unpredictable and competitive.
From Sergio Garcia faltering in the third and fourth rounds to Ryuji Imada blowing a lead over the last two holes to Ryan Palmer hitting into the water hazard in the playoff, there was no shortage of storylines or drama.
In the end, it came down to whoever made the fewest mistakes would win. That's precisely what happened as Keegan Bradley played a clean final round while other contenders like Imada, Ryan Palmer and Jeff Overton all shot over par.
It's clear that the golf played at the Byron Nelson won't be featured on any highlight tapes, but there was definitely a feeling that anything could happen, and that made it an enjoyable tournament.
Sergio Garcia Is Golf's Biggest Waste of Talent
5 of 7
The Byron Nelson was simply a microcosm of Sergio Garcia's career. In the first two rounds we saw the ultra-talented Garcia, the Garcia who was supposed to win multiple major championships. He was making fantastic shots and seemed extremely confident.
The third and fourth rounds were a completely different story, however. Over the weekend we saw the Garcia who has appeared far too often over the course of his career. This Garcia completely melted down and couldn't sink a putt to save his life. Once one thing went wrong, it snowballed until the wheels came off altogether.
Garcia has had a good career with seven PGA Tour victories, but he was supposed to have a great career. It's become clear that if he hasn't won a major at this point, he probably never will. Unfortunately for Garcia, he'll probably be remembered best for all the talent that he left unrealized.
There's More Parity Than Ever
6 of 7
In a tournament where most of the elite golfers didn't participate, it was to be expected that the competition would be wide open. That was only confirmed by a virtually unknown rookie scoring his first career PGA Tour victory out of nowhere.
With Tiger Woods on the shelf and the lack of an unquestioned No. 1 golfer on tour, there is perhaps more parity in the sport now than there ever has been. Most eras have featured at least one dominant golfer who prevented the growth of parity. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead and Bobby Jones are all examples.
Tiger Woods was the dominant golfer of his era, but with the way he's been playing, he's just a slightly above-average golfer at this point. While it's absolutely possible that Woods will regain his past form, no dominant golfer currently exists. This parity is further bolstered by the fact that there hasn't been a repeat winner over the past 11 major championships.
Although this parity may not be interesting for the fringe followers of golf, this could very well be considered a Golden Age of competitiveness in the eyes of golf purists.
The Tour Needs Tiger
7 of 7
In the sport of golf, whether we like it or not, everything always comes back to Tiger Woods. When Tiger Woods maintained dominance over the sport, golf was possibly at its most popular. With Woods' struggles over the past couple seasons has come a drop in ratings, however.
As unpredictable and interesting as the Byron Nelson might have been for diehard golf fans, it simply didn't have that big tournament feel without Tiger. Of course, he probably wouldn't have played in the tournament had he been healthy, but this rationale goes for any tournament.
As long as Tiger is playing in it, even if he is struggling, the tournament is automatically relevant. If he's in contention on Sunday, then it's even better for the PGA Tour as Woods has the rare ability to captivate golf fans and even people who don't normally give golf a second thought.
Don't get me wrong, it's great that so many young and obscure golfers are getting a chance to excel, it just isn't the same without Tiger. The only way golf will be as popular as it was when Tiger Woods ran rough shot over the competition, is if Tiger Woods finds his game once again.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
