Rookie Keegan Bradley beat Ryan Palmer in a play-off to score a shock victory in the Byron Nelson Championship
Rookie secures first PGA Tour win with play-off victory in Texas
American Keegan Bradley beat Ryan Palmer in a play-off to score a shock victory in the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas as Sergio Garcia's hopes of a first PGA Tour win since 2008 were blown away.
The 24-year-old rookie posted a two-under 68 - just one of nine under par rounds on the final day - to set the clubhouse target of three-under as 35mph winds played havoc with scores at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving.
But that was later matched by third round leader Palmer after he made a dramatic last chance saloon birdie at the ultra-tough par four 18th.
The duo returned to 18 for the play-off but after both had fanned their tee-shots into the trees down the right, Palmer pulled his second shot into the water and registered a bogey five.
Bradley, who had only just avoided water himself after an ambitious draw around the trees, hit a lovely third from just off the green and then holed from two feet to record his first PGA Tour win.
Dream come true
"I'm so happy. I can't believe this just happened," said a stunned Bradley. "This is just a dream come true. I've been waiting for this my whole life."
Japan's Ryuji Imada was hot favourite when holding a two-shot lead with four to play but he bogeyed 15 and then missed from three feet at 17 after hitting a superb first putt from 73 feet that rode a ridge and turned down towards the cup.
That dropped Imada to three-under alongside Bradley in the clubhouse and third round leader Palmer who made it a three-way tie with a birdie at the par five 16th.
But Palmer also three-putted 17 to drop to two-under while Imada bogeyed the final hole to also fall out of the lead and end his hopes of making a play-off.
That meant Bradley could only be denied by a Palmer birdie at the tough par four 18th and against all the odds he made it after a booming drive, a superb approach and a six foot putt.
Palmer looked set to ride that momentum into the play-off but Bradley, after coming from the practice range, was the one to hold his nerve.
American Joe Ogilvie, who shared the lead with Palmer at the turn, finished tied third alongside Imada while defending champion Jason Day closed with a fine 67 to finish solo fifth.
Garcia, who had started the final round in second place, dropped to tied 20th after a miserable final round 77.
The Spaniard would have climbed into the world's top 50 and qualified for the Open if he had won but from joint leader after 36 holes he had just one birdie in the last two rounds and was 11 over on the weekend.
By conrast, Bradley - the nephew of LPGA Tour great Pat Bradley - booked his ticket to next year's Masters at Augusta with his victory while the consolation for Palmer was that reaching the play-off was good enough to qualify him for the Open at Sandwich.
