In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, provides his insights for RG. Elliott breaks down Minjee Lee’s grinding triumph at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Keegan Bradley’s dramatic comeback at the Travelers Championship.
A Week of Triumph and Heartbreak: Major Glory and Hometown Heroes Define Golf’s Latest Chapter
Golf delivered another week of compelling storylines that reminded us why we fall in love with this maddening, beautiful game. From the windswept challenges of Fields Ranch East to the sweltering heat of Connecticut, two tournaments provided vastly different stages for drama that will be remembered long after the trophies were handed out.
The week belonged to champions who seized their moments when everything was on the line, but it also showcased the cruel mathematics of professional golf—where millimeters separate glory from heartbreak and where the difference between winning and losing often comes down to who can handle the pressure when it matters most.
LPGA Tour: When the Wind Howls, Champions Answer
Minjee Lee’s victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship wasn’t just another major win—it was a masterclass in grinding through conditions that would have broken lesser players. Fields Ranch East played like a beast all week, producing scoring averages just over 75—the highest for any LPGA Tour major in over a decade. When the final putts dropped, only three players in the entire field managed to finish under par.
That statistic alone tells you everything you need to know about what Lee accomplished. While others wilted under the pressure of brutal conditions and major championship stakes, the Australian found a way to navigate four days of golf that tested every aspect of her game. Her Sunday 74 might look pedestrian on paper, but in context, it was the round of a champion who understood that sometimes winning isn’t about perfection—it’s about managing imperfection better than everyone else.
Lee’s early stumble—three bogeys in her first six holes—could have derailed her entire week. Instead, it became the foundation for one of the most impressive displays of mental fortitude we’ve seen in recent memory. The birdie on the par-5 ninth, rolling in a tidy two-putt from 45 feet, showed the kind of opportunistic play that separates major champions from the field. Even when she gave it back immediately with a bogey on 10, Lee never lost her composure.
The real championship moment came with those back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15. With Austin Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen both firing 68s and applying maximum pressure, Lee could have played it safe. Instead, she chose aggression at precisely the right moment, essentially slamming the door on any comeback hopes.
What makes this victory even more significant is its place in Lee’s career trajectory. This was Lee’s third major victory—her first since winning the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, adding to her 2021 Amundi Evian Championship triumph. The victory moves her three-quarters of the way to the career grand slam—a feat achieved by only 11 women in golf history. At her age, Lee has time on her side and the game to make that final piece a reality.
Her brother Min Woo’s prediction from earlier in the year—that she would win again soon—proved prophetic. As he said at the Travelers Championship: “It’s nice to be a major and her game is built for the majors. She’s very solid and her mental side is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Mix that in with some good putting and good short game, and yeah, she’s going to win.”
His assessment was validated under the most demanding circumstances imaginable.
PGA TOUR: New England’s Favorite Son Delivers Again
If Lee’s victory was about grinding through adversity, Keegan Bradley’s triumph at the Travelers Championship was pure theater—the kind of comeback that makes you believe in sporting miracles and reminds you why golf remains unpredictable even at its highest level.
Three shots behind with four holes to play, Bradley faced the kind of deficit that typically signals the end of championship hopes. Tommy Fleetwood, still searching for his first PGA Tour victory after 84 regular-tour attempts, looked poised to finally break through. The Englishman had steadied himself after bogeying three of his first four holes and built what seemed like an insurmountable lead.
But golf has a way of humbling assumptions, and Bradley’s response was nothing short of spectacular. The 35-foot birdie putt on 15 wasn’t just a great stroke—it was a declaration that he wasn’t going quietly. When Fleetwood went long on the par-3 16th and chipped downhill some 20 feet past the hole, leading to a bogey, the door cracked open just enough for Bradley to kick it down.
The final hole provided the kind of drama that makes the Travelers Championship special. Bradley’s approach shot, stuffed to just under six feet below the hole, was the shot of a player who understood the moment completely. Meanwhile, Fleetwood’s approach, coming up some 50 feet short, led to three putts for bogey and a crushing 72 that set up the cruel ending that has defined too much of his PGA Tour career.
Bradley’s celebration—keeping his feet planted when the putt dropped, then shaking his fist—captured the emotion of a hometown hero delivering for his people. The chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” that followed weren’t just about patriotism; they were about a Vermont native giving New England something to celebrate in their only PGA Tour stop in the Northeast.
The victory carries extra weight given Bradley’s role as U.S. Ryder Cup captain. His move to ninth in the standings strengthens his case for bringing his clubs to Bethpage Black, and beating Fleetwood—who scored the clinching point for Europe at Marco Simone two years ago—adds a delicious layer of narrative symmetry. This marked Bradley’s second Travelers win in three years and his first title in a Signature Event, worth $3.6 million.
The Agony of Almost
While champions celebrated, this week also reminded us of golf’s capacity for heartbreak. Fleetwood’s near miss at the Travelers was particularly cruel, given his long pursuit of PGA Tour success. To come so close, to play so well for most of the day, only to falter when victory was within reach—it’s the kind of disappointment that can either break a player or fuel future success.
Similarly, Kim and Wannasaen’s excellent final rounds at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship deserved better than runner-up finishes. Their 68s were the rounds of the day, moving them up eight spots on the leaderboard, but they finished their rounds about an hour before Lee and could only watch as their hopes faded.
Russell Henley also deserves mention for his remarkable sportsmanship at the Travelers, calling a one-shot penalty on himself in the second round when only he saw his ball move the length of a dimple—ultimately tying for second alongside Fleetwood.
These near misses are part of golf’s essential cruelty and beauty. They remind us that in a game of millimeters and moments, the difference between triumph and heartbreak often comes down to who can execute when the pressure is highest.
Final Thoughts
As another week of professional golf concludes, we’re left with familiar truths wrapped in new stories. Champions are made not just by talent, but by the ability to perform when everything is on the line. Lee’s grinding victory and Bradley’s dramatic comeback required different skills, but they shared the common thread of rising to meet the moment.
