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Bradley Blasts Off with Birdie‑Birdie Start to Launch Rocket Classic

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By David Derwin | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:08 AM ET

The Rocket Classic is underway at Detroit Golf Club with the full-field event hosting an impressive list of players. Coming off his stunning birdie at the 72nd hole to win the Travelers Championship by one stroke over Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley , all eyes will be on Keegan Bradley this week to see if his hot streak can continue in the Motor City.

Teeing off on the 10th hole with playing partners Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay, Bradley, the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, wasted no time answering that question. Bradley ripped a confident swing off the tee, blasting a 311-yard drive to the right side of the fairway to start his round. Bradley stuck his 117-yard approach shot to just 5 feet, making the putt for birdie.

On the long par-3 11th, Bradley continued the momentum, making a tricky 25-foot right-to-left breaking putt that straightened out near the end for back-to-back birdies to start the tournament. A string of pars followed by two more birdies at the 16th and 18th holes put Bradley at 4-under par for the tournament through nine holes.

There has been much discussion around the eight-time PGA Tour champion playing on the U.S. Ryder Cup team this year at Bethpage Black. He has said he will not use a captain's pick for himself, but has not ruled out playing if he qualifies outright via points. Bradley jumped to ninth place on the Ryder Cup rankings following his win at the Travelers, sitting within striking distance of the top six that automatically earn qualifying spots to play on the U.S. team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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