BMW Championship 2018: Keegan Bradley outlasts Justin Rose for first win in six years

Bradley's four on the first play-off was enough to see off Rose and claim a first victory since 2012

Bradley won for the first time in six years (Getty Images)

After having to wait so long it felt fitting that Keegan Bradley should wait that little bit longer. Six years on from his last win on the PGA Tour the 32-year-old was made to wait through a Monday finish and a play-off before finally outlasting a star-studded field to claim victory at the BMW Championship.

It also seemed fitting that those hardy souls on the outside of the ropes looking in, made to brave the all-too-changeable conditions for a fifth day here at the Aronimink Golf Club, were treated to a fine final round for their troubles.

After a week where this small corner of Pennsylvania has been subjected to conditions from the sweltering to the stormy and everything in between there were real fears this one may be cut short after Sunday’s washout. But despite yet more rainfall overnight – nearly an inch – the heavens mercifully relented enough to give us a golf tournament and leave behind a golf course ready to be attacked. And the best 70 golfers in the world duly obliged.

Scoring was again relentlessly low with Bradley attacking from the get go with birdies at one, five and six. Further birdies, including a 30-footer at eight, saw him turn in 31. And while others saw their challenges fade as the weather closed in once more coming home a birdie on the reachable par-five 16th and a beauty on the fiendish 17th extended his advantage. With the finish line in sight it wouldn't so simple, however, with a par four needed to surely seal it a wayward drive and an even more wild second saw him drop a shot and open the door.

But on a cloudy day it appears the golfing gods were smiling down on the Vermontian, as Justin Rose, the leader after 54 holes, flunked his own shot at glory on the same hole to force the 72-hole tournament into one more. And it was the Englishman who blinked first, missing from inside five feet to hand Bradley a first win since the 2012 WGC Bridgestone Invitational.

Bradley held his nerve (Getty Images)

“This is just incredible,” he said afterwards. “This has been a hard road back. I just can’t believe it, it’s so great. It took a lot of hard work. A lot of people helped me. I don’t really know what to say, I’m just so happy.

“I felt so calm today. It was really, really kind of strange because I don't normally look at leaderboards, but I looked all day, and I felt so solid. It feels so good. It's so gratifying to get what comes with hard work. Sometimes you never even get it. To be back here and win this tournament is just incredible.”

Rose fell at the final hurdle (Getty Images)

It could’ve been so different too. Tiger Woods, yes, the man the throngs all came to see in his Sunday red, threatened to end his own drought and four birdies through nine including a chip in at the sixth suggested he may actually do it. But one too many bogeys coming home ended his chances. He’ll go again.

Billy Horschel, the hottest man on the course on the front nine with his red-hot blade throwing him into a share of the lead, was in the mix for the duration too but a costly bogey at 15 proved ultimately fatal. Rory McIlroy, just a shot shy overnight, never got going as too many putts burned edges as he ended with a 68 for -18, two behind Bradley's winning mark.

It wasn’t all bad news for Rose, who will now become the world’s No 1 player for the first time in his career after second-place here, but it was Bradley’s time. He’s waited long enough.