NEWS

Bradley adds Greenbrier to his schedule

By Doug Smock
Published on

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Greenbrier Classic officials scored another top-50 commitment to the field Thursday, announcing the return of Keegan Bradley to the Old White course.

Bradley, ranked 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking, returns to the Classic field for the fourth time. The 29-year-old Vermont native tied for fourth last July, earning $227,035.

Part of a solid rookie class in 2011, he won two tournaments that year, including the PGA Championship. He hasn't won in the last two-plus seasons, but does have three second-place finishes, a third-place, 16 top-10s and 35 top-25s in that time. Last week, he finished tied for eighth in the Memorial Tournament near Columbus, Ohio.

He played on the American Ryder Cup team in 2012 and 2014, plus the winning President's Cup team in 2013.

Justin Thomas, considered one of the rising stars on the circuit, is playing in the Greenbrier for the second time. He first came in 2012 as an amateur, earning a sponsor exemption as the winner of the Haskins Award, honoring the collegiate player of the year.

Thomas is doing well as a tour rookie, sitting 42nd in the FedExCup point standings. He has five top-10 finishes and 10 in the top 25, and he's one of the longest hitters (17th, 300.9 yard average). One of the top players last year in the Web.com Tour, he has risen from 125th to 85th in the world this season.

This year's Haskins Award winner, Maverick McNealy of Stanford, has committed as expected. He earned six victories in the just-concluded college season, including one by a 10-stroke margin in the Pac-10 championships. His 69.05 stroke average is the second-best recorded in NCAA history.

The Classic received a first-time commitment from Peter Uihlein, a 25-year-old American who plays mostly on the European Tour. He was that tour's rookie of the year in 2013, winning the Madeira Islands Open. This season, he has played two tournaments stateside, finishing fourth in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.

With the addition of Bradley, the Classic has commitments from 10 of the world's top 50, as well as several others from the next 50. The tour's most recent winner, 71st-ranked David Lingmerth, hasn't been announced but he said he will return for the third year in a row.

Tiger Woods, the 14-time major winner trying to regain his form, is expected to play in the Classic, June 29-July 5.

On the preceding Friday, June 26, 152 of the 156-man field will be officially unveiled. The other four will be determined in open qualifying on June 29.

This article was written by Doug Smock from The Charleston Gazette, W.Va. and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.