US PGA Championship / Steven Rawlings / 15 August 2011 /

Keegan Bradley - backed at a high of [650.0] on Betfair - scores an unlikely victory in Georgia, as Jason Dufner gives up a five-shot lead with just four to play...

Just seven days after crumbling in the heat of battle at the Bridgestone Invitational, where he dropped six shots in the last seven holes, Keegan Bradley came back from the dead to storm to victory in his first ever major. A feat only achieved three times in the last 100 years.

Matched at a top price of [650.0] and generally a [200.0] shot before the off, Keegan was matched at [280.0] with just three holes to play!

Having chipped into the water with his second shot on the par 3 15th, where he made a triple-bogey, he looked completely out of the race but he then birdied the 16th and 17th holes, just as Jason Dufner, who had led by five with four to play, started his monumental slide - dropping three shots in-a-row.

The pair then went toe-to-toe over a three play-off holes and Keegan emerged triumphant.

My Bets

I found this a tricky event to trade in and at the end of a tough week I've made a very small loss. And I'm happy enough with that.

I've been frustrated by the lack of statistics in-running and in-particular, the coverage on Sky. Maybe it's because the last event I traded heavily in was the Open Championship, where the coverage was first rate, but I found this week irritating. I assume Sky organise some sort of European package but it drives me bonkers. There's an event being decided and we're watching the likes Ian Poulter battling it out to try and finish in the top - 40!

That's enough blaming outside influences, what about my own ineptitudes.

The biggest mistake of the week was undoubtedly laying off my in-running wager on Jason Dufner. Having backed him at [44.0] on Friday I should have been in clover last night, given he traded at a low of [1.06]. Unfortunately, I didn't quite hang on long enough - I'd layed him back at [21.0] on Saturday! The only upside was that I maintained my opinion that the nerves would eventually kick in last night and I layed him a couple of times at odds on, before backing him back at odds against. Those few trades brought down my losses considerably so I'm not complaining.

My other glaringly obvious mistake was making Brendan Steele the most likely winner with a round to go. I felt, of the leading trio, he was the most likely to hold his nerve. I was very wrong, poor Brendan was sliding from the moment he teed off on the first. Every credit to Sky's newest irritation (sorry pundit), Colin Montgomerie, he confidently announced his fears for Brendan, detailing how he felt he was the most likely of the three leaders to wilt. It would have been nice of him to have to done so before Steele made a complete and utter balls up of the first hole but ho hum.

What have we leant for next year?

One of the problems with major championships, other than the US Masters, is that different venues are used each year. Atlanta Athletic Club was a magnificent venue and I learnt a lot about the place over the week but none of that is really worth detailing here. AAC won't see any action until 2014 when it hosts the US Amateur Championship.

It is worth noting the Bermuda greens though. Lee Westwood looked all at sea on them all week and Bradley's only win on Tour had come on Bermuda. Some love it and some hate it and those that don't encounter it often are really disadvantaged.

I had looked at Keegan before the off, he'd ticked a lot of the boxes I wanted ticking but he'd been so poor last week in-contention and given this was his first major, he was readily dismissed. But let's have a look at those check boxes because they'll be worth remember next year.

The Bridgestone Invitational is now a very strong form line. It's preceded the US PGA Championship since 2006 and every PGA winner since has finished in the top-25 at Firestone (Bradley was tied 14th).

Winning form looks vital. Twelve of the last 13 PGA Champions have now been won by a player who had previously won on either the European or US PGA Tour earlier in the season (Bradley won the Byron Nelson in May).

Length is clearly important. Although different venues are used each year, the set-up is always similar and those that get it out there off the tee do seem to be advantaged (Bradley averages over 300 yards and is ranked 16th for Driving Distance).

So that's it for another year as far as majors go but there's plenty of golf to look forward to and I'll be back on Wednesday morning with my preview for this week's two - the Czech Open and the Wyndham Championship.

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