Keegan Bradley says he has a different, more positive view on LIV Golf than many others on the PGA Tour, but was still badly affected by the new tour as he’s seen some of his closest friends in golf leave.
Bradley now finds himself as “one of the older guys out here” leading a more solitary existence after close friends Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale left to join Phil Mickelson’s team in the LIV Golf League.
“Well, it is because a bunch of my friends have gone to LIV recently,” Bradley told the Drop Zone podcast. “Brendan Steele is one of my closest friends in the entire world. He was in my wedding, we play every Tuesday together, every dinner on the road, our families are friends - and then overnight he’s gone.
“The other guy that I used to play golf with and hang with is Cameron Tringale, and he’s gone. They’re on the same team! So it’s certainly been strange in that aspect.
"Because all of a sudden, overnight, I look around and I’m one of the older guys out here. And the younger guys have their own crew and what they do — it’s been strange, especially with Steeley gone. Like, really been strange this last month or so.”
Bradley has no hard feelings towards the players who have joined LIV Golf, and is even a fan of the team format, but decided not to join the exodus as he values playing in the Majors and winning big PGA Tour events more highly.
“I have a much different view than a lot of guys,” Bradley added. “I don’t have any hard feelings to the guys that went [to LIV].
"I’m happy for the guys that went and got a ton of money - I mean, that’s what we’re doing out here. For me, like, I want to win the Players. I want to win Bay Hill, Memorial.
“To be honest with you, I think the setup of how they do it, with the teams and the way they’re all playing, I think it’s brilliant.
“I loved the concept, I thought it was smart. But ultimately, playing in the US Open at Brookline really, like, I can’t miss this. This is too big, this is too important to me.”
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