Bradley impressed, not intimidated, by Scheffler

MIAMI: While some golfers might enjoy the respite of playing an event without red-hot Scottie Scheffler in the field, Keegan Bradley feels a triumph without the world’s best golfer present would leave something to be desired.

The seemingly invincible Scheffler has four wins and a runners-up finish in his past five starts -- a run that includes a second Masters triumph -- and is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007-08 to have five consecutive top-two finishes.

Bradley, speaking to Reuters ahead of his title defence at the June 20-23 Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, did not expect to see such dominance from Scheffler, a 10-times winner on the PGA Tour, so soon.

“It’s pretty remarkable. I don’t think anybody expected him to be this dominant, this fast,” world number 19 Bradley said in a video call from the Travelers Championship media day at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

“He’s playing tournaments and winning them easily every week and I can’t really say I’ve seen that since like when Tiger was at his peak.” While Scheffler’s absence at a tournament would surely open the door for a number of players, Bradley simply laughed when asked if he was hoping the baby’s due date was the week of his title defence at the Travelers, a PGA Tour signature event with a limited field and $20 million purse.