THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the 2023 winner of the Travelers Championship, Keegan Bradley, to the interview room. Keegan, some great memories last year. What's it like to be back in Cromwell?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: It's great. I have great memories of here throughout my whole entire life, so it's fun to come back as a winner of the tournament, but I can think of when I was a 12-, 13-year-old kid coming here to watch David Duval play. And then now getting to come as defending champion is pretty cool.
THE MODERATOR: Awesome. And then you've been out to see the course, a few changes made, anything you like?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I think the course is going to play pretty tough. The rough is really deep. Then there's some really, really deep fescue areas on, especially on the front that you can hit into.
THE MODERATOR: With that we'll open it up to questions.
Q. Where would you assess kind of the state of your game, its ebbs and flows throughout the year, but a couple runner-up finishes, coming in this event how do you feel?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I mean, there's -- it's been a weird season of a couple chances to win, and then I had a -- the Florida swing wasn't very good. Then I played very well, in the last like couple months I felt really strong. I played especially well at the PGA. I didn't have the greatest finish, but I really feel -- I haven't putted the way I putted last year and I'm starting to putt a lot better. Sometimes coming to a course like this that you've had some success at is just what you need to maybe hopefully contend.
Q. Scottie was in here earlier said he declined to sign a Celtic's fan hat today.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to either if I was a Dallas fan.
Q. Feels like all the good vibes coming back to you with the Celts and obviously winning here.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, it does. I was -- it's so fun for me to watch Boston sports, but then to watch it with my family and my kids -- now my oldest son, Logan, was into it, and it was really fun to watch him watch the Celtics win. Then here, stuff that Jaylen Brown said and Jayson Tatum, and we all in sports can make things into such a big deal, and to hear them say they took a step back this year and sort of let the game come to them, it was fun to hear what they had to say.
Q. Last year you started out this tournament 62, 63, 64. You mentioned that the rough is up and there's been some changes to the golf course. Would you still anticipate this would be a course that, given it's 6,800 yards and change, that you guys are going to still take pretty well and shoot low scores on?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Definitely. I think so. I think that that's great. I think that so often now in golf and in tournaments they're making courses so difficult and it's every week doesn't have to be like that. That's what make Travelers so fun to come play and so fun to watch, I think. Certainly it's going to be tougher than last year I would say with the rough being up and some of the changes, but I think it's great to come hear and know when you tee it up on the first hole you got to make birdies.
Q. Given the sentimental ties you have to this event and this area, have you had a chance to re-watch last year and just to kind of reflect on what that means for you and your family?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I mean, I, we -- we watched the last -- so I can watch up until about 13 or 14, and then I started whacking balls in the water and making bogeys, so we fast forwarded through that part. Then I watched -- we got to watch coming up 18, and I really, what Jim Nantz said on the 18th hole meant so much to me and my family. When he said, New England's very own -- I got home after I played Detroit the week after and my wife had made up this big picture with that quote on it, we have it in our house which is just north of Boston. And I've told this to him personally, but what he said meant so much to me. And this tournament really, it means a lot to me before I had won. I mean, like I say every week, this is a very important tournament to the northeast and New England golfers. And a kid like me, this is the only chance I would get to come up here and watch professional golfers play. So this is an important week for the game of golf in this area.
Q. Besides this being the only New England tournament what stands out to you, whether it's about the tournament, whether it's the player experience, family experience, and so on?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Well, I think the Travelers, what they have done from my first year here in 2011 so where we are now is remarkable. It's spectacular. I think you drive in, there's a new clubhouse. You look at the field, it's just the best field in the world. It's a Signature Event. What they do for us that the cameras don't see and what, you know, the viewers on Sunday don't see, they do everything right. They take care of the families, they take care of the wives. And I'm so proud to have this be sort of my home event, because I brag all the time about how great this tournament is.
Q. There's another New Englander here this year. Have you gotten a chance to meet Michael and I guess what have you seen from him or how kind of cool is it to see another Mass. high school graduate be here?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Yeah, I got his number, I texted him I think it was last year or the year before when he had a great finish either -- I forget if it was here or at the U.S. Open. Whenever I see Massachusetts on the hometown, I am hyper-focused on whatever they're doing. So, I'm so proud of what he's done. The rumors of what type of player he is are strong. That he's, you know, very, very good. I love that. I can relate to what his, what he's gone through to get to this point. Winters and stuff like that. So I'm always pulling for players from around here.
Q. I know you're a sort of a Jordan guy on the footwear side, you have your own custom shoe, and we know that Tatum on the Celtics, he's a Jordan signature athlete as well. Is there any crossover or some kind of crossover golf, basketball shoe thing going on maybe?
KEEGAN BRADLEY: I would love that, yeah. I met Jayson once or twice and I know he loves golf. And I would love to do that. I'm very proud to be with Jordan and I know Jayson is too. So maybe, who know, maybe, that's a great idea, I would love to do that.
Q. I have to know what you did with the Fenway seat that you got at the media day.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: So it's actually, it's still here, because I'm going to take it home with me. I'm going to keep it in my place up in north of Boston. Honestly, it's one of the coolest gifts I've ever gotten -- probably the coolest gift I've ever gotten in my life. To have a seat from Fenway Park in your house is pretty spectacular. It's just another example of the stuff that the Travelers does for us players and something that I'll have the rest of my life of the.
THE MODERATOR: All right, thanks so much for the time, Keegan. Good luck this week.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports