By Ed Leahy
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Final leaderboard: J Dufner, K Bradley (-8) (Bradley wins three-hole play-off) A Hansen (-7) R Karlsson, D Toms, S Verplank (-5) Irish: McIlroy, Harrington (+11)
0115 That's it from the final Major of the year. It's been a great year for Irish golf and fine finish for Keegan Bradley who will shoot up the world rankings just in time for the FedEx play-offs Stateside. I'd expect to see a lot more of Bradley over the four-week season finale not to mention the American team for the 2012 Ryder Cup. Good night.
0100 So a great finish to what had looked like a one-horse race on the 15th hole. For Bradley to recover after his triple-bogey on 15 makes him a very worthy champion. Dufner looked cool as a cucumber all weekend but fell apart a la McIlroy at the Masters and will go down with the nearly men of golf.
Pictured below: Keegan Bradley has secured his first Major, beating Jason Dufner in a three-hole play-off.
0054 Bradley trickles past below the hole and rolls in his par putt to win the play-off by one shot. Great win and first Major for the American.
0052 Dufner rolls in a great putt to put a little bit of pressure on Bradley. But Bradley has just got the line off him so a two-putt here will be a formality.
0048 Wow. Bradley across the water on 18 - but only just - and he is now pin high with a birdie putt. What a brave - or foolish - shot that was. Now has two putts for victory. Dufner, in fairness follows Bradley and will have a similar putt. Needs to sink it and Bradley to three-putt. This is all over. Bradley is about to land his first Major and, judging by the way he has played, it won't be his last.
0045 Both safely down the 18th fairway. Bradley to shoot first into the green over the water. If Bradley gets across and onto the dancefloor, the Wanamaker trophy is his.
0038 Bradley safely in for par and two clear as they head off towards the 18th tee. Will Bradley lay up?? Dufner will have to go for it.
0036 Bradley has a go but misses high and leaves himself a tricky four footer for par. Dufner misses back and bogeys. If Bradley sinks this, it's a two-shot lead on 18.
0035 Dufner's putt for birdie flies past and is about 10 feet past for par. Bradley now with a chance to take a two-shot, possibly three, up the 18th.
0031 No playing safe here as Bradley is actually below the pin and puts big pressure on Dufner. Dufner is wider and will have a much longer putt for birdie.
0030 Over to 17 and Bradley with the honour. Breeze seems to be blowing a bit and both players should play safe here and go well past the hole.
0027 Dufner drags it past below the hole and will tap in for par. Poor effort from four feet. Advantage Bradley. Yes. Bradley sinks it to go one under with two to play.
0026 Monty thinks level par around the three holes will win this but the way these two can play, you would imagine an under par score will take it.
0024 Okay, Dufner, not bad, thinks Keegan who gets inside Dufner with a top quality eight iron to within three feet. Two birdies coming up by the looks of things.
0023 Dufner nails his approach and the ball rolls just by the hole and to within four feet for birdie.
0020 Good drives by both here on 16 with Bradley about 40 yards longer.
0018 Dufner with the honour after the toss. Up 16, 17 and 18 now and if still level after that, it is sudden death on 10, 17 and 18 in that order until there is a winner. Here we go...
0015 Well as Monty said earlier - "Something will happen (Dufner), I know it will." We may have joked at the time as Monty was urging his European boys on and hoping Dufner would fail but it didn't happen until the 15th, then again on the 16th and once more on the 17th.
0010 The only thing we can guarantee at this stage is that America has got a Major winner for the first time since Phil Mickelson landed the Masters in April 2010.
0002 Dufner stood on the 15th hole with a five-shot lead over Bradley. Three bogeys followed as Bradley picked up two shots and both players made par at 18 to set up this play-off. Both players will be heading over to the 16th tee box shortly and don't be surprised if it all hinges on the final hole again.
2359 Taps home and it's a three-hole play-off, which is probably the best way to settle this as both players made catastrophic blunders on the run in.
2357 Dufner eases it down to the hole and will make par to set up play-off.
2352 Fair play to Dufner and hits two great shots on 18 to get on and leaves a long birdie putt downhill towards the water. Two putts for a play-off is what he must be thinking. Three hole play-off from 16 looks likely at this stage.
2346 Dufner gets his drive away on 18 and back on track as he finds fairway. Needs par for a play-off as Bradley has got down in two for par - and he almost made birdie - as he jogs down to the hole. 270-1 after the 15th hole disaster by all accounts. Scott Verplank ensures a top five finish on five under.
2342 Bogey again for Dufner as he overcooks his putt on 17 and misses back. That's three in a row and with Bradley safely on 18 in two, it looks like this is going to go to a play-off as long as Duffner makes par on 18.
2337 Yes, it gets there but a long way away on the right side of the green and a two putt here will be quite tricky. Can Bradley make birdie on 18 to put some real pressure on? Hansen has birdie putt on 18 to get home at eight under - misses and settles for par and seven under.
2335 Now Dufner on the 17th tee with seven iron in hand. Will that reach??
2332 BIRDIE for Bradley to get within one of Dufner now. Dufner watching from the tee, he now has to go for the green and secure his par. Verplank back to six under.
2330 Two bogeys in a row is not what you need ahead of this tee shot on 17. That water is going to look a lot more daunting now. David Toms home in five under.
2328 Dufner for par on 16 - misses - trickles past and still the guts of three feet to make bogey. Only two shots in it now.
2325 Well Verplank - or should we say Ver-plonk is out of it as he hits McIlroy's wall on the 17th and doesn't get the luck of the Irish but watches as his ball hops back into the water. Hansen great tee off on 17 and will get to go for the flag to hopefully set up birdie. Bradley on 17 finds the green but a long way for his birdie putt.
2322 And just when we thought it was all over... Okay so it probably is still Dufner's but Hansen has just birdied 17 to make it a trio on seven under. Dufner has found the big sand trap on 16 and may drop a shot here as it's a very tricky up and down from there. Watch this space...
2318 Dufner safely down the 16th fairway. A big cheer further up the course but Dufner not looking bothered. The roar was probably for Verplank who chipped in from the sand on 16 for birdie to move seven under. Bradley also birdied 16 to share second spot with Verplank on seven under.
2315 Bradley still fighting and sets up a good birdie chance on 16. Dufner would still have to really make a mess of the final three to lose this now though.
2312 Great up and down from the drop zone for Dufner to minimise the damage with only a bogey after finding water and is still four shots clear with three to play.
2307 Bradley actually took triple bogey in the end on fifteen to drop six under. Hansen three putts to drop back to six as well. Dufner looks like he is going to get away with it here.
2303 So Dufner teeing off on 15 with a four-shot lead - he could take the putter out here and bump it down the hill. He doesn't of course and hits at the green but he watches it drift right and.....SPLASH. How did he do that? Luckily for him the other in front have made mistakes trying to catch him. Anders Hansen may be the main benefactor here.
2258 And then there was one. Bradley going into meltdown on 15. Playing four from the drop zone after chipping his second into the water. Dufner is back up on the tee watching Bradley's collapse. Two shots gone here at least. Karlsson's last chance saloon with a big birdie putt races past. Bogey to move to six under.
2246 Karlsson's challenge looks set to burn out as he is about to make bogey on 16. This is turning into a two-horse race with Dufner and Bradley set to battle it out over the tricky closing holes.
2242 Birdie for Dufner on 13 and once again puts a bit of daylight between himself and the chasing few. You have to wonder what all the world's top golfers were doing all weekend when you see a lot of playing staying under par today.
2237 Karlsson's birdie putt misses by no more than an inch. Bradley just misses out as well. Steele sinks an eagle putt to get to five under - surely too late but still time to put a run together.
2235 Dufner makes birdie on 12 to get to ten under - first player to double digits. Bradley going at the pin on 13 and will have a good chance at birdie. Have to feel for Brendan Steele playing alongside Dufner, now four over for the day on three under.
2230 Karlsson finds the green on the long par three 15th, avoiding the water and now has an outside chance of a birdie. Toms misses birdie putt on 14 and should stay six under.
2220 David Toms on the march and up to six under. Bradley just got right back in the game with an almost tap-in eagle on 12.
2202 Bradley's birdie putt on 11 must have been at least 30 yards and it was right in the centre of the hole but the pace made it hop off the lip and he'll take par from there all day. Bradley still hanging in there and that will have given him great confidence.
2200 Westwood's tournament appears to be over as another birdie putt misses. Birdie birdie finish to get to six under could possibly get into a play-off but unlikely as the winner is sure to be seven under or lower.
2152 Eagle for Karlsson to move to within a shot of Dufner. That's six under for the day after 12 holes. Dufner misses another gettable birdie putt on ten but makes par.
2150 Karlsson has an eagle putt from six feet on 12 to move to within a shot of Dufner. And Hansen has just birdied 11 to move to six under.
Pictured below: Dufner has had such a solid front nine. No mistakes over the next nine holes will almost guarantee his maiden Major.
2145 Make that two European flags as the St George's Cross is about to be wiped off that top six bunch as Donald finds the water on 15. Will do well to make par now.
2140 Three big European flags now in the top six and the American viewers must be looking and that and going 'gee whiz'. But to be honest, nobody is going to get near Dufner if he keeps this play up. Solid as a rock so far today. Par for Dufner - poor enough effort for birdie but par all the way along the back nine should get him his first Major.
2138 Monty is refusing to back down with his prediction that five under will win it. "Something will happen (Dufner), I know it will," says the 2010 Ryder Cup captain. Meanwhile on the ninth hole Dufner nails another at the flag leaving ten feet for birdie.
2135 Karlsson's long-range putt on 11 is timed to perfection but just off line. Great putt and a solid par there. Donald's birdie putt on 14 comes up just short and stays at five under par.
2133 Bit of a mistake on my part as Westwood's putt on 14 was for par so he remains on four under.
2130 Dufner moves clear again with a 20-foot birdie on the eighth. Bradley's tricky bunker shot on nine stops well short and bogey will be best he'll get her. Two shot swing there as Dufner should be two clear.
2125 Bradley into a share of the lead with a birdie on eight. Westwood pars 14 to stay on four under.
2115 Lot of great golf being played now in Atlanta and a lot of the big guns are making moves. Sergio almost holes out on 17 for a hole in one and he'll make birdie. Dufner, to his credit, is staying cool as you like and remains in front on eight under. Karlsson just birdied 10 to get to six under. Schwartzel follows him in to move to three under. Donald attacks the flag at 13 and looking to build on the birdie at the par five 12th.
2056 Westwood's effort for eagle at 12 slips just past the cup. He taps in for birdie and is now at four-under. Verplank adds a par to his score to remain a shot behind the leaders. Bradley misses out on birdie at six.
2052 Brendan Steele drops a shot at the fifth to go to four-under.
2047 Hansen's birdie effort falls just short while Dufner finds the sand in his second shot at the par-five fifth.
2045 Matteo Manassero finished three-over and moves above Tiger Woods in the world rankings. Here is the Italian's thoughts on his tournament:
"It was a tough week, but a good week," said.
"I played really solid and I am really happy.
"If I had putted better I think I could have finished up on the leaderboard, but it doesn't matter - I had another good experience and my game is improving.
"I knew I was very close, but I didn't know that this result takes me above him.
"It's been really quick - it's amazing what golf can do - but it's good in a way and sad in a way.
"It's been a good ride for me (he has won twice on the European Tour already), but Tiger's not in a good moment.
"I'm not happy it's happened like this. It's pretty sad to see him like this - everybody would like to see him back again playing well and playing as he did before.
"Guys have improved. There is so much more competition now and I'm happy to be around 30th in the world."
2040 Scott joins Donald on four-under with a birdie on eight. Hansen finds the green at the seventh. Bradley is now tied for the lead with Dufner.
2037 Donald sinks a 25-footer for birdie at 10 and moves to four-under. I smell a charge from the Englishman as he fist pumps the air in celebration. He is delighted with that one and is within three of the lead.
2020 Schwartzel takes on the par four sixth and risk and reward shot finds the water, which is exactly what the risk is on this reachable par four. Most are aiming for the right hand side bunker as a bail-out option. Playing partner Karlsson found the bunker and has just played a great bunker shot to set up a nailed-on birdie.
2015 Dufner started with a solid two pars and doesn't look even the slightest bit fazed by the occasion. Nick Watney gets himself into the picture with two birdies to get to three under.
2005 Donald is on the move with another birdie on the sixth. Westwood is also looking a lot happier with an excellent par save on six after finding water, following it up with a birdie on the eighth. Steele bogeyed the first and made par on the second.
1950 Another short putt missed for Mickelson as Lefty drops back to one under after ten.
1945 Birdie for Bradley on the first to join the leaders on seven under. Stricker has found trouble on the second and will do well to make par. Nine world class players on two under now - surely someone is going to make a charge out of that group. Schwartzel, Scott, Donald, Garcia, Mickelson, Watney...
1935 Birdie for Stricker on the first. Imagine the murmuring in and around the first as the two remaining groups behind look down to see the newly installed favourite open with birdie. Early pressure from the world number five.
1930 Mickelson out in 33 to stay on two under. Keegan Bradley just teeing off now in the penultimate group - finds right hand bunker as many have before.
Pictured below: Lee Westwood - Is this the closest that the world number two will get to the Wanamaker Trophy?
1910 Karlsson and playing partner Charl Schwartzel would be a great two-ball to be following today. And with all the hype about the next American Major winner, I wouldn't be surprised to see one or both of these two putting a run together. Wannabee popstar Hunter Mahan of Golf Boys fame has bounced back from an early bogey to hit birdie and eagle to move to two under. And with the short par four sixth up next, I'd expect Mahan to be knocking on the top five door very shortly.
1905 Only six Europeans in the top thirty as things stand. And it looks like the main challenge may come from our Scandanavian cousins Anders Hansen and Robert Karlsson who are just about to tee off on three and two under respectively. Karlsson is on the first hole at the moment and Hansen is out in fifteen minutes. Sergio is having a go - two under after seven - but no move from the world one and two, the English pair of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.
1850 Sergio moving in the right direction with back to back birdies on the fifth and sixth. Mickeson is looking to follow and needs a good up and down from the greenside bunker on the sixth to move two under. The fifth and sixth holes seem to be giving out birdies today so it will be interesting to see the state of the leaderboard once everyone is through six. Adam Scott just teed off and all the main challengers will be out on the course over the next 50 minutes. Birdie for Lefty and he also joins the emerding group of chasers on two under.
1845 Mickelson from a long way away but still an eagle putt. Very quick downhill putt and Lefty is a bit tentative and leaves it a good six feet short. Not guaranteed a birdie here and will be a missed opportunity if he can only make par here. Big-hitting Gary Woodland has just birdied the eighth to move two under and into the top ten. Birdie for Mickelson. Has the charge begun??
1840 Robert Allenby breaks into the top ten with a birdie on 13 to move two under par. Sergio Garcia has just moved under par with a birdie on the fifth. Phil Mickelson has just hit two monster shots to set up an eagle putt on the par five fifth.
1830 Luke Donald and Spencer Levin are just about to tee off. They played together yesterday as well. None of the early starters have yet to break into the top ten of two under but Robert Allenby and Gary Woodland are sniffing around on one under. Allenby four under for the day. Bubba Watson just birdied nine to get out in three under and move alongside at one under.
1750 Harrington birdies the 17th and takes four on the 18th to finish on four over for the day and 11 over for the tournament. McIlroy has played a nice approach on the 18th to leave a ten-foot putt to match Harrington. No problem for Rory wearing his Sunday green. That's the end of the Irish interest for the tournament. Time to put the Ryder Cup hat on and cheer on the Europeans for the rest of the evening.
1730 Japan's Yuta Ikeda is putting together a fine round turning at four under, bringing him to one under for the tournament. Another few birdies on the back nine could see him with an unlikely top ten finish. Gary Woodland has opened with two birdies to join Ikeda on one under. Ikeda had only one par on the front nine with six birdies and two bogeys.
1715 Things not getting any better for Mclroy or Harrington as they approach the run in. Harrington is out to twelve over, with McIlroy a hole behind and a shot ahead after 14.
1630 Good afternoon. The leaders are still a few hours away from teeing off but the Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington are well into their final rounds. Things not going great for either player as Harrington is nine over after ten holes, while McIlroy was two shots further back at the turn.
McIlroy had another disaster on the third hole - the place where he injured his arm on Thursday - taking a triple bogey.
