2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Top 10 power rankings at Detroit Golf Club

Keegan Bradley has had one of the biggest climbs in the Official World Golf Rankings in 2021.

He sat at No. 131 on New Year’s Day. Bradley is now up 75th and rose as high as 68th earlier this summer.

The St. John’s alum was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2011 with a win at the Byron Nelson followed by his breakout performance at the PGA Championship.

He won the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone and appeared destined for golf stardom. Life had other plans, and an anchor ban that soon came took the wind out of the sails of his putting.

Bradley is a grinder and stuck around to keep his card and finally win again in the FedEx Cup Playoffs at the 2018 BMW Championship.

Now at age 35, he appears to be making a push toward another win.

We must forgive a pair of missed cuts in his last two starts, but Bradley made nine in a row prior.

The highlight for Vermont’s top golfer was a solo second finish at the Valspar Championship where he was the 54-hole co-leader. Bradley shot a respectable 71 on Sunday but was edged by a strong showing by Sam Burns.

Eight of those nine made cuts produced top-30s, including T-10th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Bradley is making his second Rocket Mortgage Classic appearance. He posted T-45th (69-69-73-67) in 2020. His game is on much better footing than at this time last year, so it’s reasonable to think Bradley can build on his last outing at Detroit Golf Club.

Bradley ranks eighth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green (1.378). His iron play has been superb at sixth in SG approach (.831) and he’s been borderline elite with his woods, too, at 29th in SG off the tee (.381).

His short game has been serviceable (70th SG, .166), but the putter has not cooperated. If he can play darts on wet, slow greens as expected this week, that could ease some of that burden.