Bradley’s last-minute schedule change pays off

Editor’s note: The following article was published in The Players’ Tribune earlier today. Let’s get something out of the way: I’m black. Damn, glad I got that off my chest. I mean, you would think I didn’t know it by the amount of times I’m asked about my race. It’s actually kind of comical at this point in my career … I know exactly when the questions are coming and what’ll be asked. “What’s it like being the only black guy on TOUR?â€� “Does it feel lonely as the only African-American out there?â€� And my all-time favorite one: “Do you think we’re growing the game enough for African-Americans?â€� Well, hell no, and that’s a silly question, too. Because we’re not growing the game enough for Hispanics, Whites, Asians and African-Americans alike. It’s about giving everyone an opportunity, not just African-Americans. But I’m gonna get back to that a little later. If you know me, you know I’m not afraid to say what’s on my mind (just hit me up on Twitter for that). But I’m also realistic about my views, which is why I want to acknowledge the double-edged sword here. The primary reason people know me is that I’m black. I’m not afraid to say that. Maybe I’ll get a bit more media coverage or be seen as the guy who can change the way the TOUR is perceived. Being black has helped me, no doubt. On the other hand, from when I first started playing golf at a high level, I was seen as the good black golfer — not just a good golfer. Even though my primary goal is to be the best golfer on the PGA TOUR, and even though I have the same goals as any of the top players, I’m often labeled as that guy. You know … the black guy who isn’t Tiger. Trust me, I hear it. But out here on TOUR, I want to be known as a winner. After I won the Australian PGA Championship this December to capture my first professional victory, that’s how the Australian media treated me. That was legit, man. Your boy beat some hometown favorites including Adam Scott. So when I talked to the media in my press conference and in private interviews, all they wanted to know about was how my victory was going to propel my career, how it felt to be a first-time winner — things like that. They were normal questions. And to the best of my knowledge, I don’t recall being asked one time about my race. I noticed real quick that the tone in the Australian media was different from anything I had ever encountered in America. They saw me as the goofy dude who worked his ass off to win one of their most prestigious tournaments … not someone who could be used to create a race discussion. I know Australia has its own complicated racial history, but the disparity was clear to me. Back in the States, every damn article seemed to whittle me down to that old label: The black golfer. I read those stories and thought, These people do know I’m like every other TOUR player out here, right? What’s my skin color got to do with any of it? This week, when I tee it up at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron — a tournament I’ve been working to play in my entire life — I’m going to be playing with the best talent from around the world. That’s what’s so great about these World Golf Championships — the fact that the fields are filled with the best of the best. And the common thread between every one of us? We’re all golfers. Period. We’re all golfers. Period. You hear it thrown around a lot: We all want to grow the game. But are we really committed to doing that? As I’ve said to a couple of news outlets before, if I’m seen as the guy who will bring different-colored faces to the game, then that’s awesome, man. I’m so down for that. I want to grow the game for kids of all different backgrounds. But for those same kids to fall in love with golf, they need an opportunity to play like I did. I grew up in a place called Gastonia, North Carolina after moving from Akron, Ohio. Every summer morning from when I was around 9 years old until high school, my dad would drop me off at Gastonia Municipal Golf Course. In my dad’s mind, learning how to play golf was a better idea than allowing me to sit on the couch and play video games. While he worked, I practiced and played. Over time, I started to get the hang of it. I even had the chance to play with some of the adults and sometimes took it to ’em. Now, you may be thinking these summer playing privileges cost some crazy amount of money — that only rich kids would be able to do something like this. I mean, it’s a good enough deal to think that. But this program wasn’t really expensive at all: For only $100, I was able to purchase this junior membership to Gastonia. It completely subverted the argument that you need to be rich to play this sport. It made playing golf extremely affordable. That meant the world to my family. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was an incredible deal, not only for what it did for me then, but also what it’s still doing for me now. Without Gastonia, I would’ve never learned to play golf, would’ve never earned a scholarship to East Carolina University, would’ve never made my way onto the PGA TOUR, would’ve never won in Australia last December and would’ve never been in a position to help bring more kids into the game. So we want to grow golf — to bring more people into the game? Instead of doing lip service to it, we need to incentivize and help clubs all around the country to start programs similar to the one I participated in at Gastonia. (The fact that the program at Gastonia doesn’t exist anymore sucks. I don’t know this for certain, but I imagine they weren’t able to afford to keep it in existence in the end.) While the PGA TOUR has created initiatives — most notably The First Tee (which I’m happy to be involved with) — there’s so much more to be done. I want to be the one leading that charge — not because I look different than 99.9 percent of other golfers on the PGA TOUR, but because I want all kids — rich or poor, white or black — to have the chance to fall in love with the game. I know a bunch of guys on TOUR want to do the same. And the thing is, I imagine parents would be willing to pay that amount of money for their kids to play. While things weren’t always easy financially for my family, they were always willing to pay $100 for an entire summer’s worth of golf. We need to give kids the same chance I had. If I continue to play well and make a name for myself, hopefully I can make inroads in creating a program for kids similar to the one I participated in at Gastonia. That’s my dream. Because in my mind, being a golfer has nothing to do with race and everything to do with working on the things you need to be a top player. So with the WGC-Bridgestone being one of the most diverse fields in all of golf, I think it’s a good time to remind everyone that growing the game isn’t such a difficult thing to do. I’m proof that with a good junior system, we can see all different types of golfers out here. And when we get to that point, we won’t have to worry about the fact that I’m the only black guy on TOUR. MORE FROM THE PLAYERS’ TRIBUNE: Pat Perez | Billy Hurley III | Jason Day

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OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - History told Jon Rahm there would be drama at Olympia Fields. But this time the Spaniard wasn't going to let the place get the better of him. Rahm knew it would take something like his incredible 66-foot birdie putt that snaked across the entire 18th green, over a ridge and down into the cup to win a playoff against Dustin Johnson for the BMW Championship. Because strange things happen for the now 25-year-old at this venue. RELATED: Final leaderboard | What's in Rahm's bag? Five years ago, a young Rahm came to the course that sits southwest of Chicago as part of the field for the 2015 U.S. Amateur. He was the world No. 1 in the amateur game and expected to be a huge factor. But things did not come easy that week. First, Rahm needed to make two birdie bombs in his last three holes of stroke play just to make it into a playoff for the match play portion of the championship. He survived that playoff but needed 21 holes to get through the round of 64. Having then pushed his way to the quarterfinals, Rahm looked headed for the final four when he sat 3 up with eight holes remaining against unheralded Derek Bard. Instead, he lost two straight holes and then power-lipped out a 5-foot putt on the 15th that would have reclaimed a 2-up lead. He missed from 4 feet on the next hole to be back square and then three-putted the 17th to go behind. A hole later, he was eliminated in an upset. So Rahm returned this week for the BMW Championship determined to make amends. That amateur story belongs to Bryson DeChambeau, who would go on to beat Bard in the final. But the story of the FedExCup Playoffs event will forever be Rahm's. It didn't appear that would be the case for most of the week. Rahm started with a 5-over 75 and added a 71 the next day to sit 6 over. Then on the fifth hole Saturday, after back-to-back birdies, he inexplicably picked up his ball on the green before marking it. He was assessed a one-shot penalty, turning a par into a bogey. It could have sparked the end for Rahm, who is known for wearing his passion on his sleeve. But instead, much like he did when penalized two shots on his way to winning the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in July, Rahm remained calm. In fact, he zeroed in his focus and went on to shoot 66. "I just hope I don’t lose by one," Rahm said afterwards. "I’m just going to say that. I just hope. And if I do, well, very well my fault. It’s as simple as that." That night he and wife Kelley were talking, and the ball marking fiasco came up. Rahm reiterated the above statement but, as Kelley puts it, made a point to move on. If one thing happens one way, then chances are the next thing would be different to. He vowed not to think about it as he tried to chase down a three-shot deficit. And he managed that as he went about shooting a sublime bogey free 6-under 64 to post in the clubhouse at 4 under. That "bogey" on Saturday was his last of the tournament that saw just five players finish under par. But the moment eventually flashed back as Dustin Johnson played the final hole sitting a shot behind while Rahm tried to stay loose on the range. "When they told me DJ had hit it on the green on the 18th hole and the situation. I was like, ‘That extra shot cushion would be extremely nice right now, I’m not going to lie,' " Rahm smiled. "But at the same time, I don’t know if I would have won had it not happened. It kind of made me mad at myself, and I just went on with my focus after that and was able to play amazing golf and stayed aggressive. "Maybe if I hadn’t, I would have two-putted and maybe stayed complacent. I don’t know because I had such a good start. I can tell you after that two-putt, making that 6-footer for bogey, I was like, okay, that’s it, no playing around, go. That’s kind of what mentally did it for me." It was that focus that allowed him to handle the fact Johnson made a ridiculously good 43-foot snaking downhill putt of his own to force the playoff. Because of course he would. He's world No. 1 and the FedExCup leader who was coming off an 11-shot victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST. And this is Olympia Fields after all. "Last time I had a wait having a one-shot lead with a couple groups to go was in Palm Springs, and Andrew Landry came in at 18 and made birdie and we went into a playoff. I reminded myself that anything is possible," Rahm said. “When they told me where DJ was putting from, I didn’t see it, I just knew he just had to get the ball rolling on the right direction and that putt was in, and I knew how good DJ has been playing I was expecting nothing else. I was fully confident it was going to come into a playoff and hoping to win it." What he wasn't expecting was to win the tournament on the first playoff hole when Johnson split the fairway and he found the rough and consequently faced 66 feet for birdie to Johnson's 33 feet. In fact, while he stalked the putt hoping to find the right line, his focus was on speed as the slick downhill effort was most likely to run past the hole and leave a tester for par. He need not have worried. It was like a magnet to the hole, much like Johnson's earlier. When Johnson's attempt to match ended up stopping just inches from the cup, it was over. "Never did I think I would make another 60-footer, a couple of breaks in there to end up winning it," Rahm beamed. "We all want the flashy finish, maybe not the stress that comes with it, but I set out to enjoy even the uncomfortable moments we had out there today, and man, it was fun. Pretty close to the best way to finish it." The win moved him to second in the FedExCup heading to the TOUR Championship. He was three behind Johnson starting Sunday. Next week he will start two behind as he chases the season long trophy. And what a difference one stroke can make.

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