• US PGA Championship, Round Four

Play-off heroics and heartache

Jason Dufner celebrates another birdie © Getty Images

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• News: Bradley holds nerve to win maiden major in a play-off
  
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• Profile: Keegan Bradley | Luke Donald | Lee Westwood

Chip-in challenge
Luke Donald knew he needed to start fast if he was to catch and overtake the leaders in the final round of the US PGA Championship. After making pars at the first two holes, Donald finally sparked into life with a beautiful chip-in birdie at the par-four third. The last contender to chip-in at the third hole in the final round of a major? A certain Charl Schwartzel at this year's Masters. Unfortunately, the end result wasn't the same this time.

Dead on impact
The way he has played all week, you wouldn't have pegged Jason Dufner as a man who has missed his last four cuts on the PGA Tour. The way he played on Sunday, you certainly wouldn't have pegged him as a man who had never contended in a major championship. The American - who bears a passing resemblance to an overweight Rory McIlroy - should absolutely no nerves as he began his final round, even as he started rolling birdies home and building a bit of a lead. "Dufner looks like he doesn't have a pulse," Graeme McDowell noted on Twitter. A great observation. At best, his resting heart-rate must be about 30/10bpm. Absolutely ice cold.

Nearly a costly sweep
After Luke Donald narrowly missed an eagle opportunity on the par-five 12th, he left himself a short two-foot putt for a birdie to put him back within touch of the leaders. A slip of concentration nearly cost him, however, after he marked his ball. He went to sweep the ground in front of his ball and in the process sent it hurtling down the green - heading straight for the water beside the short stuff. If it had gone into the drink he would have had to dive in after it and recover it or face a penalty ... but fortunately his caddie was on hand to recover it. I guess that's why they get 10 per cent of any cheque.

Bouncebackability
Keegan Bradley could have been forgiven for thinking his chances of victory had gone after he ran up a triple-bogey six at the torturous par-three 15th, as he fell five shots adrift of the resolute Dufner. However, the manner of his response was impressive in the extreme. After birdieing the 16th, Bradley then rolled in a 35-footer at the 17th that - by a combination of factors - drew him back within one shot of the leader. The rest is history...

Don't call me Norman ... or Van der Velde
At one point in the final round - a point quite near the end, in fact - Jason Dufner enjoyed a five-shot lead. In the end, he lost in a play-off. His demise was hardly of Jean van de Velde proportions, but it was somewhere between that and Greg Norman's infamous Masters meltdown. And, as any golf fan will tell you, being between those two in major folklore is not where you want to be...

Great company
With his victory, Keegan Bradley became the only the third player since 1913 to win a major championship at his first attempt. His company? 2003 Open champion Ben Curtis (meh) and 1913 US Open champion Francis Ouimet (only the man regarded as the father of American golf). Not too bad company, all things considered.

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