Throwback Thursday: Things get heated between Jimenez and Bradley
The Background
At the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play at TPC Harding Park, in San Francisco, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Keegan Bradley faced off in a dead rubber group tie.
Both players had already been eliminated as Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson progressed, but the match had to be played to fulfil the round-robin.
The Scene
At the 13th, Jimenez had to take relief from a road and Bradley came over to see if it was taken correctly. Sure enough, everything was fine.
On the final hole, when Jimenez was 1-up, Bradley hit his tee shot into a temporary immovable obstruction.
While taking the drop, Jimenez questioned why Bradley dropped the ball for a second time – not knowing that there was a fence still in the way of the shot.
That’s when things started to get ugly.
Bradley’s caddie, Steve “Pepsi” Hale, got involved which led to the Spaniard telling him to “shut up.”
Bradley took exception and squared up to Jimenez – asking him to go back to where his ball was.
Jimenez won the match 2-up, and the two players shook hands at the end while again exchanging a few words.
Jimenez and Pepsi also continued their chat, and the two refused to shake hands.
Afterwards, Bradley explained: “It was just a heat-of-the-moment thing. It was disappointing. I’m pretty bummed out about it.
“I had a ruling and he felt like he needed to intervene and I felt like he was being inappropriate to me and my caddie.”
The Legacy
Bradley would admit later that perhaps Jimenez had played the situation perfectly.
“To be honest with you I got schooled by a great gamer, I let him get under my skin,” Bradley told Golf Channel.
“I was trying to get a ruling on 18 and I kind of fell for his distraction. Honestly, it’s genius on his part. I took notice of what I did wrong and I’ll use it next time.”
Fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia also hinted that Pepsi was in the wrong:
What happened again with Keegan Bradley's caddy and Miguel Angel Jimenez? That guy loves getting in trouble with players ?
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) May 2, 2015
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Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
