BOSTON — Keegan Bradley, like most New England kids, grew up with a dream of playing at Fenway or the Garden.
He’ll soon get his wish of wearing “Boston” across his uniform, although he’ll do so in a rather unconventional way. Then again, Bradley might also be something of a pioneer.
Bradley was announced last week as one of the four inaugural members of Boston Common Golf, one of the first teams in the history of the new TGL. He’ll team up with Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton and Adam Scott to represent the Hub — from Florida — when the indoor league gets started in January.
And while it’s not quite the same as taking the field on Jersey Street or lacing up the skates on Causeway, the Vermont native who also lived in New Hampshire before playing high school golf in Hopkinton, Mass., is still honored to play for Boston.
“I grew up as a kid wanting to play for the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, but that was never in the cards for me. I was better at golf than anything else,” Bradley said in a press conference introducing Boston Common Golf on Monday morning connected to Fenway Park. “I never thought I’d have the chance to play for my own city. Anybody who’s grown up in New England knows Boston’s the capital of New England, and Fenway Park is basically the cathedral of New England. To be able to come here and go down to the locker room just now and feel the history of Fenway Park. … just everything about this place is special for me and just playing for this city and this region is really something I carry with me throughout the golf world. I’m just really proud and really thankful for Fenway Sports Group and everyone that’s here for the opportunity to do this.”
Of course, if TGL has the sort of success, Bradley, McIlroy and the rest of the league hope and believe it can, the 2011 PGA Championship winner can say he was one of the first to represent Boston Common Golf.
Either way, Bradley is excited for the rest of his teammates — who hail from Northern Ireland, England and Australia — to get a chance to represent the city, even from afar.
“These guys are going to feel what it’s like to have the city behind them playing sports,” Bradley said. “In my eyes, they’re the best sports fans in the world, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
Boston Common Golf has yet to announce its schedule, but TGL’s 15-match regular season begins Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. ET at SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College.
