All-Time Great Soaks It All In As LPGA Finally Returns To Massachusetts

NORTON, Mass. -- Nothing about her really stood out, as she stood perched on the ramp of the bleachers next to the 18th green Friday at TPC Boston. She seamlessly blended in, watching LPGA stalwart and local star Megan Khang play the challenging hole in Round 2 of the FM Championship.

It's hard to believe Pat Bradley could blend in on any golf course, especially a professional golf tournament in Massachusetts. It would be like Lee Trevino holding court greenside in Texas and largely going unnoticed. But Bradley, a six-time major winner and one of the best women's golfers of all time was ahead of her time.

She sure isn't bitter about that, though. Bradley was on the course Friday morning, taking in the sights and sounds of the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. Five minutes before Khang and her group finished up on 18 (their ninth hole of the day), Bradley was in the fairway giving an interview for ESPN+'s streaming coverage of the event.

She was there as part ambassador, part fan and part cheerleader. That last one was especially evident when she stopped behind the 18th green to give Khang and her group some words of encouragement.

"All right team. Lots of holes (left)!"

Bradley then walked the tree-shaded path from the 18th green to the first tee to watch Khang's group play No. 1 (their 10th on the day), graciously allowing NESN.com to tag along while reflecting on the importance of women's pro golf returning to New England for the first time since the 2004 U.S. Open.

"This is awesome. This is what it should be," she told NESN.com. "The guys (PGA Tour) were here for so many years. I walked these fairways with my nephew (seven-time PGA Tour winner Keegan Bradley), but this is where the women should be (testing) their skills on the same golf course as the guys."

Bradley compared it to when the women went to Pebble Beach last summer for the U.S. Open, and she believes TPC Boston offers a similar sort of test, one that puts the incredible evolution of the women's game on center stage.

"These women's skills and talent, they almost mirror the PGA Tour. They can handle it," Bradley said. "In my day, I don't think we could handle it, and maybe we couldn't, but in today's day, these young women, their workout programs, the ball is different, the equipment is different, and it just brings them closer together with their counterparts on the PGA Tour."

Bradley, after pausing to watch Khang wallop her tee shot on No. 1, spoke highly of TPC Boston and the work done to present a championship-caliber golf course for the world's best women's players.

"It's a great crowd. This golf course, when I played the pro-am, I could realize that gee whiz, you've gotta be on the right side of the greens," she said. "If you're not on the right section on the greens, it's defensive putting. Not offensive putting like they're used to or want.

"The greens are slopey, the winds go through these fairways and it catches the ball if it gets too high. They are strong enough to get it done, and it's great to see them (show) their talents here. If you're not in the fairway, you're gonna have a hard time spinning the ball and get it stopped."

Bradley felt the pain for Khang, whose approach into the green landed short of the pin and spun back off the green. After watching Khang bogey 18 -- "she was in a divot … bless her heart" -- the superstitious Bradley decided she was the problem and reversed course back up the first fairway. She had somewhere to be, of course. Bradley wanted to make sure she got a chance to see fellow Bay Staters Alison Walshe and Alexa Pano play, too.

https://twitter.com/PlayMassGolf/status/1829518489771815011

She caught up to Walshe's group, which was one hole ahead of Khang, at the fairway rope line on No. 2 where the hole starts to bend back toward the players' right. After Walshe hit her approach shot, she turned to her left where Bradley was waving. Bradley then pumped her fist in encouragement as Walshe scooted over for a quick hug and pep talk.

"She doesn't get many starts, so this is huge for her to be walking the fairways along with her buddies," Bradley said of the 39-year-old Walshe, playing this week on a sponsor's invite.

When Walshe made a lengthy putt to save par, Bradley's "Woo!" could be heard from the third tee box.

Then Bradley was off, with more golf to see but not before sharing her hope and optimism about the future of the tournament. The $3.8 million purse this weekend is the LPGA's largest outside the majors and tour championship. That number will soon increase to $5 million. FM has signed on for five years, and the Rhode Island-based company seemingly will keep the tournament local. Khang, an FM ambassador, was tight-lipped after the round about future potential host sites but said she believes TPC Boston will remain in the mix.

Regardless, Bradley believes the future of the tournament -- and thus, women's professional golf in New England -- is bright.

"At ($3.8 million), are you kidding me? That's huge. I know the scheduling for the top players like Nelly (Korda) and Lydia (Ko) was tough. They did the Olympics, the Scottish and the British (last week). Hopefully next year here the scheduling will be better and we'll have all the top players. FM making a statement of 3.8 million is huge."