Kirkbrae's Mike Bradshaw to work PGA Championship

By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer

LINCOLN – Mike Bradshaw’s office at Kirbrae Country Club is filled with photographs and memories of an impressive career in the golf industry. On the shelf behind his desk, next to a framed photo of his family, is his Rules of Golf. Numerous pages of the well-read guide are tagged or dog-eared. He often reads, reviews and studies it, which is why he’s considered one of the top rules officials in New England.

As a result, Bradshaw, who is a member of the PGA of America Rules Committee, was recently chosen to work his first PGA Championship this week at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

“It’s awesome,” Bradshaw said. “As a PGA professional it’s our biggest tournament. It’s our Major, and it’s close to home. It’s a pretty cool deal. It’s interesting, to say the least.”

The field is loaded with 99 of the world’s Top 100 players, and Bradshaw’s goal for the tournament is not to be seen, which would mean there are no issues on the golf course.

There are 37 members throughout the country on the committee and this is Bradshaw’s fourth season as a rules official. He spends several hours studying, attends workshops throughout the year, and he recently ran one of the annual rules seminar, which was held in Providence this winter. To earn expert certification, a person needs to score a 90 on the rules test. It then needs to be renewed every few years. The committee of rules officials are all volunteers.

Bradshaw, 47, of Cumberland, is also scheduled to work the PGA Junior League Championship in October, and the University Championship in November. In the past, he’s also worked several junior tournaments, along with the PGA Professionals Championship in Florida.

During his brief tenure, Bradshaw has already witnessed some interesting and odd situations on the golf course. During last season’s PGA Professional Championship at Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, he witnessed a PGA professional score an ace to win a $60,000 car only to miss the cut. That same day play was nearly suspended due to darkness before officials brought in flood lights so the players could finish the round. These types of experiences will help when he’s working a major.

“The most important thing is you need to try to make sure things don’t speed up too much,” Bradshaw said. “I study all the time and I’m constantly flipping through the book, or looking at the online test questions, and different practical things that happen. When something happens in front of you, you need to make sure everything just takes its time. It’s more important to take an extra 30 seconds to get it right rather than rush to judgement. We don’t go anywhere without the book, and now with the app on the phone it’s even easier. You’ve got to make sure it stays slow and take your time.”

Bradshaw, who also serves as the President of the New England PGA, has worked at Kirkbrae Country Club since 1998, beginning as an assistant pro. He then served as the head pro for 15 seasons (2006-2020) and he’s currently the chief operating officer and director of golf at KCC. He takes pride in the fact that he’ll be representing Kirkbrae, Rhode Island and New England at the PGA Championship. Bradshaw, along with Brian Hamilton from Eastward Ho! in Chatham, Mass., are the only two PGA of America rules officials from New England. Gary Young, of Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Mass., runs the PGA Tour rules department and will also work the tournament at Oak Hill this week.

“It’s pretty cool for the two of us,” Bradshaw said. “We don’t have a lot of New Englanders, and then being from Rhode Island, a Cumberland kid who grew up at Kirkbrae, now I get to work the PGA Championship at Oak Hill. I’m never going to get there playing, I’ll tell you that much, so I’ll get there one way or another.”

Other than working the PGA Championship, there’s another tournament on Bradshaw’s bucket list.

“Ryder Cup,” he quickly answered. “If you ask any PGA member they’ll probably tell you the same thing. It’s a big deal for us as PGA members.”

For now, however, he’s focused on the task at hand.

Bradshaw will travel to Rochester late Monday night and plans to walk the course Tuesday morning. The rules committee will hold its meeting Wednesday morning and then walk the course for the practice round. Since the PGA Championship is a co-sanctioned event, rules officials from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour are also involved.

“Before the sun’s up Thursday I’ll be on the golf course somewhere, and then until the sun goes down. I’ll be ready to go,” Bradshaw said.