By Tori Schuller
NORTON, Massachusetts (July 2, 2025) – In golf, trophies usually sit idly perched on mantels as a simple reminder of the past. But a new display inside Mass Golf’s Headquarters tells a colorful story — Pat Bradley’s story. On Tuesday night, Mass Golf unveiled the Pat Bradley Room, an immersive, memory-rich tribute to one of the LPGA’s fiercest competitors and most beloved personalities.
“Welcome to a dream come true,” the 1991 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee said to the crowd in front of her, after Mass Golf unveiled the Pat Bradley room, the newest addition to Mass Golf’s headquarters at the William F. Connell Golf House, located on the campus of TPC Boston.
Calling it a “room” is an understatement, as every space is adorned with accomplishments as a tribute to the remarkable journey of a small-town Massachusetts girl who transformed into an LPGA legend. This includes all six major trophies as part of her career grand slam and other unique items and artistic pieces she earned throughout her career.
Two industry experts led the curation and design: Leila Dunbar known for her work appraising collections for the USGA Golf Museum as well as those of Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Orr, and Hank Aaron, and Rand Jerris, Ph.D., a respected sports historian, author, and former USGA executive who once oversaw the USGA’s Golf Museum and Library.
“It’s really been one of the great honors and privileges of my life to work for the past 18 months on the creation of the Pat Bradley room to develop a deep appreciation for Pat’s singular story, and to find the artifacts and the images and the words that can help bring her story to life,” said Jerris, who now consults for a number of prominent golf clubs and museums through his firm, Purple Valley Strategies.
Bradley announced the new home for her awards in May of 2024 during a press conference at the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup. “I am thrilled that Mass Golf accepted the donation of my trophies and memorabilia,” she said. “It brings me great joy to know my collection will be proudly displayed at Golf House in Massachusetts, a place I still call home.”
The foundations of the room were finished this spring, but for the past year, 183 of Bradley’s trophies, plaques, clothing, tapes, and hardware found their way to Golf House. Over 100 guests attended to celebrate the official opening of Bradley’s newest room, including her extended family. Keegan Bradley, Pat’s nephew and the U.S. captain of the Ryder Cup, made an appearance as well. To fill a trophy shelf is an accomplishment in itself, but Bradley managed to fill an entire wall and more.
Bradley’s first notable wins came before her collegiate career, from the New Hampshire Amateur in 1967 and 1969. She attended college at Florida International University, a brand-new institution in Miami. In her first season, Bradley became the first FIU student-athlete to be named an All-American. During her time at FIU, Bradley also took home the trophy for the Massachusetts Women’s Amateur in 1972 and the New England Women’s Amateur in 1972 and 1973.
Shortly after accepting her bachelor’s degree, Bradley turned pro in 1974, and the adventure continued.
Bradley’s first official win on tour came from the Girl Talk Classic in 1976. Just two years later, she won three tournaments, deeming 1978 her “breakout year” on tour.
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As her victories piled up, Pat Bradley never lost touch with her roots. Born in Westford, Massachusetts, she became a source of inspiration for generations of young golfers from the area, including Pembroke native Mike Trostel, now the director of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Trostel recalled first seeing Bradley while watching the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado, and being struck by something unexpected.
“I heard her talk for the first time, and she had a Boston accent, and I said to my mom, ‘I want Pat Bradley to win this tournament,'” Trostel recalled Tuesday. “I went to the library the next day, and that’s how my love of golf and golf history started.”
Patrick Healy, director of the FM Championship, has firsthand experience with Bradley’s outreach and generosity, having met players and fans at last year’s inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston.
“Nobody represents New England with every word that comes out of her mouth like Pat, there’s no question where she calls home, but it’s not how she sounds, it’s what she says and how she acts that makes Pat Bradley so special,” Healy said during his speech Tuesday.
In 1980, Bradley earned her first major win at the Peter Jackson Classic (later the du Maurier Classic), followed by a win at the U.S. Women’s Open just a year later. Over her career, Bradley amassed six major wins, more than many notable players on tour now, which was pointed out multiple times during the reception.
“To win one major championship is a noteworthy accomplishment,” Jerris said. “To win a second earns a golfer membership into elite company, but to win six, this is to secure a place in the pantheon of our sport.”
In addition to her 30-plus victories, Bradley is also in the LPGA Hall of Fame, one of the most exclusive in professional sports. After 75 years of the LPGA, only 35 players have been inducted, requiring 27 points to gain entry. A tour win, Player of the Year, and an Olympic gold medal count as one point, and winning a major counts as two. Becoming the third woman to earn a LPGA grand slam, only 12 years after turning pro, Bradley placed herself in the record books.
“Pat is one of the most decorated and dedicated figures in the history of the LPGA,” Healy said. “Her passion for the game and her commitment to this organization are unmatched.”
Jesse Menachem, Executive Director/ CEO of Mass Golf, also expressed his high regard for Bradley during the reception.
“Tonight we’re here for someone extremely special. I heard it tonight. She really is the face of the golf community in Massachusetts, of Mass Golf and our membership at large,” Menachem said.
During the reception, a few guests were invited to speak, all expressing their admiration for Bradley and how she exemplifies more than just the game of golf.
“In the end, you’re never judged by your trophies,” Healy said. “How you treat others is all that matters, and if that existed, is another Hall of Fame that Pat would be in.”
With each heartfelt speech preceding Pat’s on Tuesday evening, it only made Bradley’s speech that much more meaningful. She expressed her gratitude and appreciation, and left the crowd with a powerful message: Golf is so much more than just a game.
“My room is not just a collection of my trophies, it’s a testament to my journey in the sport of golf and to the incredible people who were with me on every part of my journey,” Bradley said. “Soon, I will look forward to my late-night chats by the fireplace with Francis [Ouimet], the Curtis sisters, and Donald Ross about our journeys in the greatest game. We’ll have a lot to talk about.”
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Mass Golf is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing golf in Massachusetts by building an engaged and inclusive community around the sport.
With a community made up of over 130,000 golf enthusiasts and over 360 member clubs, Mass Golf is one of the largest state golf associations in the country. Members enjoy the benefits of handicapping, engaging golf content, course rating and scoring services along with the opportunity to compete in an array of events for golfers of all ages and abilities.
At the forefront of junior development, Mass Golf is proud to offer programming to youth in the state through First Tee Massachusetts and subsidized rounds of golf by way of Youth on Course.
