A Connecticut State Golf Association photo of Mike Ballo Jr., proudly holding the Connecticut Open trophy, received a “like” from U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley.
Bradley didn’t just like that his former St. John’s University teammate had triumphed in a grueling final-round performance. He saw it. At the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bradley watched the live stream on the CSGA’s YouTube channel as Ballo beat the oppressive heat and the field at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
“They [St. John’s teammates] support me, so I love supporting them,” Bradley said during the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs. “I love watching them play, more than them watching me.”
Bradley said he’s “extremely proud” of Ballo.
“It was really cool that he saw the live stream,” Ballo said.
What Bradley and those at Black Hall Club saw was historic and memorable. Ballo, his father Mike Ballo Sr. (1969 and ’78) and brother Peter (2021 and ’22) are the first family to have three victorious members in the 91-year tournament history.
Ballo’s pride extends beyond the $15,000 prize as the low professional in the Open field. His perseverance and skills are lifelong memories. He had finished second in the Connecticut Open in 2014 and ’16 and tied for third last year.
This year he prevailed in the second-most prestigious annual golf event in Connecticut. His victory completed a St. John’s sweep after Bradley earlier in the summer had won the Travelers Championship, the annual PGA Tour signature event at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.
Bradley, who was three shots behind Tommy Fleetwood with four holes left, birdied the final hole to win his second Travelers. Five weeks later he watched his former college teammate triumph with a stellar par at the final hole of the Connecticut Open.
Ballo and playing partner Jared Nelson were tied for the lead when both drove left near an out-of-bounds area on the 18th hole. Nelson could only chip out into the fairway, while Ballo adroitly hooked an iron around some trees to the right rough in front of the green.
Nelson’s third shot landed short of the green. He chipped up and finished with a bogey 5.
Ballo faced a tight pin from a difficult lie in the rough. He hit “the shot of the tournament” 6 feet left of the cup. He read the 5-inch, left-to-right break perfectly and rolled his putt in for par and the victory.
“I was so proud how I stayed in the moment. But it was the heaviest round I ever played with the emotional weight of not winning and trying so hard to do it.” – Mike Ballo Jr.
After shaking hands with Nelson, Ballo dropped to the ground and cried with caddie Stuart Waack at his side.
“I was so proud how I stayed in the moment,” he said. “But it was the heaviest round I ever played with the emotional weight of not winning and trying so hard to do it. To put another Ballo name on the trophy, well, I’m so proud that legacy is there.”
Meanwhile in Greensboro, Bradley beamed.
How these two New Englanders (Bradley was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and Ballo in Stamford, Connecticut) became great friends was established at St. John’s.
“I was a freshman and Keegan was a junior,” said Ballo, 37. “He was the best player and captain. He was kind of like my big brother. I knew it was the right thing to watch, to talk to him and to try to copy him a lot.”
Bradley’s career took off with his 2011 PGA Championship victory at Atlanta Athletic Club in his first career major championship start as a PGA Tour rookie. Since then, Bradley has played in two Ryder Cups and two Presidents Cups and won seven other PGA Tour events. Now 39, Bradley will lead the American team headed to Bethpage Black later this month. He could have justifiably been a playing captain as the No. 11 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, but selflessly chose six other captain’s picks instead.
Ballo also tried to make it to the PGA Tour. “I played a year on the New England circuit in pro events,” he said. “Then a year on the Hooters Tour, Web.com in 2013-14, and next I played four years on PGA Tour Canada.”
Then he stopped his PGA Tour pursuit.
“I gave it a hard go, and I loved playing, but I just couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. “I’m fully aware how difficult it is. I was 28 and I didn’t want to be in my mid-30s and then try to transition being a club pro that late in the game.”
Ballo was an assistant pro at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, for three years, during which time he won the 2019 New York State Open at Bethpage Black – site of the annual intercollegiate tournament St. John’s hosts, the Doc Gimmler, in addition to the upcoming Ryder Cup. He moved to Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, where he was a senior assistant pro before being named head pro at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, two years ago.
“My wife Amanda and I are expecting our first child, a daughter, in December,” Ballo said. “I’m a head pro at a great course and able to play in events [with the Metropolitan Golf Association and CSGA]. I have a beautiful life.”
Bradley agrees: “To watch how he has flourished over the last handful of years plus, and to see him you know, to get married, become a head golf pro and then continue to play great golf, so I’m really proud of him.”
The feeling is mutual.
“Obviously fans will be watching Scottie [Scheffler] and Rory [McIlroy] in the Ryder Cup, but the support for Keegan will be really strong at Bethpage,” Ballo said. “Bethpage is one of the hardest tests of golf, tee to green. So challenging physically and mentally. It never lets up. Team Europe is coming into Keegan’s backyard. The U.S. crowd knows Keegan is our guy, a St. John’s blue-collar guy.”
And every day of the Ryder Cup, Ballo will be at Bethpage Black to support one of his best friends and his team with pride.