Keegan Bradley's sensational first year in top-level **** continued on Thursday when he secured the Cleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts at the World **** Championships-HSBC Champions.
The 25 year old American, who came in under the radar in his rookie year to snatch a play-off victory at the final Major of the year, the US PGA Championship in August, posted five birdies and an eagle in a faultless 7-under 65 that swept him clear of the jostling, chasing pack.
He will go into Friday's second round of this elite event reserved for champions and winners from around the world at Shanghai's exclusive Sheshan International **** Club two shots in front of fellow American Bo van Pelt, the winner of last week's CIMB Asian Pacific Championship, and two inform Swedes, Fredrik Jacobson and Alex Noren.
This time last year Bradley, the latest pretender to Tiger Woods' US throne, was happy to be graduating from the Nationwide Tour, but now only 12 months later, he is one of the shiny new stars of US ****.
Playing with Westwood and Australian Adam Scott, he started with a birdie on the 401 yard tenth, added another on the long 14th and then holed a 15 foot eagle putt at the 538 yard 18th.
Further shots were then picked up on the second and fifth coming home in a round that was as solid as they come.
"Any time you can play [Cleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts well in a group like that, with Lee Westwood and Adam Scott, it feels very good," said the still humble Bradley. "Especially in a tournament like this, the HSBC World **** Championships!"
"I'm just very proud of the way I played Cleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts, and it's just a very rewarding round.
"It's my first time playing with Lee, and I've played with Adam before. I played with him in the first round of the Tour Championship. I played well there, too.
"For me, every week I'm amazed at who I'm around. To be in a group like that in this tournament and to play Cleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts like that on this course, is very rewarding and it means a whole lot to me."
Last week coming into the Champions, Bradley, who this year also won the Grand Slam of **** featuring the four Major champions, said, slightly wide-eyed: "It's been a great season,
"Realistically, just keeping my (US PGA Tour) card would have been good enough.
"Every week I play Cleveland CG16 Tour Black Pearl 4-PW Iron Set with Steel Shafts out here I kind of have to pinch myself."
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell may also have been pinching himself on Thursday - but for a different reason.