Jim Bradley spends his fall and winter months making sure Ben Roethlisberger is as upright and healthy as can be in his role as the orthopedic surgeon for the Steelers. After all, no active quarterback in the NFL has been hit and sacked as much as Roethlisberger.
But, for the past four years, he has been responsible for keeping another elite athlete healthy and performing — Jason Day, the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Day calls Bradley his chief medical officer and part of his team that has taken on a Western Pennsylvania flavor.
In effect, Bradley has gone from No. 7 to No. 1.
“Any sort of injury I have my trainer is always calling Doc Bradley,” Day said. “He has a lot of influence in what we do and how we go about certain things.”
Bradley is no stranger to working with golfers. He was introduced to Greg Norman years ago and continues to help the Shark with any physical issues.
But his association with Day, another Australian, has taken on an added dimension, especially now that Day, 28, has risen to the top of the golf world after winning seven of his past 18 starts.
“He was getting a little advice that we kind of disagreed with and we started trying to stay away from certain things that he might have been doing,” said Bradley, a single-digit handicap who is an Oakmont member. “You need dynamic stabilizers [muscles] and static stabilizers [ligaments, bones] working in synergy with one another because the velocity of the swing is exceptional.”
Top-ranked golfer Jason Day is battling a cold but says he'll be ready to play when the U.S. Open gets underway at Oakmont. (Steve Mellon/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Today’s modern golf swing requires players to be physically fit because the motion stresses their lower body and produces a violent move at the ball. Day is no different. He is one of the longest and straightest drivers on the PGA Tour.
“The velocity of his swing and his ball velocity is exceptional,” said Bradley, who walked with Day while the reigning PGA champion played a practice round Tuesday. “He’s got the fastest hips I’ve ever seen.”
Bradley said medical studies show that over a two-year period 60 percent of professional golfers will be sidelined by some type of injury, usually to the shoulder, wrist or back. Conversely, only 40 percent of amateur or recreational golfers in that same period will get injured. The typical amateur injury involves the back, shoulder or elbow, Bradley said.
“He knows what an athlete needs and what goes into an athlete to produce the result because he’s been in sports medicine for a long time now,” Day said. “And he understands the precautions and what you need to do to keep the longevity of your career going.”
During his stretch as the hottest golfer in the world and ascent to No. 1, Day is always sure to mention and credit his “team.” That includes Bradley and his agent, Bud Martin, a Greenfield native who introduced Day to his “team” doctor. Like Bradley, Martin is an Oakmont member. He is hoping that the Western Pennsylvania flavor helps at Oakmont.
“I’ve known Jim for over 13 years and have a great deal of confidence in him,” Martin said. “Plus, it’s added credibility when we’re watching the Steelers play from some other place in the country or world and we see him treating their players.”
Even though they play sports that are polar opposites, Bradley sees a big similarity between Day and Roethlisberger.
“The thing they have very much in common, they embrace the big moment,” Bradley said. “Some people shy away from the big moment; they want to put themselves in position to embrace it. It’s a common thread if you want to be a champion. The two are very similar.”
Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac.
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