Tommy Fleetwood on string of PGA Tour near misses: ‘I’ll get it right’
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Tommy Fleetwood of England tees the 10th hole during a practice round for the 2025 Tour Championship.
PHOTO: EPA
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ATLANTA – Time and again, Tommy Fleetwood has come up just short of winning on the PGA Tour. But he would rather harness his emotions into something positive than give in to anger and doubt.
“I’ve thrown the odd club in the water or something when I’m out there and maybe feel a bit better for a while,” he said on Aug 19.
“But I’m not that great at being angry. It just doesn’t suit me.”
The accomplished Englishman, 34, has yet to win stateside, and the near misses this season no doubt have stung.
But he did not need a victory to finish fifth in the FedExCup points standings ahead of this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Fleetwood’s season is inarguably strong on paper – seven top 10s, only one missed cut in 18 events – and he has tied for third and tied for fourth at the first two legs of the FedExCup play-offs.
“Just very happy with the consistency of my golf and the level I’ve been playing at,” he said.
“Golf is a crazy game. You never know what you’re going to turn up with week in and week out, but this year has been a very good year and the last few weeks have been good as well.”
One heartbreak Fleetwood endured came in June at the Travelers Championship, a signature event and the site of his sixth career runner-up finish on tour.
After blazing rounds of 66, 65 and 63, he ceded the lead late to Keegan Bradley, who made an improbable birdie on No. 18 while Fleetwood three-putted for bogey and signed for a 72.
“I work really hard on making sure that I make it all into a positive,” Fleetwood added.
“You just learn from those experiences and I guess emotions are a lot of positives.
“I would rather you be questioning me about not finishing tournaments off than not questioning me at all about anything.
“So I’ve obviously shown a lot of really good stuff and put myself in great positions.
“I’ve said every single time that I just want to put myself there again. I want to give myself another chance.
“I’ll finish it off at some point. I’ll get it right and I’ll get it right more than once.”
The Briton will tee off on Aug 21 with the same chance as the other 29 players in the field to win the Tour Championship and hoist the FedExCup.
Gone is the staggered “starting strokes” format, which would have allowed world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to start at 10 under and Fleetwood at five under.
Four rounds of golf from now, the man with the lowest score is the winner of the tournament, the FedExCup and US$10 million (S$12.6 million). What a time it would be for Fleetwood’s first PGA Tour win to come.
“I’m not going to be picky about which one I choose to have as the first one. This one would be a good one,” Fleetwood said.
“But I think it would be pretty funny if I won this week and then got the FedExCup as well.” REUTERS
