Tommy Fleetwood triumphs at Tour Championship for elusive first PGA Tour title

ATLANTA – Stop questioning Tommy Fleetwood about finally getting his first PGA Tour victory. He got his win, after so many close calls, in a big way.

The Englishman captured the FedExCup championship with a victory in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Aug 24. He took away the coveted play-off championship and a US$10 million (S$12.8 million) winner’s cheque.

Fleetwood finished at 18-under 262 with a final-round two-under 68. Patrick Cantlay (71), who played in the final pairing, and Russell Henley (69), the first- and second-round leader, tied for second at 265.

Fleetwood had a huge smile, maybe of relief, after making his tap-in putt to finish as fans circled the 18th green. They chanted “Tom-my, Tom-my,” as he hugged his caddie. Then he looked upward and let out a scream of delight. He raised both hands as he walked off the green and was greeted by several players.

The win came in Fleetwood’s 164th career start on tour, which included 30 top-five finishes. Two of those near misses came in these play-offs, a tie for third at the St Jude’s Championship and a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. He has had to answer questions about finally breaking through, especially when he entered the final round holding a share of the lead.

“It’s a shame the story is gone,” Fleetwood said of finally breaking through. “I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way... I’ll be proud of the strength that I had to show to keep coming back and showing that it can be done if you’re resilient enough and you keep putting yourself in those positions.

“I’ll look back at it and I’ll be able to tell people that I am really, really pleased that I get to talk to kids or aspiring golfers or aspiring sports people, whatever they’re trying to do, and I can genuinely talk about showing resilience or keep coming back after tough losses and keep working and all of those things and the skills that you have to use in order to put yourself there again and then finally get it done.”

Fleetwood, who entered fifth in the points standings, became the first player in the FedExCup era (since 2007) to claim his first career PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship.

Cantlay found trouble early with a bogey at the first hole and a double-bogey at the second. When Fleetwood birdied No. 2, he was 17 under to Cantlay’s 13 under. Henley took over second place at 15 under.

Fleetwood took a three-stroke lead, at 18 under, into the second nine over his rivals.

When Cantlay birdied and Fleetwood bogeyed the 10th, they were just a stroke apart. Cantlay bogeyed the 11th, and Fleetwood’s edge widened to two. A Fleetwood birdie at the 13th, and the lead was back to three at 19 under.

When Fleetwood’s tee shot at the par-three 15th landed on dry land – after he hit water in the third round – the tournament was all but over even though he took a bogey. He would play the final hole with a three-stroke lead.

“I think it’s easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight,” he said.

“It’s different when you actually have to prove it. There’s different types of mental strength. I’ve clearly got things wrong in the dire moments of tournaments, and I might have made the odd dodgy decision, might have put a bad swing on it.

“But I’ve had to have mental strength in a different way. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in.

“Think the right things, say the right things to yourself, say the right things outwardly, and I am really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going that it can happen.”

Scheffler, the world No. 1 and FedExCup points leader, started four shots back. He hit his opening drive out of bounds and managed bogey. He would get to within two strokes of Fleetwood on the back nine but put his tee shot on the par-three 15th in the water and made double-bogey. Scheffler’s chance at back-to-back FedExCup titles was over and he ended tied for fourth at 266 with a 68.

“I wasn’t as sharp as I would have hoped to have (been),” he said. “I had a good first round (63), but outside of that didn’t really play my best.”

The Tour Championship changed formats in 2025 to a winner-takes-all final with all players starting at even par.

However, had they used the starting-strokes format from the previous six years, Scheffler would have won the tournament and the title. Fleetwood, starting at five under, would have finished at 23 under; Scheffler, starting 10 under, who have ended 24 under.

Meanwhile, Keegan Bradley has received resounding support from American players to be the playing captain of the US Ryder Cup team. Now, someone in a far higher office is in Bradley’s corner.

President Donald Trump posted to his social media platform on Aug 24 to endorse Bradley for the 12-man team.

“Keegan Bradley should DEFINITELY be on the American Ryder Cup Team – As Captain!!!” he said on Truth Social, going on to announce that he will be in attendance at Bethpage Black on Friday, the first of the three-day event from Sept 26 to 28 in Farmingdale, New York.

Bradley finished tied-seventh at the Tour Championship after a 70 left him on 267. REUTERS