Fleetwood chases doubts away with victory at Tour Championship
No longer will Tommy Fleetwood be asked the same question he’s heard over and over, the one playing on a loop in his brain. Never again will he be asked about his inability to win on the PGA Tour.
That matter has been settled.
Fleetwood, the Englishman with the icy blue eyes and the big smile, forever buried that question on Sunday when he at long last won his first tournament on the PGA Tour. He began the final round of the Tour Championship tied for the lead, took control early and closed the deal with the tenacity of a time-share condo salesman, walking away with the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus.
By the time Fleetwood putted out in front of East Lake’s iconic Tudor-style clubhouse, there were thousands of fans ringing the 18th green and chanting his name. Seconds after he tapped in for par to post a 2-under 68 and finished at 18-under 262, Fleetwood threw his head back and produced the sort of primal yell that had been waiting years to emerge.
Even the swoosh on his hat seemed a little swooshier.
“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,” Fleetwood said. “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.”
Fleetwood had held the 54-hole lead or co-lead four times — three times this year — and come up short each time. The victory came in his 164th start and he began the week ranked fifth in the FedEx Cup standings, the highest-ranked player without a victory. He entered the final day with 29 top-five finishes.
Fleetwood finished three shots ahead of Patrick Cantlay, with whom he began the final round tied for first, and Russell Henley, who held a share of the 36-hole lead. Cantlay, who won the FedEx Cup in 2021, closed with a 71. Henley finished with a 69.
Tied for fourth at 14-under 266 were No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Corey Connors and Cam Young. Scheffler shot 68, Young shot 66 and Connors had a 62, the low round of the day.
Cantlay stepped aside early by making bogey on the first two holes. By the time they made the turn, Fleetwood was up by three. Cantlay got as close as one shot after Fleetwood made bogey at No. 10, but Fleetwood got it right back when Cantlay bogeyed the 11th.
The lead grew to three shots after 13. Both players were within six feet with their approach, but Cantlay’s putt lipped out and Fleetwood’s dropped in. Fleetwood bogeyed the troublesome par-3 15th, which he had double-bogeyed on Saturday, and parred his way to the clubhouse.
“For the last two or three holes, you do get a sense of the ebb and flow of the tournament, door was just getting wider and wider,” Fleetwood said. “It definitely looked like it was finally my time but then don’t want to get ahead of yourself. You’ve still got to hit the golf shots.”
It was really a two-man game all day, even though a few interlopers tried to interject themselves in the mix.
World No. 1 Scheffler got to within two shots of the lead after a birdie at No. 14. But his chances went kaput when he rinsed his tee shot on the par-3 15th and took double bogey. Combined that with a birdie by Fleetwood and Scheffler was down by five and out of contention.
“I battled all week to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said. “I wasn’t as sharp as I would have hoped. I had a good first round, but outside of that I didn’t really play my best the first few days. Still gave myself a shot.”
Russell Henley, the first-round leader and co-leader after 36, began the day two shots off the pace. But after making a birdie on the third hole, he treaded water and produced par after par. A bogey at 15 killed any realistic chances the Macon native had.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who began the day just three shots behind, got stuck in neutral and was never a factor. He finished tied for seventh, five shots behind, and still in contention to name himself to the Ryder Cup team.
Fleetwood was the most consistent player during the three-week playoff run. He shot in the 60s in each of his 12 rounds, and had four rounds of 64. He became the first player since Chad Campbell in 2003 to make the Tour Championship his first victory. He earns a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and will move up to No. 6 in the world rankings.
“I think I’m proud of what I’ve done before,” he said. “Whether I’ve won or not, I’ve still been proud of my career, knowing that I still have a long way to go and lots of learning. This doesn’t change that really. I’m just happy I got it done and happy with my work ethic and I’ll continue to try and get better and be the best I can be.”
About the Author
Stan Awtrey has been covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1977. He currently writes about high school sports, Georgia State University athletics and golf.
