ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – England’s Tommy Fleetwood finally broke the chain. Now, Fleetwood can go his own way. Even his biggest rivals at the TOUR Championship said, “Fleetwood played over my head.’ And, as the Englishman clinched the $10 million first prize, it was said the Fleetwood made ‘PUTTIN fun.
No matter what, golf fans can stop questioning Fleetwood about getting his first PGA Tour victory. He got his win, after so many close calls, and he did so in the biggest way. The English Ryder Cup mainstay captured the FedEx Cup championship with a victory in the annual Super Bowl of Golf – the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday. He takes away the coveted playoff championship and a $10 million winner’s check.
Fleetwood finished 18-under par with a final-round 68. Patrick Cantlay (71), who played in the final pairing, and Russell Henley (69), the first- and second-round leader, tied for second at 15-under.
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.
The win came in Fleetwood’s 164th career start on tour, which included 30 top-5 finishes. Two of those near misses came in these playoffs, a tie for third at the St. Jude’s Championship and a tie for fourth at the BMW Championship. He’s had to answer questions about finally breaking through, especially when he entered the final round holding a share of the lead.
“I love that I’m up there again, and it’s just another chance,” Fleetwood said after the Ithird round where he shared the lead at 16-under with Cantlay. “It’s another opportunity. It’s another day where I get to go out and do what I love and enjoy it and be in contention and just go and hit the golf shots, and what is like the best pressure, if you like. We’re trying to win a golf tournament and do something very special.”
Fleetwood, who entered fifth in the points standings, became the first player in the FedEx Cup 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 hole. When Fleetwood birdied the second, he was 17-under to Cantlay’s 13-under. First- and second-round leader Russell Henley took over second place at 15-under. Fleetwood took a three-stroke lead, at 18-under, into the second nine over Cantay and Henley.
When Cantlay birdied and Fleetwood bogeyed the 10th, just a stroke separated the two. Cantlay bogeyed the 11th, and Fleetwood’s edge was back to two strokes. A Fleetwood birdie at the 13th, and the lead was back to three at 19-under.
When Fleetwood’s tee shot at the par-3 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.
Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and FedEx Cup points leader, started four strokes back. He hit his opening drive out of bounds and managed bogey. He would get two within two strokes of Fleetwood on the back nine but put his tee shot on the par-3 15th in the water and made double-bogey. Scheffler’s chance at back-to-back FedEx Cup titles was over. Scheffler (68) finished tied for fourth at 14-under.
The Tour Championship changed formats this year to a winner-take-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 5-under, who have finished at 23-under. Scheffler, starting 10-under, who have finished 24-under.
–Chris Vivlamore, Field Level Media