CROMWELL, CT. The hardest thing to experience in professional golf is when victory is literally just ahead and you can’t seal the deal. That happened – again — for Tommy Fleetwood at The Travelers last week.
Hard to imagine but since 1983, Fleetwood has the most top tens — 42 — without even one victory to show for it.
Closing out tournaments is the essential difference between the very talented players and those at the super elite level.
Fleetwood’s career has been a good one. He’s won seven times on the European Tour but the ultimate proving ground is on USA soil with the PGA Tour.
When the final round began the 34-year-old was in perfect position to end his goose eggs and secure his first win on the PGA Tour.
Matters did not go well right from the start — three bogies in the first four holes with a single birdie included.
As the final round progressed Fleetwood steadied himself with two birdies at the 11th and 13th holes.
Tommy’s pursuers were not exactly shooting any low numbers to threaten him. In sum – it was his tournament if he only parred the remaining few holes. A bogey happened at the par-3 16th. When reaching the concluding par-4 hole at TPC River Highlands the situation was clear – a par would likely nail down the triumph.
Fleetwood unfortunately, missed from six feet for par while Keegan Bradley after hitting a superb approach to five feet made the putt for the win.
Once again – Tommy was on the precipice and the moment there was fleeting.
Bradley’s putt had the partisan New England crowd roaring as the Vermont native won for the second time in three years in Connecticut.
Fleetwood is assured of being on the European team for September’s Ryder Cup matches at Bethpage in New York.
However, given his talents the inability to close out an event that by all rights was his has to seed doubt in him and with Euro Captain Luke Donald in those matches.
In 2018 Fleetwood came to the final hole of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills and was left with a seven-foot birdie putt to score the first 18-hole round of 62 in US Open history. Given the travails being faced by a number of players behind him getting the concluding birdie could have likely meant no less than a playoff and even an outright win.
Fleetwood’s putt failed to be holed and although his 63 was a clear testament to his golf skills – his inability to rise up and seize the moment.
Questions in such matters are only answered by performance.
Before getting to Bethpage it would help matters for Tommy to finally get the 800-pound monkey off his back.
Fleetwood has no desire to be cited with Colin Montgomerie who never won on the PGA Tour during his stellar career.
The pressure will only certainly mount when Tommy is again back in such a delicate situation. Will it be “fleeting” again or will he crack through.
Clearly he’s hoping for the latter to be the case.
