Tommy Fleetwood of England plays a shot from a bunker on the 16th hole during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on Aug. 13, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee, the United States. (AFP/Getty Images/Andy Lyons)
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hen it comes to truly “chill” golfers on the PGA Tour, there are few names that come to mind other than Tommy Fleetwood of England. Sporting shoulder-length hair, a beard and a slender, average build, Fleetwood comes across more as a rock and roll musician, actor or yoga instructor rather than a professional golfer.
In fact, Fleetwood once confessed, “My favorite subject in school was drama, I actually got an A star in GCC, unfortunately, that’s where my career ended. If I wasn’t a golfer, I’d give it a go at acting. I’d like to work behind the scenes.”
He does, fortunately, possess remarkable credentials as a PGA Tour pro, now ranked 15th in the world after the recently concluded FedEx St. Jude Championship in the searing Memphis heat in the United States state of Tennessee.
The FedEx St. Jude is the first of three FedEx Cup Playoff events culminating in the Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, the US, where the winner will ultimately pocket a staggering US$18 million.
The 32-year-old Fleetwood nearly won the St. Jude but ultimately finished tied for third to collect a cool $1.16 million for his efforts.
Despite his stellar play since joining the Tour in 2018, he has yet to notch a win. He has had a stunning 22 top-five finishes, including two second-place finishes in Major Championships. Expectations for his maiden victory continue to mount for Fleetwood.
When asked about this after the FedEx St. Jude he responded, “It's better than being the other way. It's better than being nowhere near. Yeah, of course it's frustrating, but I think I have to look at it in a positive way, be proud of the golf I'm playing and the work that we're doing.”
Fleetwood was very close to his mother Sue, who passed away from cancer about a year ago at the age of 60.
He was asked about her and the impact she had during the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
“She would have sent her usual text saying ‘well played’, ‘good luck tomorrow’ or something. I've been very, very lucky that I've had great parents. Not everybody is as lucky as I am to have the support and the commitment that they put into everything that I did up until the day that she passed,” he said.
Once again Fleetwood came within a whisper of victory in June when he lost in a two-man playoff in the RBC Canadian Open to finish second.
As of the writing of this article, Fleetwood is on to Chicago to play in the BMW Championship, the second event in the three installments of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
He has a solid chance of winning the $18 million bonus purse in Atlanta since he’s ranked 10th overall going into Chicago. Another top-ten finish or win would put him in great stead to win it all at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Looking ahead, a confident Fleetwood likes his chances: “I'll keep playing the way that I have done, and again, so close today, and I think overall the performances even sort of when I've been in contention and in those last rounds, I haven't done loads wrong, and I'm feeling very, very comfortable. It's just trusting that it will happen and keep playing my game.”
Fleetwood is in a positive place when it comes to golf. He is confident that the tour win he’s gunning for will materialize in time. He maintains the optimistic perspective that has propelled him to the elite perch he now occupies.
He reflected on this last month at the Open Championship, where once again he finished in the top 10.
“I think good results always spur you on and they give you the confidence to keep pushing on and doing those things. I enjoy the game, and I enjoy trying to get better,” he said.
“At the moment we're obviously in this period where I have to be patient and trusting in what we're doing and show good results. All I want to do is keep working hard, keep playing and keep putting myself in position, and obviously, it'll be my turn soon.”
