Image courtesy PGA Tour/X.
By Rahul Banerji
A bogey-par finish saw Tommy Fleetwood miss out yet again on a maiden PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship won in heroic fashion by fellow-Englishman Justin Rose.
Fleetwood, in his 162nd PGA Tour start held a two-shot lead with three holes to go before letting the win slip away yet again.
He then had to look on as Rose outgunned US Open winner J.J. Spaun in a three-hole playoff after the two had finished tied on 16 under par 264 at TPC Southwind in Memphis on Sunday.
“I’m obviously going to be disappointed,” Fleetwood said after his bogey-par finish left him a shot shy the playoff and alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler in a tie for third on 15 under 265.
“I said last time, there’s a lot of positives to take, as much as I don’t really feel like that right now. I’m just going to look at what I feel like I could have done and how close it was.
“You know, we move on. There’s another week that’s next, and I’ve just got to reflect on today and obviously keep pushing forward and try and put myself in that position again.”
Modern tragedy
As the PGA Tour website put it, “It was another chapter in what is becoming one of professional golf’s great modern tragedies.
“The difference between the “Folly of Fleetwood” and Shakespeare’s Othello and Macbeth is that those stories had a final page. Fleetwood’s journey, full of promise and heartbreak, is still being written.”
Fleetwood (63-64-69-69) has six second place finishes in his 161 tour starts, taken third place a further six times and, 29 top fives and 42 top 10s in what has been one of his best seasons in America.
In contrast, Scheffler (67-66-65-67) has not finished worse than eighth in his last 12 tournaments dating to March and on Sunday, brought in his 12th consecutive top 10 finish and 14th of the season that include four wins.
At the top, Rose (64-66-67-67) overcame a three-shot deficit over the last five holes from Fleetwood and then made two birdies in a playoff against Spaun (68-66-65-65).
Vital win
It was 12th PGA Tour win and a 24th victory worldwide, and also secured his spot in another Ryder Cup.
Rose birdied six of his final eight holes including two in the playoff against Spaun including the wining putt.
“An amazing last 90 minutes,” the 45-year-old said later. “I played unbelievable golf down the stretch.
“When I bring my best, I know I’m good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me.”
Added Spaun, who also locked up his Ryder Cup berth, “I hung in there the best I could, and he beat me to the hole first. Just wasn’t meant to be.”
Also read: Fleetwood to join lineup at DP World India Championship
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