[PHOTO: Andy Lyons]
Tommy Fleetwood did not capture his first PGA Tour last week at the FedEx St Jude Championship, his 14 under four-day total falling a shot short of a playoff. However, his T-3 finish still bestowed a whopping $US1,160,000 payday, giving the Englishman an unwanted title of sorts.
Thanks to his performance in Memphis, Fleetwood became the first player in PGA Tour history to cross $US20 million in earnings without a win to his credit.
Before the European golf cognoscenti lose their minds, yes, Fleetwood does have six wins on the DP World Tour. And the monetary figure is certainly aided by the influx of cash into the pro game; despite zero victories on the season, Fleetwood boasts more than $US6.3 million in earnings in this campaign alone. We’re also going out on a limb and saying a lot of people would happily take an “unwanted” label for $US20 million in the bank account.
Fleetwood’s been so close to that elusive breakthrough win: according to stat guru Justin Ray, Fleetwood’s 22 top-five finishes on tour are the most of any PGA Tour player in the past 40 years without a victory.
“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 said on Sunday. “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.”
Luckily for Fleetwood he’ll have two more chances against limited fields at this week’s BMW Championship (against just 49 other competitors) and the season finale at East Lake (30-player field). Fleetwood enters this week’s BMW ranked 10th in the FedEx Cup standings.
