Tommy Fleetwood shared what he regrets from his first PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood inspired the sporting world by claiming his first PGA Tour victory at East Lake. He won the FedEx Cup with his colleagues watching from the 18th green. Justin Rose and Shane Lowry were among the many to congratulate Fleetwood once he’d holed his last putt.
LeBron James was one of many superstars to post about Fleetwood’s success. It would have taken a cold heart not to enjoy one of the most beloved players in golf finally getting over the hump.
But Fleetwood revealed that he still has one regret from Sunday, when he won for the first time.
Tommy Fleetwood admits that he regrets not enjoying the walk to the 18th green
Fleetwood entered the final hole on Sunday with the FedEx Cup essentially locked up. He led Patrick Cantlay by three shots, so it would have taken a monumental meltdown to lose the championship from there.
He walked down the par-five 18th with his ball just off the fairway in two. All he needed to do was chip on and three-putt to claim the title. Next to him was his long-term caddie and best friend Ian Finnis, who has shared all of Fleetwood’s heartbreaks over the years.
Fleetwood has the most second-place and top-ten finishes without a win in the PGA Tour’s history. This season alone, Fleetwood lost the Travelers to Keegan Bradley despite leading on the 18th, and Rose won the St. Jude with Fleetwood leading late on Sunday.
With those recent memories in mind, you can forgive Fleetwood for not allowing himself to celebrate until he had the trophy in his hands. The Englishman, however, said he regretted not soaking in the occasion with Finnis.
He said on the Dan on Golf podcast, “I would have loved to have been able to try and enjoy it more with him walking up with 18th, but I was in this deep, mental cocoon state where I was trying to just get the job done. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.
“The crowd were chanting my name and stuff, and I was like, ‘Just get on the 18th green and finish the job off.
“I’m sure Finno probably had doubts as well. It’s another accomplishment for us as a team. Your career ebbs and flows, we’ve been together for a long time, we’ve known each other for such a long time.
“This is just another one of those special moments that we get to experience and achieve together. It’s great that we’ve had the ups and downs of this year, and the last few years. This was a nice one today.”
LeBron James, Caitlyn Clark and Tiger Woods react to Tommy Fleetwood’s win
While Fleetwood couldn’t enjoy the moment, some of the world’s greatest athletes came together to enjoy the FedEx Cup winner’s triumph.
LA Lakers star James, who was giving live commentary on X throughout the tournament, said, “Congrats and 🫡
@TommyFleetwood1!!! That first one feeling is something else! Especially after dealing with adversity and shortcomings. Too 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🏆”
The WNBA’s Clark, who posted, “This has to be Fleetwood’s day” earlier in the final round, said, “Awesome. Sports rock”.
The greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods, also had a message for Fleetwood after his win. He said, “Your journey is a reminder that hard work, resilience, and heart do pay off. No one deserves it more. Congrats @TommyFleetwood1!”
We are one month away from a Ryder Cup on U.S. soil, as typically the American crowds would be chanting against the European contenders on the Tour. Instead, it was nothing but love for Fleetwood, who said the support was “unbelievably special”.
But make no mistake, if Fleetwood wins the Ryder Cup for Europe as he did in 2023, he will not be popular man in New York.